December 8 – 14, 2011: Why Did Jesus Come?
Many are familiar with the story of how Christ came into the world, but few know exactly why He came into the world. Ultimately, Jesus appeared in the manger so that He would go to the cross; He came to die for our sins. Although, encompassed within this great truth, Scripture reveals several other specific reasons as to why Christ came into this world. Join us as we look at the intention of the Incarnation—why the Word (God the Son) came and dwelt among us (John 1:1, 14), and how it relates to you personally!
Thursday: To Take Away Sins — 1 John 3:5
The Word: “You know that He appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin.”
The Breakdown: Jesus appeared—came into this world—to take away sins. He was the only person who could do such a thing because He is the only one in whom “there is no sin.” In this passage of Scripture, John clearly describes how those who know Christ will not live in a continual lifestyle of sin, because to do so is to completely deny and disregard Christ’s purpose for coming into the world—to take away sin. Therefore, it’s impossible for believers to continue in a lifestyle of sin because it would contradict Christ’s mission.
Activate: Have your sins been taken away by Christ? Does your life demonstrate this truth, whereas you live a life of sanctification rather than of sin? If not, beware, because those who continue to live in a lifestyle of sin do not know God (v.6).
A Thought: If your faith is put in Christ then know that your sins have been taken away. If something is taken away, it must be placed somewhere else, which is exactly what happened with our sins—they were placed upon Christ. “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness” (1 Peter2:24).
Friday: To Be Our Life and Propitiation — 1 John 4:9-10
The Word: “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
The Breakdown: These verses reveal two reasons why Christ came into the world: to be the propitiation for our sins and so that we might live through Him. He needed to be the propitiation for our sins, which is to satisfy God’s holiness for the punishment of sin, because we were guilty and God’s demands needed to be satisfied. He came so we would live through Him because we were dead and needed the life that He provides.
Activate: John describes these two reasons why Christ came as being love. God’s love was made manifest by Christ’s entrance into the world, allowing us to live through Him and to become the recipients of mercy as God’s wrath and our sin were removed and replaced with grace and the righteousness of Christ. The love of God is truly amazing.
A Thought: Even though you didn’t love God, He loved you, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for your sins in order that you might live through Him. That is amazing grace!
Saturday: To Propitiate and Show Righteousness — Romans 3:25-26
The Word: “God put [Christ] forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in His divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show His righteousness at the present time, so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
The Breakdown: Christ came to be a propitiation. This means that His sacrifice satisfied God’s justice and removed God’s wrath from us, providing us with mercy by not requiring us to pay the penalty for our sins. He did this to show God’s righteousness, in that He is just and the justifier of believers. God’s justice was not compromised for your sins; it was completely satisfied because Christ exhausted and absorbed the wrath of God for you.
Activate: Christ was put forward to be received by faith. Have you done this? Have you trusted in His work on the cross, whereas He satisfied God’s wrath and replaced it with mercy? Do you have full confidence that you are justified because He is just?
A Thought: Be thankful that God demonstrated His righteousness through Christ’s work on the cross instead of making you demonstrate your own righteousness for salvation. He paid a debt that He did not owe because you paid a debt you could not pay. God is just in forgiving you and is your justifier, declaring that you are forgiven and holy in Jesus Christ.
Sunday: To Serve and Give Himself as a Ransom — Mark 10:45
The Word: “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
The Breakdown: This Scripture describes two reasons why Christ came into the world: to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. Throughout His ministry, Christ demonstrated service both to man and to His Father. Christ gave us an example of what it means to be a servant in John 13:5-17, and promised that we would be blessed if we followed His example. Also, Christ gave His life as a ransom for (in the place of) many, which refers to the price paid to free a slave or a prisoner; it is the payment for redemption. Our debt was not cancelled, but rather, Christ paid the full amount. We were bought at a price (1 Corinthians6:20), and the price was Christ’s life. We were ransomed by the precious blood of Jesus Christ (1 Peter1:18-19)!
Activate: Since Christ provided us with the perfect example of how to serve, are you imitating His example as a servant? He made this statement as a response to the prideful requests of His disciples in Mark 10:35-44, in order to show them that true greatness is found in humble service.
A Thought: Christ performed the greatest service by paying a debt that He did not owe!
Monday: To Send Us — John 20:21
The Word: “Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you.”
The Breakdown: Just as Christ was sent into the world by the Father for a specific purpose, He has sent us into the world for a specific purpose. He not only sends us, but He gives us a clear commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you (Matthew 28:19-20). The Father sent Christ, and Chris has sent us!
Activate: Christ came into this world in order to provide us with an example of what it means to be “sent” and what it looks like to accomplish a specific task. Like Christ, we can be successful in accomplishing the task that we have been given, especially since He will work through us.
A Thought: At the end of the ministry that Christ was sent to accomplish, He prayed, “I glorified You on earth, having accomplished the work that You gave Me to do” (John 17:4). When your life comes to an end, will you be able to say the same? Do what Christ sent you to do!
Tuesday: To Destroy the Works of the Devil — 1 John 3:8b
The Word: “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”
The Breakdown: The way Jesus destroyed the works of the devil was through the cross. Hebrews 2:14 states that through His death He destroyed the “one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.” By doing so, Jesus fulfilled the prophecy in Genesis 3:15, which describes how the Messiah would give a fatal blow to Satan’s head. Christ destroyed (demolished and brought to an end) the works of the devil, which refers to all forms of sin along with its power.
Activate: The fact that Jesus specifically came to destroy the works of the devil shows that we cannot overcome the enemy on our own efforts; we are completely helpless and instead of being able to destroy his works, we were being destroyed. Christ set us free from the works of the devil. Therefore, are you free from the enemy’s works? Or are you still in bondage to sin? You can only overcome the bondage of sin by trusting in the One who destroyed it!
A Thought: We were all Satan’s captives, but Christ destroyed the captor and set us free! The purpose of Christ’s coming into this world was to bring destruction in order to produce freedom!
Wednesday: To Put Away Sin — Hebrews 9:24-26
The Word: “He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (v.26b).
The Breakdown: This portion of Scripture compares Christ with the Old Testament high priest. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest entered theMost Holy Place to offer sacrifices in order to provide atonement for the nation ofIsrael, both corporately and individually. Although, only those who had genuine faith and repentance were able to receive its benefits. Sin was taken away temporarily; they had an annual atonement. But Christ came to take away sin permanently and provide eternal forgiveness. The high priest would do this once a year, but Christ’s offering was once for all, never needing to be repeated. This wasn’t accomplished through the sacrificing of animals, but “by the sacrifice of Himself,” providing a perfecting sacrifice (Hebrews10:14).
Activate: Has your sin been put away? Or are you still trying to cover it up? You will never be able to take your own sin away; it can only be taken away by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.
A Thought: “But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:11-12). Christ “offered one sacrifice for sins forever (Hebrews 10:12), enabling sin to be “put away” and thus providing eternal redemption!
