Thoughts from The Bible

Thoughts from the Bible

Wednesday, 04 December 2024 09:15

The Why
by Cody Anderson Corinth Missionary Baptist Church

Why Jesus? I mean why did Jesus have to come to Earth? Why did God have to dwell with man and then die? We have set aside a season, Christmas, to celebrate when God cloaked Himself in mankind and came to dwell on Earth with man. The arrival of Jesus in human form was not merely an extraordinary event; it was essential for God’s redemptive plan. Why did God, who is almighty and sovereign, need to come to earth as a man? The answer reveals the depths of His love, justice, and desire to restore humanity to Himself.

The story of why begins before the foundations of the world. Ephesians 1:4 says, “just as He chose us in Him (Christ) before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him,” (NASB). God already had a plan in place for when Adam and Eve sinned. While the relationship with man was to be one of love and harmony, sin entered and fractured that relationship and plunged man into a state of separation from God. Sin created a chasm between God and mankind that no human effort could bridge. Humanity was powerless to free itself from the curse of sin and death. As Paul writes in Romans 3:23, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (NASB).

God’s holiness demands justice, and sin requires a penalty. But God’s love is also perfect and unending. He desired to reconcile with His creation, and He did so by sending His Son, Jesus, as the solution. In the Old Testament, we see hints of this plan. Sacrifices and offerings made under the Law of Moses foreshadowed the ultimate sacrifice that would come. Hebrews 10:4 says, “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins,” (NASB). These sacrifices were symbols pointing to something greater: a final, perfect sacrifice. The hope of a final sacrifice was part of the first advent of Christ.

The perfect sacrifice would come in the form of a sinless person. God condescending to become flesh like man. Jesus, fully God and fully man, both divine and human, would stand in the chasm and take our place as the spotless sacrifice for our sins. The divine, yet human, nature was necessary. To be a true substitute, Jesus needed to be fully human to represent humanity. It would require perfect obedience, while facing all the temptations that mankind does, yet without sin. If He had sinned, His death would have been the wages due Him not for all mankind. Hebrews 2:17 explains, “For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people,” (NIV). In His humanity, Jesus faced every trial, temptation, and suffering that we experience, yet without sin. He understands our weaknesses, making Him the perfect mediator between God and humanity.

The perfect sacrifice was to accomplish salvation. Jesus’ sacrifice is sufficient for all mankind, since His death satisfies the righteous requirements of the holy God. God himself paid the price, putting on the form of man, reaching down into our sinful world, and bearing the punishment each one of us deserve. The gospel of Jesus isn’t just a feel-good story or a new beginning. It is the only way of reconciliation to God. His death and resurrection provided the only path to eternal life, defeating sin and death for all who believe.

Christmas, then, isn’t simply a celebration of a baby born in a manger. It is a celebration of the God, who loved us enough to come as one of us, to walk our roads, to know our pain, and to bear our sins. He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6), inviting all who will believe to receive forgiveness and be restored to relationship with God.
This Christmas season, may we reflect on the depth of God’s love shown in Christ’s incarnation. Remember that He came not just to teach or heal, but to give Himself as a ransom, redeeming us from the power of sin. His coming is Christmas, a divine act of grace that offers hope, peace, and new life to all who receive Him.