16 Reasons Why Jesus Came

If Jesus is the reason for the season, what about Him is the reason?

Many Christians might casually answer, especially at this time of year, “Peace on earth.” This is mentioned by the angels in Luke 2:14, “…On earth peace among men of His good pleasure.” But the record of the New Testament provides a richer and fuller explanation of the reasons why Jesus came to earth. Peace on earth AND a lot more. Christ’s coming is best understood in relation to God’s good pleasure, an often overlooked phrase which is emphatically mentioned in Luke 2, the traditional Christmas story chapter which Linus reads in “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”

The incarnation of Christ is closely related to the purpose of God in creating man.

-Witness Lee

Below are 14 explicit statements Jesus made during His life concerning why He came and 2 reasons provided by the epistles. The list is not exhaustive but instructive. I really only included the verses that have the phrase “I have come to” or some variation of that. Enjoy!

1) To fulfill the demand of the law by keeping it in His living, to fulfill the righteous requirement of the law through His substitutionary death on the cross, and to uplift and complement the old law with the higher requirement of His kingdom life

Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have not come to abolish, but to fulfill. – Matthew 5:17

2) To call sinners- to heal, recover, enliven, and save them as their Physician

Now when He heard this, He said, Those who are strong have no need of a physician, but those who are ill. But go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice,” for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners. -Matthew 9:12-13

3) To preach the gospel of God

And He said to them, Let us go elsewhere into the nearby towns that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I came out. -Mark 1:38

4) To release the fire of His divine life on the earth through His life-releasing death and life-imparting resurrection

I have come to cast fire on the earth, and how I wish that it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how I am pressed until it is accomplished! -Luke 12:49-50

5) To seek fruit from the Jewish people who were likened to a fig tree planted by God

And He told this parable: A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. And he came seeking fruit on it and did not find any. -Luke 13:6

6) To give the divine life to the world in the form of food

For the bread of God is He who comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world. – John 6:33

7) To do the Father’s will in giving eternal life to everyone who believes into the Son, to not lose any the Father has given the Son, and to raise them up in resurrection in the last day

For I have come down from heaven not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent Me. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all which He has given Me I should lose nothing but should raise it up in the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that every one who beholds the Son and believes into Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up in the last day. -John 6:38-40

8) To give His body in death for the life of the world and to be eaten as the living bread so that man may live forever

This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, that anyone may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever; And the bread which I will give is My flesh, given for the life of the world. – John 6:50-51

9) To judge the proud ones with blindness and bless the blind ones with sight

And Jesus said, For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind. – John 9:39

10) To abundantly give the divine life to His sheep and to form them into one flock, the Body of Christ

The thief does not come except to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and may have it abundantly… and there shall be one flock… -John 10:10, 16

11) To be glorified and glorify the Father by bearing much fruit as His increase in resurrection and as the corporate expression of God

And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit… Now is My soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save Me out of this hour. But for this reason I have come to this hour. Father, glorify Your name… -John 12:23-24, 27-28

12) To be a light in the world and bring His believers out of darkness

I have come as a light into the world, that every one who believes into Me would not remain in darkness. -John 12:46

13) To save the world

And if anyone hears My words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world. -John 12:47

14) To testify to the truth

Pilate said therefore to Him, So then You are a king? Jesus answered, You say that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, that I would testify to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears My voice. -John 18:37

15) To save sinners, even the worst of them

Faithful is the word and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am foremost. -1 Timothy 1:15

16) To do God’s will in replacing the animal sacrifices of the old covenant with Himself as the unique sacrifice of the new covenant

Then I said, Behold, I have come (in the roll of the book it is written concerning Me) to do Your will, O God.” Saying above, “Sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You did not desire nor delight in” (which are offered according to the law), He then has said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second, by which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. -Hebrews 10:7-10

What are some other reasons you can think of?

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• For God so Loved the World… that He Couldn’t Stay Away- A Christmas Meditation (Roger E Olson)