Christ Came to Save
In Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he explained why Christ came to the earth when he wrote:
“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief” (1 Timothy 1:15).
Importantly, Paul’s explanation is consistent with Jesus’ own testimony, for He said: “…the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).
Any discussion of Jesus’ purpose must take these statements into consideration.
Christ Came to Die
Because man sins (Romans 3:23), he is separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2). God, however, does not want man to be lost (1 Timothy 2:4). Consequently, He devised a plan to pay man’s penalty and redeem sinners. Announcing this, the apostle Paul wrote:
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
God’s plan involved Jesus dying sacrificially for the sins of humanity.
Thus, the innocent Son of God bore our sinful burden on the cross, “that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Christ Came to Obey
Any discussion of deeply held beliefs must introduce the incarnation of Christ. Scripture declares Jesus left the glories of heaven to come to earth as a servant (Philippians 2:7-8). As such, He faithfully obeyed the will of His Father (Hebrews 10:9).
Although He was the Son of God, He did not escape the suffering reserved for the wicked (Hebrews 5:8). Rather than fleeing from persecution, Jesus “endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).
Christ Came to Be Like Us.
Because Jesus came to the earth, we do not have to fear death (Hebrews 2:14-15). Too, we can rejoice knowing His coming allows Him to sympathize with our struggles. This is why, as the author of Hebrews observed, “He had to be made like His brethren” (Hebrews 2:17).
Even so, Christ was unique. From His virgin birth to His wonderful miracles, He was “declared to be the Son of God with power” (Romans 1:4). He was a man, but He was also God in the flesh (John 1:1; 1:14).
We should be thankful God made provisions for our salvation by sending Jesus Christ to redeem us. We should also rejoice knowing that Christ’s sacrifice was based upon love (1 John 3:16).
Chad Ramsey preaches for the Gloster Street Church of Christ in Tupelo, Mississippi. You can access their Bible classes and Chad’s sermons on Gloster Street’s YouTube page.
Chad was - and still is - “my preacher” from when I spent my high school and early college years at Gloster Street. I’m thankful to be able to share some of his writings with you.
