If you have young children in your life, you are no stranger to the question, “Why?” From a young age, we human beings have always sought understanding. This curiosity carries us our entire lives. As we get older, our questions become deeper and more complex, but we still have a desire to understand. Today, as we continue remembering the birth of Christ, we are going to ask the question, "Why." Our question for today is "Why did Jesus leave Heaven and come to Earth as a baby to grow up and ultimately rescue us from sin?" and search Scripture for an answer to our question.
We learn why Jesus came to Earth in John chapter 3. In this passage of Scripture, Jesus had a conversation with a religious leader named Nicodemus. Nicodemus went to Jesus one evening when it was dark to have a conversation with Him about faith and who Jesus was. During this conversation, Jesus told him, "This is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but to save the world through Him" (verses 16-17). You likely know these two verses so well that you have them memorized. Do not let their familiarity cause you to miss the incredible truth found in these verses. In these verses, Jesus explained exactly why He came to rescue and save the world. The answer can be found in a four-letter word: love. God sent Jesus because of His love for humanity. He loved the world so much that He sent His one-of-a-kind and only Son to Earth in order to live a perfect life and die on the cross for the sins of the world. There is no greater display of love than this.
Why did Jesus come to Earth as a baby and ultimately die on the cross? He did it because of love. God the Father loved the world so much that He sent Jesus to rescue us. Love was the motivator for Jesus’ birth as well as His death on the cross. Shortly before His death, Jesus told His disciples, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). Indeed, there is no greater love. Stand firm in the truth that you are so very loved today.
Who do you know who needs to be reminded of God’s great love for them today? Reach out to them to tell them that they are loved by you and, most importantly, by God. Your reminder may be just the truth that they need to hear.
1There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. 2 After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”
3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”
5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”
9 “How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.
10 Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? 11 I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. 12 But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.
16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
18 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. 19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. 20 All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. 21 But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.”
22 Then Jesus and his disciples left Jerusalem and went into the Judean countryside. Jesus spent some time with them there, baptizing people.
23 At this time John the Baptist was baptizing at Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there; and people kept coming to him for baptism. 24 (This was before John was thrown into prison.) 25 A debate broke out between John’s disciples and a certain Jew over ceremonial cleansing. 26 So John’s disciples came to him and said, “Rabbi, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you identified as the Messiah, is also baptizing people. And everybody is going to him instead of coming to us.”
27 John replied, “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven. 28 You yourselves know how plainly I told you, ‘I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him.’ 29 It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the bridegroom’s friend is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success. 30 He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.
31 “He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else. 32 He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them! 33 Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true. 34 For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands. 36 And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”
