As Christians, we all know that Christmas is so much more than a celebration of Christ’s birth. Christmas is the celebration of the beginning of the fulfillment of God’s plan. The plan God put in motion in the garden of Eden is a response to sin by God Almighty coming to earth as a baby.
I love the Amplified version of Philippians 2:7, “…but emptied Himself [without renouncing or diminishing his deity, but only temporarily giving up the outward expression of divine equality and his rightful dignity] by assuming the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men [he became completely human but was without sin, being fully God and fully man].”
Jesus was love incarnate. He humbled himself. He valued and loved everyone. He restored people who followed him to a life-giving relationship with God.
One of the main ways someone explains their purpose to others is through an introduction. This season let’s concentrate on the introduction of Jesus, Luke 2:10-12 (ESV).
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
The angels conveyed three important things through this introduction.
- Do not be afraid.
- Jesus’ birth is good news for all people.
- A Savior was born for you!
Throughout his life, people often asked Jesus what his purpose was. Jesus would answer people in different ways when asked about his motivations for his ministry to people.
Here are a few of the reasons he gave:
- To preach the gospel
Luke 4: 18-19 “‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor’…but he said to them, ‘I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose,’” Luke 4:18-19 (ESV).
- To do God’s will
“For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me,” John 6:38 (ESV).
- To bear witness to the truth
“Then Pilate said to him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice,’” John 18:37 (ESV).
- To serve and to sacrifice his life for us.
“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many,” Mark 10:45 (ESV).
I love it that Jesus made it clear that his priority is for people to hear the Good News. The Good News is that all humanity can be restored to a right relationship with God through the sacrifice of Jesus coming to earth, living a sinless life, and rising from the dead.
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