Why Jesus Came

Why did Jesus come to earth on the first Christmas? We sing a song that has a line: “You didn’t want heaven without us, so Jesus, you brought heaven down.” That lyric can give us the impression God (and Jesus and the Holy Spirit) were missing something, or were getting bored with each other.

God did not create us, or send Jesus to earth to get love from us, rather to share his love with us. The incarnation of God the Son is an incredible gift.

In Jesus, God has come near to us. Through Jesus, we can have access to the Father. By the Spirit of Christ, we are adopted as children of God, and can call God our Father.

To approach God as his children is no small thing. It gives us confidence that God is listening, inclined to hear and respond to our prayers.

Life this side of glory begets prayer. As we experience the frustrations of human frailty and short-comings, and contrast that with the coming glory of the kingdom, we groan and do not how to pray. At this very moment, the Spirit intercedes for us – our groans become subsumed into his. And God hears those prayers, and responds for the good of those who believe in him (Rom 8:23-28).

Find confidence this Christmas that God loves you, and in Jesus desires to share his unbounded love with you. Find assurance this Christmas that God sees and cares for his children. Find hope this Christmas that, despite the frustrations of your life, and the human state at large, in Jesus’ life, God dignifies the human condition. Find courage this Christmas that in Jesus, God has overcome sin and death and invites you to participate in a resurrection life. Anticipate this Christmas that Jesus will come again, and complete the good work he has begun.

Rev. David Rietveld