Why Christ came.

Introduction

Christmas is just around the corner and as we know in our culture the true meaning of Christmans can often get lost in all of the commercialism that seems to enwrapp Christmas is our country.

It is important that we keep the true meaning of Christiam in our minds, as we are told in it is about the Saviour who was born, the Lord Jesus.

But i have often heard an arguement against Jesus being born the Saviour that goes somehting like this; “If Jesus was the Saviour then why is there still so much eveil in the world.” “If Jesus is the Saviour then why is their still poverty.”

The problem with these objections is that they do not understand the true reason why Jesus came and what is meant by him being the Saviour.

When we remember the birth of the Lord Jesus, when we celebrate the coming of the Saviour it is important that we understand the reason he came and what it is he came to accomplish.

This is what I want us to think aboutin this brief message.

The scripture we have just read together clearly tells us what it was that Jesus came to accomplish.

The passage starts off by saying that at the right time God sent his Son, he was born as a human and he was born under the moral law like everyone else.

English Standard Version Chapter 4

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,

Then what follows are the reasons this took place, what follows is a description of what Jesus came to accomplish. Why did God the Son leave heaven and come to earth?

In v.5-7 we have three tightly related reasons. I have summarised each reason with a word.

The first word is redemption

I. Redemption

V.4 says he was born of a woman, born under the law.

Then v.5 says this “to redeem those who were under the law”

In other words He came to deliver those who were under the bondage of the law.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

In the previous chapter it says that “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law.” Gal 3:13

In both verses the law is referring to the religious system that saysKeep the commandments perfectly, and then you willbe accepted by God.

The problem with being under the law is that it is impossible to keep. There is not a single person on earth who can keep the commandments of God perfectly because we are all sinners.

Thats why the verse in chapter three calls it the curse of the law because we have not kept it we are guilty before God and deserving of condemnation. If we try and earn favour with God by good works we have no hope.

This is why Christ came- to redeem us from this hopeless condition.

He came to redeem those who were under the law.

He did this by perfectly keeping the law himself, he kept all of God’s commandments, he was completely righteous, he was totally perfect.

He kept the law which we have not kept and then he died upon the cross to take the penalty for the law breaking of others.

Though he was sinless he died on the cross in the place of sinners.

He did nothing to derseve punishment but he lovingly died in our place to take the punishment we deserve.

The verse in the previous chapter puts it like this;

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—

This means that everyone who repents and believes in him, trusting in his death and resurrection to take away their sin and make them right with God, they can be freely forgiven.

People can be redeemed by Chrsit because he lived a perfect life, he kept the law perfectly and all who believe in him receive his perfect righteousness as though it was their own.

People can be redeemed by Christ because he died the perfect death in the place of sinners, paying for their sin and he rose again the third day and all who believe receive forgiveness for sin because he paid for them in full on the cross.

App- The question that must be asked is ; “Have you been redeemed?”, Have you believed in Jesus for yourself?

So the first reason given for the coming of Jesus is redemption- he came to redeem people.

The second reason could be summarised with the word- Relationship

II. Relationship

The next part of the passage says this; “so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”

In these words we see that Christ came to restore our relationship with God, sin broke our relationship with God, but Christ came to restore it.

There are three points here about how our relationship with God is restored.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Firstly through Christ we are adopted as sons.

God adopts us into his family, where as we were once his enemies because of sin, through the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ we are made children of God.

Secondly, through Christ we receive the Holy Spirit.

The verse says because we are sons God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts.

God gives the Holy Spirit to all belong to Christ and he makes them spiritually alive, he takes those who were dead in sin and makes them alive in Christ, where as before they were unable to respond to God or relate to him because they were spritually dead, God’s Spirit makes them alive to God.

We see the result of this in the words that follow.

Thirdly, through Christ we are borught into a close relationship with God.

The verse says; God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!.”

The word Abba is the word that little Hebrew children would call their father. The fact that through God’s Spirit we can call him Abba Father shows that he brings us into a close relationship with himself.

We can call God our Father, the good news is God is not like some earthly fathers who make let us down. God will never let us down, he will never leave us nor forsake us, he will never give up on us. His mercies are new every morning.

He will guide us all the way to heaven.

Here we have the Final reason in our passage why Jesus came. Redemption, relationship the final word is Reward.

III. Reward

The f

The final verse of our passage says “ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”

If you are a son, then you are an heir.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Jesus Christ came to redeem sinners from the curse of the law, he came to restore their broken relationship with God and he came to make them heirs.

This means he came to take them to heaven, to the new heaven and the new earth, where they will dwell with him and be joint heirs with him of all things.

Christ shares his reward with his people.

Everyone who believes in Jesus has a glorious future ahead of them.

Te flip side of this is those who do not have Jesus Christ do not have a glorious future.

Conclusion

Why did Jesus leave heaven and come to earth? why was God’s Son born of a virigin?

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

What did he come to accomplish?

Three words redemption, relationship, reward.

He came to redeem people from their sin by keeping the law perfectly and dying in their place.

He came to restore our broken relationship with God. Through Jesus we are adopted as sons, we receive the Holy Spirit and we are brough itno a close relation with God.

He came to give a reward to all who believe. He make believers co heirs with himself. He gives a glorious future to all who believe.

So this passage has clearly answered our question for us. But I have a question that I want you to answer for yourselves.

If you have not done so already, then this christmas will you turn from your sin and believe in Jesus for yourself so that you migth receive all the he came to accomplish for his people.

Redemption, relationship, reward.

Let us pray.