The Incarnation of Jesus Christ--the Creator of all arrives in the world He created. It was not curiosity that made Jesus leave His home in heaven and come to earth. The Lord had many reasons for coming to earth and He reveals many of them in Scripture.
Hebrews 9:26 "...he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." Make no mistake, Jesus did not come to earth simply so He could provide an example to humanity concerning how we should treat others and live our lives. He certainly did do that with His life, but we cannot reduce His incarnation to Him merely setting an example that we should follow. The Bible won't allow it. Jesus came to sacrifice Himself; to give up His life and drink the cup of God's wrath towards sinners to its' last bitter drops. The innocent died in the place of the guilty; the transcendent and majestic Creator substitutes Himself for His wayward creation. Jesus came to set us free, and in order for that to happen, He had to give up His life.
John 6:38 "For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me." Jesus came to live the perfect life that we are unable to. He came to reveal the Father--to put God's holiness on display for all to see. What is God like? Look at Jesus. How does God act and what does God think about such and such? Look at Jesus. Contrary to popular belief, God is not hiding from us. He is pursuing us. And Jesus came to earth so we could look Him right in the face and know that God is here. Jesus came to carry out God's plan. And if God has a plan, that means there is no possible chance that it fails. The good news? We are invited to be a part of God's plan!
John 12:46 "I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness." Ever gotten up in the middle of the night away from home? Think of how unsure you are with each step you take. You're not sure what step, corner, wall, or piece of furniture awaits for you in the darkness to trip over. Darkness is scary; darkness is confusing. As sinners, we try to navigate life but it is as if we are walking through a stranger's house in the middle of the night. We are in darkness--unsure about morality and seemingly everything that shapes our lives. Jesus came to deliver us out of that darkness. His Word liberates us from darkness and allows us to walk in the light. Through Jesus, we are able to see what darkness hid from us before--truth.
1 John 3:8 "Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil." Hollywood and cinema culture would have us believe that the work of the devil is relegated to haunting houses and scaring people. The truth is the real work of the devil is tempting and deceiving humanity into sinning. Sin destroys and the devil knows it. His aim is to destroy you by beckoning you towards a life of sin. Jesus came to destroy his work. Jesus calls us out of sin. He gives us power over sin. He tells us the truth about sin. He laid down His life for our sin. Christ opens our eyes to the misery of sin. Don't be deceived, Jesus is better than sin.
Luke 2:10 "And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people." Jesus came to earth to bring good news. He came to earth to be good news. Jesus gives hope to the hopeless, joy to the depressed, freedom to those in bondage, and eternal life to the eternally damned. There is no person who is too far gone to receive the grace and mercy of Christ. Jesus calls each person to come and have their burdens lifted by Him. His invitation leaves no one out. Jesus came to earth to accomplish the gospel--the good news about how sinners can come home and be an eternal part of God's family.
For You
These are only a few of the reasons the Bible says Jesus came to earth. There are at least 35 direct references to Christ's incarnation in the New Testament alone. When considering why Jesus came to earth, let's not forget about the personal aspect. Jesus came for you--because He loves you. In Christ, we are accepted, loved, and valued by God. As you meditate on the incarnation this Christmas season, don't forget to make it personal. Jesus came to sacrifice His life for you, to deliver you out of darkness, to make new what your sin has destroyed, and to bring you good news and great joy!