I Came: To Give Light

by David Chadwick

“I came.” This statement sets Jesus apart from all of the other religions in the world.

He came and was born into a cradle so that he could reclaim victory through the cross.

He came to give us life and to destroy the works of the devil.

And according to John 12:46, he came into the world as light, so that whoever believes in him could come out of darkness and into his marvelous light.

Jesus does not want us to walk in darkness. He wants us to walk in the light as he is in the light. Ephesians 5:8 describes those who put their faith in Jesus, “for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.”

Jesus says in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Without Jesus’s light in us, we are walking in utter darkness. Prone to sin, the lusts of our flesh drive us to pursue the stuff of this world that will never last nor satisfy.

When Jesus invades our lives, our purpose becomes to glorify him every day. He gives us power to be his witnesses (Acts 1:8). That power allows us to be strengthened by him for whatever we may face (Phil. 4:13).

Because of his light, we can now live our lives in extended worship, praising him at all times, and knowing that praise should continually be in our mouths (Psalm 42:1).

Jesus came so that we would walk in light. Not wandering in darkness, wondering the purpose of life. Not stepping in Satan’s traps to kill, steal and destroy us.

We now walk in hope for we know that every day of our lives belongs to him. And his light will one day lead us home to heaven. That’s another reason why HE CAME from heaven to earth.

Jesus Christ. The light of the world.

Merry Christmas to all!

I Came: To Give Life and Life Abundantly

by David Chadwick

Emmanual. God with us. The hope of glory. Jesus came to us when we couldn’t come to him. Through Adam and Eve’s rebellion, sin entered the world and separated us from God, but he came to rescue us!

In John 10:10, Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

Another powerful “I came” statement made by our Savior and King. Why Jesus left heaven to come to earth.

In this verse, Jesus tells us why he chose to leave the splendor of heaven to enter the squalor of this world. He wanted to give us abundant life. And, according to 1 John 3:8b, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”

By conquering the enemy, he could offer his children abundant life.

On the cross, Jesus reigned victorious over sin and death. For those of us who love Jesus, the devil has lost his power over us. The blood-bought believer stands blameless and pure, unable to be accused by the wiles of the enemy.

Satan, the liar, comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But we now have eternal life!

Where Satan steals, Jesus is the restorer of what’s been stolen.

Where Satan kills, Jesus gives life.

Where Satan destroys, Jesus is the rebuilder of the broken walls and restores what’s been destroyed.

Jesus came to give us LIFE and to give it to us ABUNDANTLY. True life. In the Spirit. Joy. Peace. Purpose. Like never before. Beyond anything we could ever imagine.

When you abide in Jesus, his new life flows in and through you. That’s Jesus’s greatest Christmas gift to all who believe in him.

It’s another major reason HE CAME…

I Came: From the Cradle to the Cross

by David Chadwick

“I came.” It’s the phrase that makes the Gospel of Jesus Christ unlike any other of the world’s religions. The name Emmanuel. God with us. He came. He left the splendor of heaven and chose to willingly live in the squalor, sin, and brokenness of this world. Through his life, death and resurrection, we can be forgiven of our sins and have eternal life (John 3:16).

Luke 19:10 says, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.”

Jesus is the only God figure who can look at humanity and say, “I came.”

Let’s start by going back to look at the importance of the Trinity, three distinct persons in the Godhead, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Without it, the Incarnation makes no sense. Because our God is Triune, the Father sent his Son into the world, empowered with the Holy Spirit. This is an essential tenet of the Christian faith.

When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, humanity as a whole became lost. When they willingly chose to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, sin corrupted mankind for generations to come. All people for all times.

We ALL have sinned and fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). We were conceived in sin (Psalm 51:5). At the moment of conception, we have a bent toward the same rebellion and sin that tempted Adam and Eve. Like him, we are lost in our sin and headed to hell.

But God. The Father, who is just and holy, knew our condemnation. But also being rich in perfect love, chose to send his Son, Jesus into the world. The Savior of the world. The perfect and righteous Lamb of God came to seek the lost and to die on a cross to save us from our sin. Even in our sin, his great love chases us down!

The cross and cradle both show us how Jesus came. Jesus first came as a baby in a manger to die on a cross, the lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. The shadow of the cross will forever mark the manger. One day, he will come as a lion and his return will restore all of creation.

Don’t forget this Christmas why Jesus came. That he came. When realized, Christmas becomes even more beautiful and meaningful.