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.