Christmas - 2012

“Why did Jesus Come?”

Select Scriptures

Why did Jesus come? There seems to be much confusion surrounding this question today.

-Some say Jesus came to set an example to the world.

-Some say Jesus came to model humility and self-sacrifice.

-Some say Jesus came to model love and compassion.

-Some say Jesus came to model correct leadership.

-Some say Jesus came to teach us how to be moral upright citizens.

-Some say Jesus came to care for the poor and downtrodden.

-Some say Jesus came to heal the sick, lame, and demon possessed.

-Some say Jesus came to fix all our problems.

-Some say Jesus came to bring financial prosperity.

-Some say Jesus came to bring peace to the world.

-Some say Jesus came to bring justice and re-write every wrong.

-Some say Jesus came to give people purpose.

Although some of these things may be true they all fall short of the true reason why Jesus came. The Bible, however, is very clear about why Jesus came. We find the answer in places like Matthew 1:21, Luke 2:11, Luke 19:10 and John 3:17:

Matthew 1:21

21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Luke 2:11

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Luke 19:10

10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

John 3:17

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that theworld might be saved through him.

The Bible is pretty clear that Jesus came as the Savior. Now before talking about salvation I’d like to first illustrate why we need a Savior. A proper understanding of the fall of man and human depravity is necessary to understanding the incarnation and saving work of Jesus Christ.

If we fail to understand the height from which we fell and the true effects and pervasiveness of sin we simply cannot understand what Christ has done. Today sin and depravity are downplayed. They are touted as a hindrance, as a disease, or as a slight problem. People in and out of the church believe that they are inherently good and capable of earning a righteous standing before God through their good works. This is not true. Let me begin to illustrate the truth about our position and condition. What happened at the fall of man?

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1. Adam and Eve transgressed (violated) God’s law and covenant of works.

God established a covenant of works with Adam and Eve based upon one very important law. If they obeyed the law the covenant would remain intact, if they disobeyed the law the covenant would be broken.

God issued the law and covenant in Genesis 2:16-17:

Genesis 2:16-17

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eatof it you shall surely die.”

Adam and Eve transgressed the law and covenant in Genesis 3:6-7:

Genesis 3:6-7

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise,she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

The sixteenth century theologian and Bishop of Armagh (ar-mah), James Ussher, developed at length, Adams violation of all Ten Commandments. He wrote:

“The first commandment he broke by choosing him another “god” when he followed the counsel of Satan. The second, in idolizing his palate, making a god of his belly by eating the forbidden fruit. The third, by believing not God’s threatening, therein taking His name in vain. The fourth, by breaking the sinless rest in which he had been placed. The fifth, thereby dishonoring his Father in heaven. The sixth, by slaying himself and all his posterity. The seventh, by committing spiritual adultery, and preferring the creature above the Creator. The eighth, by laying hands upon to which he had no right. The ninth, by accepting the serpent’s false witness against God. The tenth, by coveting that which God had not given to him.”

By transgressing God’s law and covenant:

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2. Adam and Eve thrust themselves and their posterity into sin, death, and judgment.

Romans 5:12

12 Sin came into the world through one man, Adam, and death through sin, and so death spread to all menbecause all sinned.

Romans 3:23

23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Acts 17:30-31

30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.

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3. Adam and Eve marred the image God gave them.

Genesis 1:26

26 Then God said, “Let us make manin our image, after our likeness.

God put His own image on Adam and Eve. Why? So that they could reflect His love, goodness, holiness, righteous, and glory to one another, to humanity, and to creation.

But Adam’s sin marred that perfect image. When men look upon men they do not see an image of the good and perfect Creator God. They see animal-like creatures that are:

Malevolent, hateful, blood thirsty, violent, murderous, lustful, adulterous, perverted, pornographic, sexually immoral, greedy, selfish, drunken, addicted, abusive, arrogant, prideful, profane, blasphemous, idolatrous, wicked, devilish, covetous, envious, hypocritical, deceptive, and so on and so forth.

There are seven billion image bearers in the world. Seven billion men, women, and children that have been created to mirror their beautiful Creator God. Each of us is supposed to be a living and breathing testimony to God’s love and goodness. But that is not the testimony that we share. As fallen image bearers we project a creator god that is like us; vile, wicked, debased and depraved.

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4. Adam and Eve forfeited their divinely appointed roles as God’s managers and stewards on earth.

What were they appointed to do? The answer is in Genesis 1:27 and 2:15:

Genesis 1:26

And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.

Genesis 2:15

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it.

God gave us the special responsibility to manage and care for His creation. But as sinners we do not manage it for him. Instead, we have attempted to seize the earth from Him so that we can exploit it for our own selfish gain. We pillage the earth for its resources so that we can improve our profits and bank accounts. We detonate destructive bombs, destroy forests, spill oil, exhaust resources, bring animals to extinction, dump chemicals and pollute the air. We destroy the very environment that God entrusted to our care for His own glory. We even develop the land and build structures to reflect our own glory (tower of Babel).

No wonder Romans 8:19-22 says:

Romans 8:19-22

19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.

20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

In response to our rebellion against God, RC Sproul wrote,

“As God’s created image bearers, we have committed the highest act of divine treason against Him.”

No wonder Hebrews 10:31 says, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”.

As you can see, sin and depravity are not a trifle thing. They are not a mild thing. They are not a mere a hindrance, disease, or slight problem. Sin is infinitely worse than we believe it to be. Sproul is right, “It is an act of divine treason against our holy and perfect Creator God.” Unless something is done about it we will face and receive God’s full justice and judgment. We deserve those things don’t we? Certainly. Now there is good news. And the good news is that God came to earth and became a man so that He could secure salvation for sinners and reconcile them unto God. Christmas is a celebration of the One whom God sent as our Deliverer, Jesus Christ. Christmas is a celebration of the Deliverer’s entrance into our world. The question now becomes, what did Jesus do to bring salvation and reconciliation between God and man? I’m going to share with you three very important doctrinal truths.

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1. Jesus made a penal substitutionary atonement.

Penal substitution derives from the idea that divine forgiveness must satisfy divine justice, that is, that God is not willing or able to simply forgive sin without first requiring a satisfaction for it. Penal Substitution states that God gave himself in the person of his Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer the death, punishment and curse due to fallen humanity as the penalty for our sin. Atonement is a doctrine that describes how human beings can be reconciled to God. In Christian theology the atonement refers to the forgiving or pardoning of sin through the death of Jesus Christ by crucifixion,which made possible the reconciliation between God and creation. Let’s break down all three:

Penal means to be punished.

Sinners deserve to be punishment by God for their high treason and sin.

Substitutionary means in the place of sinners.

As an act of mercy God put His Son on the cross in our place. God substituted His Son for us.

Atonement means to pay the required price for reconciliation.

In order for God’s justice to be fully satisfied, for our sins to be permanently forgiven, and for us to be fully reconciled to God, an infinitely high price had to be paid. The blood of bulls was not enough. Our obedience and works are not enough. They are nothing more than filthy rags. Someone had to pay that high price. A special someone. Jesus was sent to do so. And at the cross He paid the final price and made the final atonement with His own precious blood. This is why we sing,

Jesus paid it all

All to Him I owe

Sin had left a crimson stain

He washed it white as snow

Verses that support the doctrine:

Romans 5:10

10 We were once of enemies of God but have been reconciled to Him through the death of his son, Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:18

18 We have been reconciled to God through Christ Jesus.

Colossians 1:19-20

19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

The penal substitutionary atonement wasn’t the only thing Jesus did.

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2. Jesus fulfilled the law and covenant of works.

As I said, God made a covenant of works with Adam and Eve based upon obedience to His law. If they obeyed, they would be blessed and live, if they disobeyed, they would surely die. They chose to disobey and therefore died spiritually, we’re booted from the garden, and then died physically later on.

God made additional works based covenants with Abraham and Moses. He gave them laws to follow like circumcision and the Ten Commandments. If the people obeyed the laws, they would prosper and live. If they disobeyed they would be excluded from the assembly, expelled from the Promised Land, or even put to death if the violation required it. This is so vital for us to understand. The covenants God made based on works and obedience transcend those whom they were originally given to. In other words they were not just for the ancient people but for all people. This means that we are all required to uphold the covenant of works through obedience to the law. We are required to obey the Ten Commandments.

-You shall have no other God’s before me.

-You shall not make a graven image.

-You shall not take my name in vain.

-You shall remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy.

-You shall honor your father and mother.

-You shall not kill.

-You shall not commit adultery.

-You shall not steal.

-You shall not bear false witness.

-You shall not covet.

Are you guilty of breaking one or more? Everyone breaks them. The Bible points this out in many places:

Isaiah 24:5

The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant.

Isaiah 53:6

We all like sheep have gone astray.

Romans 3:10

No one is righteous, not one.

Hosea 6:7

But like Adam they transgressed the covenant; there they dealt faithlessly with me.

The good news is that Jesus succeeded where Adam, Eve, and everyone else failed.

Jesus, who is called the second Adam, retrieved the covenant of works and the law and obeyed them perfectly. Jesus did what Adam, Eve, and everyone else could not do. When pressed by the religious leaders, Jesus declared in Matthew 5:17:

Matthew 5:17

17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

Jesus basically said, “I came to do what fallen sinners could never do for themselves, fulfill the law.” Since Jesus obeyed the covenant and law perfectly, He earned a perfect righteous standing before God which was what Adam had before he sinned and fell. According to God’s redemptive plan, the atonement had to be made by a perfectly righteous person. Why? Because sin entered the world through one who had been created perfectly righteousness. Adam was perfect. He had no defect. But he was deceived into using his fully functional free will to sin rather than to obey and worship God. But Jesus chose not to sin, even when tempted. He chose obedience. He chose worship. His righteousness then qualified Him to fulfill the role the Redeemer and Reconciler. He earned it!

Now perfect righteousness is still required for a relationship with God. But since we cannot attain perfect righteousness on our own we must rely on someone else to provide it. And that leads to my last point.

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3. Jesus imputed His perfect righteousness to our account.

We have no righteousness of our own. Our account is flat broke and empty. We are bankrupt. Because of Adam, Eve, and our own sin, we have nothing. In fact the only thing we do have is the imputed sin and depravity of Adam! Our greatest deeds and works of righteousness are but filthy rags before God. Everything offered up to God apart from faith in Jesus Christ is added to our own condemnation (Romans 14:23). Think about that.

All of your faithless striving and effort only adds to your own personal condemnation. The more good you do the more it will be used against you in the court of the Most High. That’s a terrifying thought, especially in our nation where the largest religion is personal perfection and works-righteousness. Millions here are trying to earn their way with God. But we have nothing to offer to God that will appease or satisfy Him. We have committed divine treason. We are nothing more than insurrectionists and rebels lest we be in Christ. One of the most beautiful gospel doctrines is the doctrine of imputation. It teaches that Christ removed our sin debt and then applied His perfect righteousness to our account.

Imputation teaches that at the cross Jesus traded His perfect righteousness for the sins of His people. The Bible confirms this in 2 Corinthians 5:21 amongst other places:

2 Corinthians 5:21

God made him who had no sin [Jesus] to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

So the kind of righteousness that we need is only available in Jesus Christ. We simply cannot find it in any other religion, earn it, or purchase it.

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Let’s do a quick recap:

1. Adam and Eve transgressed God’s law and covenant.

2. Adam and Eve thrust themselves and their posterity into sin, death, and judgment.

3. Adam and Eve marred the image God gave them.

4. Adam and Eve forfeited their divinely appointed roles as God’s managers and stewards on earth.

But Jesus came to restore what had been lost between God and man through His Redeeming and reconciling work. What did He do?

1. Jesus made a penal substitutionary atonement.

2. Jesus fulfilled the law and covenant of works.

3. Jesus imputed His perfect righteousness to our account.

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In ending I’d like to ask a question and then answer it for you. This is critical. Pay close attention.

How can a transgressing-covenant breaking- sinful image bearing-forfeiter, get saved and rescued from impending justice and become reconciled to God? The answer is simple: Through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Repentance means to turn from the sins of self-reliance, works-righteousness, and personal effort. You must realize that you cannot save yourself. You must realize that salvation is in Christ alone. And you must receive Jesus Christ by faith. Believe on Him.

Friends, we are saved by works, the works of Jesus Christ! Believe that the work He did is sufficient for you. Believe that He died and resurrected for you. Receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and the Bible says you will be saved. I urge you to do so today.

Church,

Aren’t you glad Jesus came? This is why we celebrate Christmas. If Jesus hadn’t come, we would be left in our sin and lost forever. But we have a God who loves and is merciful and gracious. I leave you with this:

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

Hallelujah.

Amen.