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Why did my Jesus come to earth, 2
pastor corner

This is the second of a two-part column.

We are looking at “Why did Jesus come to earth”. The final time (the one in affect today) is called the Christian age. Today mankind is to listen to the teaching of Christ. “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds” (Heb. 1:1,2). This happening was not suddenly, it had been happening since man sinned in the Garden of Eden.

John the Baptizer came to prepare the way for Christ (Matt. 3:3). His message was, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:2).

John was indeed a part of God’s plan for the Messiah coming.

An interesting thought is the fact that though John proclaimed the way of the Savior, he did not live long enough to become a part of the kingdom.

He was beheaded by Herod before the kingdom was established on the day of Pentecost.

Jesus had much to say about His friend John. “Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Matt. 11:11).

Jesus came to the world as Luke says, “To seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). This mission was one that led to the terrible hill of Calvary. That trip was one that Jesus knew full well would mean humiliation and a painful death. The love of Jesus is seen in each step He took toward that fateful day. It was both a physical and mental pain. He was betrayed by one who had walked with Him and had seen the great miracles. When He was arrested though Peter for a moment tried to defend Him, (Jesus told Peter to put up his sword) later Peter would curse and deny the Lord three times.

The Bible shows the foreknowledge of God, for Jesus had told Peter this would happen despite the protests Peter gave to the very idea that he would do such a thing (Matt. 26:33 – 34). When He was arrested, He was forsaken by His disciples.

The physical pain came in the form of being kept up all night while being tried before the Jews, Pilate, and Herod (all the trials were illegal). The soldiers spit upon Jesus, put a crown of thorns upon His head then mocked Him and scourged Him. Scourging was when they took a whip with little pieces of metal or rock and whipped the individual. Many died because this, but not Jesus but because of His weakness after all this the soldiers called upon Simon of Cyrene to carry the cross for Jesus. At Calvary the soldiers carried out their mission. They drove nails into the hands and feet of Jesus to secure Him to the cross. They as well as the Jews thought they were doing this themselves, but all of this was part of God’s plan as to why, “my savior came to earth”.

Luke recorded, “Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain” (Acts 2:23). All this was part of God’s plan.

Thankfully God’s plan did not end with the death of the Savior. Luke continued in recording the words of Peter (by inspiration), “Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it” (Acts 2:24).

Why did my Savior come to earth? So that mankind would have a savior. Those to whom Peter spoke were so overcome with remorse and godly sorrow that they stopped Peter’s sermon and asked, “men and brethren, what shall we do?”. Peter told them exactly what they and all must do, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38).

Why did Jesus come to earth? So, all men might be saved. God leaves that decision up to each person, but all should study God’s word and obey just as those did in the first century.

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