Matthew 1:21

In the abundant celebration of Christmas, it is tempting to forget the reason why Jesus came. Indeed, the circumstances of our lives give many a distorted view of the reason why Jesus came. Many people think Jesus came just to answer their prayers. So when they get those things, they drift away from Jesus. Very few know they have unknowingly left the substance to chase shadows.

According to Matthew 1:21, Jesus came to save mankind from sin. Again in Luke 19:10, Jesus said, ‘I came to seek and to save that which was lost’. God knew beforehand that men would make wrong choices, so He prepared and sent Jesus to the earth to come and pay for our sins. He came because man is already a sinner and thus must pay the price for sin. By being born at all, man is born a sinner. In Psalm 51:5, David said, “I was formed in iniquity and in sin, my mother conceived me.” The Bible says, the heart of man is desperately wicked and deceitful above all others. So man, on his own is doomed to die. That is why John 3:16 says that God so loved us that He gave His only son so that anyone who believes in Jesus will not die for his sins but have eternal life. What Jesus came to do is to save man from the consequences of sin and give man another chance. Jesus Christ came to save man from 3 major consequences of sin.

1. Jesus came to save us from condemnation

Because Adam sinned, every man or woman must be born again, to avoid condemnation. Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ.

To avoid the judgement that has been passed on every seed of Adam, you must be born again. That is why Abraham had to leave his sinful nation and family to begin again with God. By that action, Abraham escaped condemnation and received God’s promise for his life.

You too, can be free from the condemnation of sin, if you choose to follow Jesus all your life.

2. Jesus Christ came to give us purpose and direction in life

Before Jesus came, man was confident in himself that he was right before God. In fact, 1Peter 2:25 described man, as sheep going astray. Why do men go astray like sheep? We stray because we tend to trust in our own wisdom and limited understanding. A good example is Saul of Tarsus in Acts 9:1-4, who went around killing Christians and throwing them in jail for following Jesus. As far as he could see, he was doing the right thing. Praise God, he met with Jesus and his eyes were opened and he saw that he was headed in the wrong direction.

Before Jesus saved me from sin and opened my eyes, I believed I was enjoying life while making the wrong choices for ‘pleasure’. Thank God, He drew me to Himself and opened my eyes to see I was on the path to self-destruction.

Proverbs 14:12 says there is a way that seems right to a man, but which leads to death at the end. Jesus came that we might escape the way that looks right and find the way that is the way to life eternal. If you choose to follow Jesus today, He will lead you and give clear direction and purpose for your life.

3. Finally, Jesus Christ came that the dead may receive life

The ultimate salvation that anyone can receive is to be saved from death. Any protection you receive that cannot save from death, is insufficient. Mathew 10:28 says, the person to worship, is the One who can save you from eternal death.

The greatest tragedy that can happen to a man, is to succeed on earth but end up in hell. Jesus came that we may overcome on earth and also reign forever in heaven with Him. A good example of a man who experienced Jesus’ power to raise the dead was Lazarus. In John 11, the Bible said, Lazarus, though he was a friend of Jesus, fell sick and then died. He died and was buried for 4 days, before Jesus came! Yet when Jesus came, He simply called Lazarus out of the grave and the dead man walked out of the grave. John 11:3 says, Lazarus was a friend of Jesus Christ. Jesus came into his friend’s situation and raised him back to life.

Who are the dead? Those who are already suffering or condemned by their sins. Those the world has written off. Those are the people Jesus came for.

No matter how bad your situation is, if you decide to follow Jesus from today and become His friend, He will fulfil His purpose in your life. He will save you here on earth and in heaven. He will lead you to a higher place in life and give you victory over every challenge you face.

The choice is yours. Will you follow Jesus and draw closer as His friend or will you keep your distance from the only One who can save you? Make your decision today but remember He came because He loves you.

We invite you to join us in fellowship at RCCG NewSprings. The Capital Building, Maryland, Ikeja, Lagos or call 08122167403.

You can also email us at chruchoffice@rccgnewsprings.org

Olusola is the Senior Pastor of RCCG NewSprings, a passionate teacher of the word of God and an accomplished Human Resources Consultant.