At Christmas, we celebrate the fulfillment of cherished prophecies about the coming Messiah—centuries of longing culminating in the advent of a baby King, the Rock of Ages lying in a manger. Jesus came from heaven to earth, walked among us in our sinful world, and lived a sinless life. He chose to bear our sins and gave His life to pay for them so that through Him we will not be condemned.
But behind all the reasons why Jesus came from heaven is His ultimate motive for doing so. Jesus came from heaven to earth to rescue us because He loves us.
Jesus came from heaven to earth to rescue us because He loves us.
Read Hebrews 12:2. God tells us that Jesus endured the cross because of "the joy set before him." It was His joy to become the cure for your sickness of sin and to set you free. It was His joy to shipwreck and dissolve the chains of sin that Satan had placed upon you. It was His joy to raise you up with Him to live a life fully alive to God. It was His joy to set you free to be close to Him now and for all time.
The much-loved Christmas song "O Holy Night" shines more insight into why Jesus left heaven:
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
'Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
"And the soul felt its worth." Jesus left heaven to rescue you because you are of great worth to Him. God loves you so much that He gave His very life so that you could be with Him forever.
That is the ultimate reason why Jesus came from heaven. His love for you drove Him from heaven to earth to die and be raised to life to set you free. You are deeply loved by the God of the universe.
How are we to respond to the greatest act of love in history? The end of the song provides the answer: Christ's sacrifice is a call for us to fall on our knees in surrender, worship, and adoration.
As you reflect on why Jesus came from heaven, consider how God may be inviting you to respond to Him.
This Christmas, in the midst of the energy and excitement of the season, may your soul feel its worth, and may all that is within you praise His holy name. Merry Christmas.
Prayer: Lord, thank You for setting me free and raising me up to live abundantly in You. Thank You for the love that drove Your Son to the cross. You are worthy of all worship, and I humbly surrender all to You! I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him" (1 John 4:9).
Learn more in Dr. Michael Youssef's sermon Why Did Jesus Come from Heaven?: LISTEN NOW | WATCH NOW
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