As the holiday season approaches, we joyfully celebrate the birth of Jesus in the earth some 2,000 years ago. His birth as a human was an amazing thing, but even more amazing is what Jesus accomplished when He got here.
Jesus didn't come just to lie in a manager as a little baby. He grew up and fulfilled a divine course and mission on earth—He paid the ultimate sacrifice with His own life and ransomed mankind from sin, sickness, and every product of hell.
Even during the final moments before Jesus died hanging on the Cross, He said, "It is finished." What He came to do was done. Now, we must walk in the light of all that He accomplished so we can do justice to the price He paid. And we must understand what He came to do so we're able to reap the benefits of what He has done.
What was Jesus' purpose for coming to earth? Jesus came to destroy, He came to deliver, and He came to declare. Jesus accomplished three things for you and me.
- Jesus Came to Destroy
Most of us know that Jesus came to earth to save us from our sins, but His reasons go way beyond that. There's so much more. His name only begins to tell the story as the Bible calls Him Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, and Emmanuel or God with us.
But let's read about another important purpose Jesus pursued in coming to earth. First John 3:8 says, "&For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." Making this verse even clearer, The Amplified Bible says, "&The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works the devil [has done]."
That scripture alone could settle a lot of issues for a lot of people.
I don't know about you, but when I was first born again I didn't know where trouble came from. Sickness, poverty, and trouble came, but I didn't know if it was the devil stealing or God teaching.
But one day I read my Bible and 1 John 3:8 leaped out at me. I realized that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, and every time we read about Jesus at work He was doing just that. Jesus was the will of God in action. He showed us the difference between the will of God and the will of the enemy and then set us free from it all!
Jesus went to the Cross and destroyed the works of the devil for all mankind. He was "&wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed" (Isa. 53:5).
Jesus' death and resurrection took care of us spirit, soul and body.
Thank God I still vividly remember the day I was reading my Bible and found out that Jesus whipped the devil! I realized that 2,000 years ago Jesus had destroyed everything the devil planned for me. That means any plots and plans the devil had for my lifesickness, poverty, fear, lack, and failureJesus destroyed them!
In fact, Jesus went one step further and gave me the keys to death, hell, and the devil. Suddenly I had gotten a hold of the Word and found that Jesus came to earth to take care of my sin problem, but He came to take care of the devil too! Jesus whipped the devil 2,000 years ago, and today he remains nothing more than a defeated foe. - Jesus Came to Deliver
The second purpose Jesus pursued in coming to earth was to deliver. What did He come to deliver? Let's read Hebrews 2:5:And also that He might deliver and completely set free all those who through the [haunting] fear of death were held in bondage throughout the whole course of their lives.
Like someone said, "You can't really live until you're ready to die," and that's true because most fears revolve right back around to a fear of death anyway. But it doesn't matter what kind of fear might torment usJesus delivered us from all our fears!
(Amplified)
I still remember what it was like to be afraid as a kid. I was afraid of heights and water and actually, you name it, and I was afraid of it. It was terrible. My Dad finally decided to use my love of fishing to encourage me to overcome my fear.
Trying to motivate me he said one day, "I know you like to fish, but I'm sorry we just can't do much more fishing until you learn to swim." I thought, "That's a dirty trick." But it worked, and I finally conquered my fear and learned to swim.
But the day I was saved in November 1972, I found out I've been delivered from fear, and it left me once and for all. That doesn't mean you do stupid or reckless things, it just means you latch hold of the 91st Psalm and follow the Holy Ghost wherever He leads because Jesus delivered you from your fears. - Jesus Came to Declare
Jesus also came to declare the Father to the world, and it's a good thing because it's clear to see that the world has such a warped idea of God. The world, and often the Church, paint a picture of God as mean and angry.
Even when you purchase an insurance policy, it usually includes an "act of God" clause that accuses God of flooding, burning and blowing away houses. In fact, the world blames God for poverty, sickness, famines, and every sort of natural disaster and calamity.
But thank God for Jesus who came to declare the true nature of His Father and reveal His compassion to all of mankind. John 1:18 in The Amplified Bible says,No man has ever seen God at any time; the only unique Son, or the only begotten God. Who is in the bosom [in the intimate presence] of the Father, He has declared Him [He has revealed Him and brought Him out where He can be seen; He has interpreted Him and He has made Him known].
I can readily identify with this example of an interpreter because Janet and I have spent almost 22 years teaching in the nations through interpreters. An interpreter is a person who knows the foreign language of the people and my language too. He's knowledgeable on both ends, so he's able to stand in the middle and interpret or reveal what's meant. Jesus is our interpreter.
In fact, Jesus explained His purpose to Philip and all mankind in John 14. Philip said to Jesus, "Show us the Father, and then we'll be satisfied" (v. 8). And Jesus replied, "Have I been with you this long, and you don't realize that if you've seen Me, you've already seen the Father?" (v. 9).
In other words, Jesus said, "Do you want to look at God? I have declared God by showing, revealing, demonstrating, and interpreting Him for you! I know mankind because I'm in the flesh, but I know the Father because I've been with Him from the beginning. As a human walking around in an earth suit, I've shown the world what God is really like."
No one had ever seen God, and so came Jesus…and 2,000 years ago, God sent us a mirror image of Himself.
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For over 40 years, Pastors Mark and Janet Brazee have traveled throughout the world sharing the Word of God and the Spirit of God. Together they've shared the powerful truths of faith and healing in more than 50 nations.
