Why would God leave His heavenly abode where everything is perfection to take on a physical body and come to earth, a fallen creation where all mankind with a rebellious sin nature reside?

Why would He choose a time in history without mass communications, mass transit, electricity or technology?

Jesus never took a hot shower.

Jesus never tasted an ice cream cone.

Jesus never flew in an airplane, rode a train, drove a car.

Jesus never enjoyed quick leftovers warmed in the microwave.

Jesus walked everywhere.

Jesus was tired and weary.

Jesus wept.

Jesus was thirsty.

Jesus was hungry.

Why?

What information does the Bible record provide?

Jesus came to Call sinners to repentance

Matthew 9:

¹² But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.

¹³ But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Mark 2:

¹⁷ When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Luke 5:32

³¹ And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.

³² I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

• Jesus came to Redeem them that were under the law

Galatians 4:

⁴ But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

• To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

3) Jesus came to Save

John 3:

¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

¹⁷ For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Luke 9:

⁵⁶ For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

1 Timothy 1:

¹⁵This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

4) Jesus came to Seek and to Save

Luke 19:

¹⁰ For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Do you remember a time when you heard and responded?

5) Jesus came to Fulfill the Law and the Prophets

Matthew 5:

• Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

6) Jesus came to Bear Witness to the Truth

John 18:

³⁷ Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

Do you know the truth?

Romans 3:

²³ For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 6:

²³ For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Will you receive His gift right now?

7) Jesus came to Minister and Give His life a Ransom

Matthew 20:

²⁸ Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

8) Jesus came to Give Life

 John 10:

¹⁰ The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly

9) Jesus came to become Lord of the Living and the Dead

Romans 14:

⁹ For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

10) Jesus came to bring Glory to the Father’s Name

John 12

²⁷ Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.

²⁸ Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.

11) Jesus came for Judgment

John 9:

³⁹And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

⁴⁰ And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?

⁴¹ Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

12) Jesus came that we might Receive the Adoption of Sons

Galatians 4:

⁴ But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

⁵ To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons

13) Jesus came to Preach the Gospel to the Poor, to Heal the Brokenhearted, to Preach Deliverance to the captives, to recover sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord,

Luke 4

¹⁶ And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

¹⁷ And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

¹⁸ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

¹⁹ To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

14) Jesus came to Destroy the devil- Hebrews 2:

¹⁴ Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

15) Jesus came to Deliver you from bondage in fear of death –Hebrews 2:

¹⁵ And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

16) Jesus came to Bring a sword – Matthew 10:

³⁴ Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

³⁵ For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

³⁶ And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.

³⁷ He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

³⁸ And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

³⁹ He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

17) Jesus came to be the Mediator of a New Covenant – Hebrews 10:

⁵ Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

⁶ In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.

⁷ Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

⁸ Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;

⁹ Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.

¹⁰ By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

¹¹ And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:

¹² But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

¹³ From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

¹⁴ For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.

What information does history provide about crucifixion?

King Darius of Persia had 3000 Babylonians crucified in about 519 B.C.

Around 300 B.C., Alexander the Great had 2000 citizens of Tyre crucified after he conquered the city.

The Romans did not invent crucifixion but did perfect its cruelty.

Crucifixion as performed by the Romans included

-flogging,

-the condemned carrying own cross to the place outside the city walls, led by a complete military guard, headed by a centurion. A sign (titulus) which told what the condemned man was guilty of, was sometimes carried by a soldier and sometimes put around the condemned man’s neck. Later this sign would be attached to the top of the cross

– given a drink of wine mixed with myrrh (gall). This was intended to be a mild narcotic that would

deaden the pain. It is significant that Jesus refused this drink

– stripping of garments

– being thrown to the ground where outstretched hands were nailed to the crossbeam

– being hoisted up so that the crossbeam was attached to the upright beam.

– nailing the feet, one on top of the other, to the upright beam with another iron spike. Jutting out from

the upright beam was a small block or plank (sedile) which the crucified would straddle, thus

absorbing some of the weight of the body.

The crucified person could not exhale properly and this eventually would lead to painful muscle cramps. Furthermore, adequate exhaling required the crucified to lift his body by pushing up on the feet and rotating his elbows. This, of course, resulted in searing pain in both feet and hands. Lifting of the body to properly exhale would also painfully scrape the scourged back against the rough wooden cross, probably reopening wounds and causing more bleeding. On the cross every breath would be an agonizing affair and finally in combination with exhaustion would lead to asphyxia. Death by crucifixion at times came quickly, but sometimes didn’t come to the crucified for several days. There the crucified would hang, naked, the object of jeering and ridicule, insects landing in their mouth, eyes, and open wounds, and unable to remove them, exposed to the elements, unable to eat or drink. And this is the death that Jesus Christ died. All this our Savior did for you and for me, to save us from the penalty of our sins.

History indicates Jesus Christ chose to come to earth at the time in history when criminal execution was most barbaric, severe and cruel.

Questions for Reflection

1. I) Are you living an abundant life?
2. II) Is the life you are living worth His death on the cross and resurrection?

III) Will you allow Jesus Christ to give you the abundant life, for which He came to earth?

Colossians 3:

¹If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

² Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

³ For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

• When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory

1. IV) Have you been saved from the penalty and power of sin or does it still control you?

The Christian life is a growing process. Talk to Jesus about it.

John 8:

³⁴ Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

³⁵ And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.

³⁶ If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

1. V) Do you believe Jesus Christ has delivered you from bondage to the fear of death?

How does that play out in your daily life?

1. VI) What does it mean to you to take up your cross?

VII) Is there an area in your life where someone or something is more important than Jesus Christ?

Matthew 11:

²⁸ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Why Should He Love Me So- Robert Harkness
Love sent my Savior to die in my stead; Why should He love me so?
Meekly to Calvary’s cross He was led; Why should He love me so?

Nails pierced His hands and His feet for my sin; Why should He love me so?
He suffered sore my salvation to win; Why should He love me so?

O how He agonized there in my place; Why should He love me so?
Nothing withholding my sin to efface; Why should He love me so?

chorus

Why should He love me so? Why should He love me so?
Why should my Savior to Calvary go? Why should He love me so?

Hebrews 12:

¹ Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Dearly Beloved,

Run with your eyes on Jesus alone!

Run in faith that Jesus loves you, has uniquely designed and created only one you, has a good plan for your life, runs with you and will accomplish His purposes for you and through you!

Run in His strength alone!

Run with your eyes on the prize!

Run with the desire to finish strong!

Run with the desire to finish with your lamp burning!

Run with the expectation of being in His physical presence when you cross your finish line!

Run to His glory alone!

Run and keep on running!

Coach Patti