If Jesus was God, why did he come to earth in the first place?

This is an important question!

Thankfully, Jesus answered this question in 12 different ways in the Gospels.

Here is a list of every reason Jesus gave as to why he came into the world.

(NOT A READER? WATCH THE 4-MINUTE VIDEO INSTEAD)

1) Jesus came to fulfill the law.
Matthew 5:17
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.


2) Jesus came to divide.
Luke 12:51
Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.

Matthew 10:34
Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

3) Jesus came to call sinners.
Mark 2:17
Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. iI came not to call the righteous, but sinners.

Luke 5:32
I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.


4) Jesus came to serve and give his life.
Mark 10:45
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

5) Jesus came to proclaim good news.
Luke 4:18-19
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
  to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”



6) Jesus came to seek and save the lost.
Luke 19:10
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.


7) Jesus came that the world might be saved.
John 3:17
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.


8) Jesus came to do his Father’s will to keep, save, and resurrect believers.
John 6:38-40
For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.


9) Jesus came for judgment.
John 9:39
Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”


10) Jesus came to give abundant life.
John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.


11) Jesus came so believers may not remain in darkness.
John 12:46
I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.


12) Jesus came to bear witness to the truth.
John 18:37
Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

Note:

This list contains every reason Jesus gave as to why he came to earth that we see in the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Scripture passages from other books of the Bible besides the Gospels give more reasons why Jesus came into the world. This article from Kevin Halloran provides many of those other reasons.



-Author: Tim Arndt