Why Jesus Is More Than a Baby in a Manger

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Why Jesus?

Why did Jesus come to earth in the first place?  Have you wondered that?

Why did God send His only Son to be born in such poverty, live so humbly, and die so tragically?

What was the point?

Don’t we have the 10 Commandments to tell us how to live? Shouldn’t that be enough?

Don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t kill, don’t commit adultery. Most people would agree that those are all things we should avoid, and most of us do.

So what was the point of Jesus coming to earth?

He didn’t come to earth just to teach us how to live. If that had been the only reason for His coming, it would have been pointless and redundant.

No, there was a greater purpose.

The law – the 10 Commandments and the majority of the first five books of the Bible, gave the Israelites instructions on how to live and what sacrifices to bring to the altar because God wanted to have a relationship with mankind.  Yet, His supreme holiness didn’t enable that to happen when they unknowingly or knowingly violated His command.

The sacrifices served as a way to cover over their sin. Much like paying a parking ticket. The payment made satisfies the debt, but the violation remains on your record.

It was these violations on mankind’s record that was the point!

But we understand that. Don’t we? We do something wrong and feel a nagging guilt we can’t escape. It haunts us day and night, no matter how many times we ask for forgiveness.

You see, God could have a measure of relationship with man despite the violations on their record, but heaven was out of the question.

That’s a problem!

He had to come up with a plan to eliminate the violations from our record entirely; so that our record would show they never existed. There was only one way this could happen. A perfect being would have to become the sacrifice.

Enter Jesus.

The moment He hung on the cross, he literally bore the weight of the guilt of every person who had ever lived and who would ever live to the end of time.

When you consider that truth -thinking of the guilt we have felt for our own sins – the weight must have been crushing! He literally became the murderer, the thief, the adulterer, the liar – all in that one moment.

If it were enough to just keep the 10 Commandments the best we could, be a good person and help our neighbors, Jesus’ sacrifice would have been pointless.
But being good isn’t enough. It will never be enough. We can’t ever be good enough to balance the scales. But not only that: God isn’t looking for balanced scales.

He is looking for 100% good and 0% bad.

That’s a big problem!

There is no way we can live up to that standard!
God needed a way to go beyond looking past our sin. He needed a way to eliminate it entirely so the standard could be met.

This is the reason for Jesus. He wasn’t just a sweet baby in a manger – He was so much more. He wasn’t just a great teacher or a prophet; He wasn’t just a tortured man on a cross. Oh no! He is so much more! He is the eternal sacrifice for sin. But the story goes beyond that.

It would have been a tragic ending had Jesus stayed in the tomb. He literally went to hell and battled with Satan…and won. He ripped from him all authority and set us free from the ultimate consequence of our sin – eternal death.

It is because of Jesus that we know the beautiful word: justification.

Justification = Just As If We’ve Never Sinned.

Exoneration. We no longer have to bear the guilt for our sin. We no longer have to ask God repeatedly forgive us. He did already 2,000 years ago.

Why Jesus?

This is why!

Would you like to be exonerated? Would you like to live free from the weight of your guilt? Take a moment and pray this prayer:

Dear Jesus, I know I’m a sinner. I know I’ve violated your law and your standard. I want to live in relationship with you and be with you in heaven for eternity. Please forgive me and cleanse me from my sin. Please remove my guilt and wipe my record clean. Be the Lord of my life.

Amen

The next step is:

1. Begin reading the Bible. You can join me here in daily reading God’s Word to know Him more.

2. Pray. Prayer is simply conversation with God. Speak with Him and give Him time to speak with you.

3. Find a church. Get involved with a local church where you will find other Christians who will help you grow in your new relationship with Jesus.