Jesus' Purpose

Why did Jesus come to earth?

What was His reason for being or stated purpose of His life?

I know, I know ... you're probably thinking to yourself something like, "Duh!" Everyone knows that Jesus came to save us from sin and death. Right? Well, that is true. But sometimes we need to look beyond the truth. Occasionally there is a higher truth. I definitely believe that is the case here.

So why did Jesus come to earth? If He was living a "purpose-driven life," what exactly was His purpose?

You might find a variety of answers depending on whom you ask and where you look. Some might be quick to point out that the purpose of Jesus' life was to die for our sins; even Jesus said He came to "give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45).

Others might say that Jesus came to "seek and to save what was lost." (Luke 19:10) Still others might point to Jesus as the miracle worker (John 10:25 or John 14:11), or explain that Jesus came to "do the will of the Father." (John 6:38 or Hebrews 10:7)

None of these answers would be wrong. but I believe the reason that stands out as uniting them all would be that Jesus came to do the will of the Father. So the next question is naturally going to be, "What is the will of the Father?"

Has Jesus said anything else that might give us an explanation of why He came that would also unite these various reasons into a more concise statement of purpose that defines the Father's will? "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent." (Luke 4:43) Could this be the Father's will for Jesus? Is the primary reason Jesus came to make known the good news of the kingdom of God?

The best news is that God's kingdom has come. It's already here. the announcement of this message is more important than doing miracles - miracles are just evidence of the facts. Jesus seeks the lost that they might be included in God's kingdom - which has already come. His death on the cross made it possible for us to be accepted into His kingdom - where we belong.

Everything Jesus said and did seems to revolve around the announcement of the good news about God's kingdom. If this was Jesus' purpose, then as His followers could we have any lesser purpose?

Here's the thing - we so often talk about what Jesus did for us. But we need to consider what He did for the Father. (He obeyed Him.) And if we are true Christ-followers, then we need to order our lives so that our purpose aligns with His.

Yes, Jesus died for our sins. But even before He made it about us, He made it about His Father. And that is precisely where we need to take it. My purpose isn't about anything but the will of the Father.