The Joy of The Journey
Born to Die
The birth of Jesus Christ is celebrated worldwide with great joy, but it is crucial to understand that His birth had a singular, profound purpose: Jesus was born to die. His coming was not an accident of history but a fulfillment of God’s eternal plan for the redemption of humanity. The Scriptures reveal that Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection were central to God’s purpose of reconciling the world to Himself.
Jesus’ birth was the beginning of the promise of God’s plan of redemption. The story begins in Genesis, where the fall of humanity into sin necessitated redemption. Immediately after Adam and Eve sinned, God declared His plan to crush the serpent through the seed of the woman:
“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15). This verse is the first proclamation of the gospel. It points to the coming of Christ. Jesus would crush Satan’s power, but this victory would come at the cost of His own life.
“But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Isaiah foretold the coming of the Messiah, who would suffer and die for the sins of His people. In one of the most profound passages, Isaiah describes the mission of the Suffering Servant. These words vividly portray the sacrifice that Jesus would make. He was born to bear the weight of our sins by taking upon Himself the punishment we deserve. His death was not a tragedy, but how true reconciliation and peace would be found with God our Father.
The purpose of Jesus coming in the flesh or the incarnation of Christ is made clear in the New Testament; Paul writes: “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5). Jesus’ incarnation was a divine intervention. He came into the world to redeem all humanity enslaved by sin and death. His humble birth in a manger was the first step on the path to the cross.
In Mark 10:45, Jesus declared the reason for His coming: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” His life was a mission of service and sacrifice. Every step He took led Him closer to Calvary, where He would fulfill His purpose as the Lamb of God who takes away the world’s sins.
Jesus’ death was foretold and necessary for sinners’ salvation. The Word of God declares, “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22). Under the old covenant, sacrifices were made repeatedly, but they could never fully atone for sin. Jesus came to be the ultimate sacrifice, once and for all. Hebrews 9:26 declares, “He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” His death was the culmination of His mission, the reason for His birth. The cross was not a defeat but a victory!
Although Jesus was born to die, His story does not end in death. His resurrection three days later proves that His sacrifice was sufficient and that He has conquered sin and death. Jesus offers eternal life to all who believe in Him through His death and resurrection. This is the hope of the gospel and why we celebrate His birth with such joy. He would die because of this truth, and we celebrate Christmas with great hope! We cannot celebrate His birth without understanding its purpose! We know the reason for the season through His birth, life, death, and resurrection! Merry Christmas, and may you truly know peace and love through Jesus this season.
