Why Jesus Came, Part II

Christmas celebrations are largely about family gatherings. We all enjoy being those whom we love the most. So as we think of the story of Jesus’ incarnation we see another reason that God sent his son, his great love for sinners. This is what I John 4:9 tells us. The sending of Jesus into the world by the Father revealed his great love for sinners. The triune God wanted to reconcile himself with sin stained and fallen humanity.

When we look at this verse in its context we see that love is defined by God himself. Love is defined by God’s character in his act of sending his only begotten son for lost sinners. God’s creatures exhibit love and affection but their love only reflects the love that is found in God’s actions. Love is defined by God. Love exists in God. God is the perfection of love.

Some may find these statements to be in opposition to the teaching that God is also just and has promised to punish sinners with eternal death. We must remember that while God is love he is not just love. He has many qualities in perfection which are not in contradiction to each other. God is therefore loving and just, holy and merciful, etc.. We may not be able to reconcile these things in our minds but there is nothing inherently illogical about God being perfectly just and loving. Love does not excuse sin. Love does no wrong. The amazing thing about God’s grace is that he maintains his justice and love towards undeserving sinners. That is why he sent his son, Jesus.

In love Jesus came to reveal the self-sacrificing love of the Father by taking the sinner’s place. Jesus willingly came in love to do all that justice demanded so that sinners could be justified and freed from sin. This is John’s point. The self sacrifice of Jesus demonstrates the perfect love of God. Jesus’ coming is the revelation of perfect love. All real love must reflect that same self-sacrificing love towards others. This is what makes love so powerful. This is what makes the story of Jesus’ incarnation so wonderful.

In the end, the love of God demonstrated through Jesus compels us to love God and others as he has loved us. The love of God in Jesus transforms the sinner and enables him to do what the law requires and what a sin corrupted nature prevented; to love God and to love one’s neighbor. Jesus came to define and demonstrate the perfect love of God. “This is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins.”