Do you really know why Jesus came here? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him and what came to my mind and heart in Luke 23:35,39 ,

"He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the
Chosen One." "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"

These are among the insults hurled at Jesus as he hung on the cross.
The first I quoted was by the on-lookers and the rulers of the Jews.
The second by one of the criminals that was crucified along with
Jesus.

These insults betrayed a misunderstanding of what Jesus Christ came to
do. As Jesus told his followers after his resurrection, "This is what
is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third
day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his
name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." Luke 24:46-47. Prior to
this, also following his resurrection, Jesus approached a disciple
named Cleopas and a companion heading for Emmaus. The two were
discussing Jesus' crucifixion and "their faces were downcast". Jesus
told them, "'How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all
that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these
things and then enter his glory?' And beginning with Moses and all the
Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures
concerning himself."

These accounts manifest the great misunderstanding of what "the Christ
of God" was sent to do. Jesus Christ did not come as a great ethical
teacher to rehabilitate the misbehaving. Some today are still confused
about this. "The Christ of God" did not come to provide national
superiority for Israel or any other nation. Some today are still
confused about this. "The Christ of God" did not come to end "social
disparities", "injustice", the plight of the poor or the sick or the
infirm. Some today are still confused about this. "The Christ of God"
did not come to authenticate my theology or your denomination. Some
today are still confused about this. "The Christ of God" did not come
to bring peace and tranquility among the nations or remove crime from
our streets. Some today are still confused about this.

I have to think, given the misunderstanding, the misinterpretation,
the confusion, the ignorance, the arguments, the assumptions about
Jesus Christ that continue to persist today, it must be that people
look about themselves, and as they observe what they see as wrong with
our lost and fallen world living an estranged existence from God, they
seek to conform the purpose for which Jesus Christ came to whatever it
is they wish would change.

Jesus Christ, as God's one and only Son, came to planet earth with his
own agenda, his own objective and he achieved exactly what he came to
do. What he came to do was to take the sins of all mankind for all
time upon himself and pay the penalty for all of that sin by taking
our punishment on himself as he died on that cross. As noted in Luke
24:46-47, Jesus came to suffer and then rise from the dead on the
third day so that the gospel could go out to all nations. As the
apostle John observes, "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and
not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." 1 John
2:2. In a couple of chapters later John tells us, "This is love: not
that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning
sacrifice for our sins." 1 John 4:10.

As the Christ, Jesus is many things. But what he came to do was to
offer himself upon a cross to satisfy his Father's justice for my sin
and your sin, making a way for us to enter into his family. All he
asks of us is to trust in him. Believe in him. May we all reflect that
in our lives today.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com