WHY WAS JESUS BORN?
Christmas message given by Zoom to pastors, ministry, leaders, and their families in India
December 21, 2025
Good evening. Thank God for giving us the joy of worshiping him together and meditating on his grace in sending his Son Jesus to us
Why was Jesus born? Why did he come into this world?
Some answers
Some say that he came to save us from suffering. In fact, that is the most common idea about Jesus.
They say, for example, that Jesus came to save us from sickness. That is partly true. While on earth, he demonstrated God’s love and power by healing countless people.
Others say he came to deliver us from demons. That is true also. Everywhere he went, he showed that the kingdom had drawn near by casting out demons.
Others say that Jesus came to save us from poverty. To some degree, that is correct, because people who are healed and free from demons can work to earn their living.
Did he come to free us from exploitation by rich people and oppression by wicked rulers? Well, to the extent that he changed the hearts of the rich, like Levi the tax collector, he brought relief to the poor.
Was Jesus a political revolutionary or national liberator? That was certainly what the Jews of his time expected the Messiah to be.
Or did he come primarily to relieve the suffering that comes to us from sinful people around us, like our parents, or husband, wife, or brothers or sisters, relatives, or children? Again, Jesus did bring some change into people’s hearts and their families, and he still does.
But if our faith is in a savior who came to liberate us from all earthy suffering then we are not much different from the Buddhist, who claim that our fundamental problem is suffering.
But, as we all know, Jesus did not come primarily to bring us relief from pain and suffering in this world. If that was his principal reason for being born, then, as the Jews and atheists claim, he has failed miserably.
The evidence is all around us.
Christians, even the most godly ones, are not immune from illness, viruses, CoVid, heart disease, or cancer. I’m sure that most of you have battled with sickness at one time or another. So have I.
Even believers suffer from attacks by evil spirits in body or soul from time to time. Martin Luther struggled mightily against Satan’s assaults. But he overcame the enemy by faith in the Word of God and prayer. That is why he wrote the hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.”
Christians are not exempt from exploitation by the rich and powerful, and millions of Christ followers around the world suffer from persecution even today.
Ever since Jesus rose again and sat down on his throne, wicked rulers have continued to enslave their people and deal unjustly, and Christians have been among the oppressed.
No, Jesus was not born chiefly to prevent us from suffering in this life. On the contrary, he said, “In this world you will have trouble.” And he always keeps his promises!
I’m afraid that too many Christians, including myself, are surprised when God does not protect them or rescue them when they endure the trials of this life like everyone else.
Our main problem is not earthly suffering, but the root of all suffering, both in this life and in the life to come. That root is sin in all its forms.
That sin consists in not loving and trusting God with all our being, and in not loving others as we love ourselves.
Why he came
Why, then, was Jesus born in Bethlehem?
When the angel explained to Joseph that Mary had conceived a child, though she was a virgin, he said, “That which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20-21).
Later, he says that the prophet Isaiah had prophesied, “They shall call his name Immanuel, which is translated, ‘God with us.’”
Here we have it: Jesus came to deliver his people from their sins.
We should notice that the angel didn’t say that Jesus would save us from the sins of others.
That is what we often ask from God.
It’s true that other people cause us a great deal of pain and even harm. But, as we have seen, Jesus has not removed us from a world in which people hurt each other.
No, Jesus came to rescue us from our sins, not the sins of other people
As you probably know, the name “Jesus” comes from the Hebrew word that means, Yahweh is salvation or Yahweh saves. Joshua, the great military leader, bore the same name in Hebrew.
We commonly say that Jesus saves us from our sins in three ways: He delivers us from the penalty of sin, the power of sin, and finally, when he returns in glory, from the presence of sin.
The penalty of sin
The LORD told Adam and Eve that if they ate of the forbidden fruit they would die. God said through Ezekiel, “The soul that sins shall die” (Ezekiel 18:2). Paul declared, “The wages of sin is death.”
Now, we know that “death” takes several forms. First and foremost, since God is the fountain of life, when we sin, we lose access to God’s life. Sin separated Adam and Eve from God, each other, the animal world, and the earth, and their bodies finally died also. But the final death is eternal separation from God. Unforgiven sinners will suffer eternal separation from God in hell.
Jesus came to save us from that horrible destiny by dying in our place as a substitutionary sacrifice for our sins. He said, ‘The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
Because he is fully and truly man, he can represent us and die in our place.
And because he is truly and fully divine, can pay the penalty for not only our sins, but the sins of the whole world
Peter wrote, “Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18). By paying the penalty we deserve, Jesus overcame the immense chasm between a holy God and sinful people who trust in him.
If we repent of our sins daily and trust in Christ as our sacrifice and High Priest, OUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN!!!!
1 John 1:9; 2:1
Therefore, Paul declares, “There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus . . . If God is for us, who can be against us? . . . Nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:1, 31, 39).
You remember that part of the punishment for sin was separation between Adam and Eve. Later their son Cain killed his brother Abel.
But now, those who trust and follow Christ are united in him by the Holy Spirit. We are all one in Christ.
Two nights ago, my wife and I enjoyed dinner with the brothers and sisters in the Chinese Sunday School class. Despite our vast cultural differences, we enjoy fellowship in Christ.
Tonight, you and I are separated from each other by more than a thousand kilometers, and our cultural differences are huge. But, through Jesus, we enjoy the love of God our Father, based on his truth, and in his Spirit.
God has begun to undo the penalty of sin in our lives!
The power of sin
Even in this life, Jesus saves his people from the power of sin.
Satan tempts us to sin by deceiving us, but Jesus, who said, “I am the truth,” overcomes Satan’s lies by his teaching and his example.
As he declared to Pilate, “For this reason I was born, and for this reason I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth” (Johnj18:37).
And, “If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8;31-32).
His teaching exposes all sorts of sin, including mental ones like anger and lust, pride, and ingratitude toward God. Loving this world and all its good things more than we love God is a sin. Getting preoccupied with riches and the cares off this life is, too.
Focusing on religious actions and neglecting to love people. Even speaking useless words is enough to bring condemnation from God!
He shows us the purpose of life, to “love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. And to love your neighbor as yourself.”
He even frees us from resentment and rage by commanding us to forgive our enemies.
We have two sorts of human enemies: Those outside our family and those within our family.
People outside our family sometimes treat us very badly, even hatefully. They may insult us and mock us and slander us. All too often, their hatred leads to persecution, violence, and even death.
But it’s often family members who cause us the most pain. Those whom we love, and from whom we except love, too often either withhold love from us or say or do things that hurt us badly.
Let’s face it: Family members are often our worst “enemies.” That includes parents, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, children, and other relatives.
And, since we are brothers and sisters in Christ, fellow Christians are like family members who often not only disappoint us but also even harm us.
What do we do? How can forgive?
Jesus taught us the basic principle in Matthew 7:1-12. First, when we see a fault in another’s eye, we should first ask God to show us our own corresponding flaw. Then we must ask him to make us realize that what we consider only a little “speck” in our eye is a “log” or “beam” in God’s sight.
That should lead us to repent of our sin and seek his help in overcoming it. Only then are we qualified to give advice to another about how to remove the “speck” in his eye.
For this, we must ask God to enable us to humble ourselves and to treat others as we want them to treat us.
Jesus also opened our eyes to see that this life is not the end. There is a life to come in which the good that we do, in faith, on earth, will be rewarded, and in which those who have followed him will be with him in true happiness forever and ever.
Jesus taught us to trust that God is our heavenly Father who will take care of us and provide all we need to know and serve him.
And much more!
By his example, Jesus showed us what it means to love God with all our being, to trust him at all times, to love those around us, even our enemies, and to bear witness to him even unto death.
Since his resurrection from the dead, ascension into heaven, and pouring out his Spirit upon all who truly repent and trust in him, Jesus frees us from the power of sin through the indwelling of his own Spirit.
We are no longer slaves to sin, nor debtors to our sinful flesh. Instead, rather than following the passions of our flesh, we can by the Spirit put to death the evil deeds of the body.
By his Spirit, Jesus can produce in us the fruit of the Spirit, that is, his very own character of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Now, joined to Jesus by faith, we can bear fruit to God in the newness of the Spirit (Romans 7:4, 6).
This freedom from sin’s power is not complete, of course. We still live in a mortal body that is, as Paul groaned, “a body of sin.” But we can enjoy substantial power to resist sin and to grow in our likeness of Christ.
One other thing:
By the power of the Spirit, and through faith in the name of Jesus, we can stand firm against all of Satan’s wiles, wearing all the spiritual armor God gives.
And we can also cast out demons, as some of you have doubtless done. This is a major demonstration that Jesus is the one he says he is.
The presence of sin
Finally, when Jesus returns, he will raise up the living and the dead. Those who by faith have followed him will rise to eternal life, while those who have not repented of their sins, trusted in Christ, and sought to obey his commands will rise to eternal condemnation and death in hell.
Jesus said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, yet shall he live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die” (John 11:25-26).
To the thief on the cross next to his, Jesus said, ‘Today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).
When he returns that thief and all who have died before Christ’s return will rise from the grave in new and glorified bodies to live with God in a new heaven and new earth forever.
Then it will be said, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. And God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:3-4).
True disciples of Christ will be clothed in white linen garments, which are the righteous deeds that God will give them to do. They will not only be justified, but they will be glorified. They will be “conformed to the image of [God’s] Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29).
“Beloved, now we are children of God’ and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2)
Brothers and sisters, let us bow down and worship Jesus, who saves his people from their sins.
And let us rise up and go out to “proclaim the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his glorious light.”
Amen!
The Son of Man came to save the lost. Matthew 18:121.