Why?
That's the question I want us to ask today- Why?
Why did Jesus, this Great and Mighty King, who was and is and always will be highly exalted above everybody and everything, get up off His throne in heaven and enter into human history?
Why did Jesus, who has appeared many times in human history in some incredible ways, why did He have to come this time in human form?
Why were all these promises made about Him?
Why did God spend so much time preparing the world for Jesus' birth?
Why?
Because Jesus is extra ordinary! He is unlike any other person who has ever lived! And His life had a purpose! And from that 1st promise of His coming in Genesis we are told what that purpose was- He was to be, He is the Saviour of the world! 1 Timothy 1:15 'Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst.'
But what does the world need saving from? Well, to answer that we need go back to where God promised a saviour and we'll see why we need one! We need to go back to Genesis, to the Garden and look at the events that took place leading up to and just before God promised a Saviour.
Because it's here we see a picture of how the world was supposed to be, how God created it to be. Man, the centre piece of God's creation living in peace with and with authority over the rest of creation.
The trees grew and gave its fruit, the plants grew and gave its crop and Man and animals lived together, walked and played together, where leopard lay down with the young goat and the wolf dwelt with the lamb. There was total peace and harmony! And when God looked over this beautiful world He said 'It is very good' it was perfect!
But what do you see when you look out into the world? When you turn on the news or look through the internet? What do you think about this world when you talk to family and friends or even look at your own life? Is it very good? Is it even mildly good?
Or has something gone wrong? Has something happened which has changed the world God looked out over there in Genesis to what we see now?
Of course! No one in their right mind would say the world today in which we live is perfect! Wars and diseases and pollution and disasters and corruption and immorality and death! The world today is NOT how God intended it to be!
Something did happen and it was sin! And sin basically is not doing what God wants. This is God's universe, we are God's creation and we are to live under God's rules. If you go to the UK you live under UK rules. If we live in Korea, you live under Korean law.
When I'm in Korea, I cross the road only when the green man is flashing. When I'm home I cross whenever there is no car coming. In Korea cars make way for people, in the UK people make way for cars. Different countries, different rules. And if I break them there are consequences.
We are God's creation and we are to live under His rules. And to Adam and Eve He gave just 1 rule, not to eat from the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, but they did. I don't know if you've heard the story before and if you have let me just remind you:
Satan came to Eve as a serpent, questioned and twisted the Word of God (which he often does today!) 'Did God really say you mustn't eat from any tree in the Garden?' and instead of rebuking or leaving the conversation alone she got into a dialogue with the devil which lead to her disobeying God!
Adam, on the other hand, did nothing! And this was sin in itself! God put man as head of the family, man is head of the house, not woman, and Adam should have stood up and rebuked the Devil as soon as he started to question God's Word!
That's why God held Adam responsible! That's why God called out to Adam not Eve! That's why in Romans Paul says sin came into the world through Adam! He was responsible! Man is head of the household and on the Day of Judgement will be held responsible! And it's why doing nothing is sometimes as bad as doing something!
And it was after this sin that God judges Satan and the serpent, Adam and Eve, and a curse comes over the whole of the earth! And this rebellious, sinful nature is passed down from Adam to his children, from them to their children all the way down to us and our children and theirs afterwards!
And with sin comes death! '...the wages of sin is death' and with death comes judgement and with judgement comes the wrath of God and punishment! And that's what we need saving from!
Everybody dies, so we are not saved from death! Everybody will be judged so we are not saved from judgement! But the wrath of God, the punishment of hell that is what we are saved from! 'Flee from the wrath that is to come!' (Luke 3:7)
We all have sinned! We have all done something or said something that goes against God! We have all NOT done something or NOT said something that goes against God! And therefore these things are sin and we are under the wrath of God!
As David cried out '...against You and You alone have I sinned...'
It doesn't matter what my standards are or what your standards are or what anybody else's standards are, high or low, it's God's standards that count! And if we don't meet those standards that is sin and His wrath is upon us!
We are in need of a saviour, and God promised a Saviour the moment He pronounced the judgement and the curse! There were prophesies made about this Saviour, many prophesies and specific prophesies so we'd know Him when He comes. And in Jesus ALL those prophesies were fulfilled!
