Why Did Christ Jesus Come Into This World - Part 3

Christ Jesus did not come into this world to remove barriers that hindered the flow of mercy to sinful mankind. He came to magnify the love and glory of the Father. He came to offer Himself as a sacrifice for sinful mankind.

In 1st Peter 3:18 it is written, “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.” This wondrous declaration gives us a remarkably clear view of the substitutionary punishment which Christ endured. The purpose of the punishment was to restore the relationship between God and man broken when Adam rebelled against God.

Sin was the cause of Christ’s suffering. If there were no sin in the world it would not have been necessary for Christ to suffer. To "suffer" means "to bear punishment." We have all heard the claim, a child suffers because of the sins of its parents. Christ suffered for us. It was for our sins He suffered.

He suffered "once" must not mean His suffering was confined to the three hours of darkness, but means "once for all" as in Hebrews 9:27,28. The "suffering" which pervaded the whole of Christ’s earthly life culminated at the Cross. That suffering was final.

Christ Himself was personally sinless. This is what is meant by the statement “the just for the unjust.” He was “the just” means that He was approved of God as tested by the standard of the law. He was not only sinless, but one whose life was adjusted to the will of

God. His suffering was the suffering of the innocent for the guilty. His sufferings were not on His own account, nor were they from the inevitable course of events or laws of evil in a sinful world; but they were the direct and necessary consequence of His vicariously taking the place of his guilty people. Christ received the punishment we should receive. He was paid sin’s wages for us.

The purpose of Christ’s substitutionary sufferings was to bring His people to God. This was only possible by the removal of their sins, which separated them from God. By His sufferings, Christ has procured for us access to God. Paul told the Ephesians, "in Christ

Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13). This verse states the purpose of Christ’s suffering. The purpose of His suffering includes the bringing of His people out of darkness into marvelous light, out of a

state of alienation, misery and wrath into one of grace, peace and eternal communion with God. By nature they were in a state of enmity, but Christ has reconciled them by his death (Romans 5:10). By nature they were "children of wrath" (Ephesians 2:3), obnoxious to God’s judicial displeasure; but by grace they have been accepted into his favour (Romans 5:2). By nature they were spiritual lepers, but by one offering Christ has "perfected for all time those who are sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14).

Here then, in brief, is God’s reason for sending His Son into this world. That God Himself might be honored; that Christ might be glorified; that His people might be saved from their sins and an abundant life be given them, a perfect righteousness imputed to them, and their being brought into God’s favor, presence and fellowship.