Why Did Jesus Do What He Did
Why Did Jesus Do What He Did?
If we were sitting face to face and chatting about Jesus and our relationship with Him, you would declare you know the answer to the question, “Why did Jesus do what He did?” You would tell me about the time you accepted Him as your Savior and you would share all your head knowledge of Him with me. You would talk about your blessings and your Bible study group. You would smile and humbly acknowledge that you still have changes to make and like all believers – you realize you could do better. I would nod and agree with all that you are saying. Like you, I lived most of my life thinking I knew everything I needed to know – the scriptures, the stories, the right answers. Then finally God thumped me on the head and showed me there was so much more.
So, why did Jesus do what he did? Well, let’s think about all the things that we know:
- We believe in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Trinity is one God existing in three persons. Since we believe that Jesus is God, we must believe that He chose to leave His throne and be born of a virgin and live 33 years on this fallen earth.
- Even as a child He was about His Father’s business. (Luke 2:49)
- In Luke 9:51, we read, “Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem,”. His attention was turning toward His final suffering and death in Jerusalem. He knew His mission - before He came, as a child, and as the time drew near. He knew exactly why He did what He did.
- He, Himself, told us in Luke 19:10, “for the Son of Man has come to see and to save that which was lost.”
- He prayed to God and said, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” John 17:3-5
- All through the Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – we see Jesus call sinners to repentance and offer them forgiveness. We read of God welcoming them with open arms. (Remember the prodigal son?) We know that Jesus paid the price for our sin, bore our shame and became our sacrificial lamb.
- We believe what He said when He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) Because this perfect lamb was slain for us, He provided a way for us to have a personal relationship with God. As truth, He is the revelation of God to us. He revealed His love, His mercy, and even His righteous anger. He has shown us who God is. As life, He is communication of God to us! Because of what Jesus has done, we can enter into the presence of God and experience Him right now today.
Okay, we can go through scripture after scripture and confirm our head knowledge about Jesus and why He did what He has done. But, can we get real and be honest? Here is a question to ponder…
IF we believe all of these things, why do we worry, have fear, keep striving, lack joy, battle strongholds, have control issues and live to please people?
Jesus said in John 10:10 that He came so that we – you and me – could have life and have it more abundantly! Not only can our life be endless, but it can be abundant! Jesus is telling us that we do not have to struggle with all the issues of the world. We are to be different – set apart. What a shame it would be for Jesus to suffer and die so we could have life and have it more abundantly - if we just accept the ‘life’ part and discard the ‘more abundantly’ part.
What does it look like for us to understand why Jesus did what He did, to truly get it and to live the abundant life? Well, it looks like freedom!
Free to believe on Jesus for everything.
Free to rest on God’s promises.
Free to trust Him in every situation.
Free to have peace that passes all worldly understanding.
Free to thrive in His purpose for your life, instead of striving for worldly success.
Free to experience an intimate relationship with your Savior.
Free to experience His love and acceptance.
Free to abide under the shelter of His wings.
Free to count it all joy and let go of the happiness pursuit.
Free to understand God’s ways and thoughts and let go of our own feelings and opinions.
Free to surrender and let go so that God can lead, guide and direct.
Free to see every day as an opportunity to share Jesus with those He has placed in our life.
Free to embrace and live the abundance that intimacy with Jesus brings.
How do we do this? Well, again, let’s look where all our answers are found… In John 8 31-32 we read, “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, 'If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.'”
1. Stop making excuses and start making time to get into the word.
2. Stop going through the motions and start spending quality time with Jesus.
3. Build relationships with others who can encourage you and help you grow in your personal relationship with Jesus. There is so much more. No matter where you are with Him – He wants more of you and wants you to have more of Him.
I am praying for you today. Will you pray for me, too? Let’s experience freedom and live the abundant life.
A Message from Pam:
During April, we are talking about Jesus. Who is He, What He did and What we are going to do with Him. What we do with our belief in Jesus matters. It truly is what matters most. Take time to think about it. What are you doing with Jesus?
Do you know Jesus? If you just aren't sure, download the Plan of Salvation and read through the scriptures. I would love to chat with you about it. Feel free to reach out to me.
You are invited to visit the Marketplace where you will find the book - Saved by Grace, Now What? and graphic tees. Connect with Master What Matters via our Facebook page, Facebook group, Instagram, and subscribe to us on YouTube (just look for the Master What Matters logo).
Invite your friends! Let's travel this journey together and get to know Jesus more and more!