- Bro. M. Geo Prakash
Every child born into this
world is born to live. They are meant to grow up and fulfill the purpose for
which they were created. When someone achieves greatness and lives a remarkable
life, society often proclaims, “They were born to live!” Everyone has a purpose
in life—whether it’s becoming a doctor, an engineer, or a successful
entrepreneur.
However, there was one child
who was born to die. His sole purpose was death.
Yes, the very purpose of
Jesus Christ’s coming into this world was to die. Yet, this truth is often
forgotten. Today, many prominent ministers present a false narrative that Jesus
Christ came to perform miracles and wonders. Even highly educated theologians
and clergy lack the enthusiasm or understanding to convey this truth to people.
They fail to correct or reject baseless songs like, “He was born in a saintly
womb to perform countless miracles.”
A magician or illusionist
could perform wonders to amaze people—Christ did not need to come into the
world for that.
Jesus Himself clearly stated
the purpose of His coming:
"Even as the Son of man
came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom
for many." (Matthew 20:28, KJV)
Jesus is referred to as the
Lamb of God. He was the sacrificial lamb who was to shed His blood for
humanity’s redemption. This divine plan was foretold by the prophet Isaiah
approximately 750 years before Christ's birth:
"Surely he hath borne
our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of
God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised
for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his
stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every
one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah
53:4-6, KJV)
Throughout His earthly
ministry, Jesus revealed this truth to His disciples:
"From that time forth
began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and
suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed,
and be raised again the third day." (Matthew 16:21, KJV)
He emphasized: "Therefore
doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it
down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my
Father." (John 10:17-18, KJV)
The Need for Redemption
Sin separates man from God.
To restore this relationship, sins must be cleansed, and this can only happen
through the shedding of blood.
"Without shedding of
blood is no remission." (Hebrews 9:22, KJV)
The Bible declares: "For
the life of the flesh is in the blood." (Leviticus 17:11,
KJV) "For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the
life thereof." (Leviticus 17:14, KJV)
When man sins, spiritual
death occurs, as the Bible states:
"For the wages of sin
is death." (Romans 6:23, KJV)
In the Old Testament,
animals such as lambs, bulls, and goats were sacrificed for the atonement of
sins. However, their blood could not completely cleanse sin or provide a clear
conscience. Thus, year after year, sacrifices continued. The book of Hebrews
explains:
"For it is not possible
that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins." (Hebrews
10:4, KJV)
This is why Christ, who was
without sin, shed His own blood to atone for humanity’s sins: "So
Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many." (Hebrews 9:28,
KJV) "We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus
Christ once for all." (Hebrews 10:10, KJV)
The purpose of Jesus’ coming
into the world was to shed His blood and grant salvation to mankind.
The Experience of Salvation
Dear friends, our sins must
be washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ. For this to happen, we must
confess our sins with all sincerity. When we do so, we will experience Christ
coming into our hearts and transforming our lives. This is the experience of
salvation—being born again. Without this experience, one cannot do anything for
God that He will accept.
Jesus told Nicodemus, a
Jewish teacher who recognized Him as a divine teacher: "Verily,
verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom
of God." (John 3:3, KJV)
If it was essential for a
knowledgeable religious leader like Nicodemus to be born again, how much more
important is it for us? Merely professing Jesus as the Son of God is not
enough; we must be born again.
The True Meaning of
Christmas
As we celebrate Christmas,
let us allow Christ to be born in our hearts. More than external festivities,
our hearts must be renewed, and we must be born again. Let us confess our sins
to Christ and be cleansed by His precious blood.
The very name “Jesus” means
Savior: "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his
name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." (Matthew
1:21, KJV)
"This is a faithful
saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to
save sinners." (1 Timothy 1:15, KJV)
Jesus declared: "I
am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by
me." (John 14:6, KJV)