Based on the provided text, Jesus was sent by the Father for multifaceted and profound reasons, touching upon the very core of human existence and our relationship with the divine. These reasons can be summarized and expanded upon as follows:
1. To Demonstrate a New Way of Living: An Embodiment of the Father’s Will
Jesus’ life was a living parable, a tangible demonstration of how to live in complete alignment with the Father’s will. He came to:
- Be the “Ultimate Player”: To exemplify living a life that navigates “the course less played,” embracing the “narrow gate” and the “narrow course” that leads to true life. This echoes Jesus’ own words in Matthew 7:13-14: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” He showed us that true fulfillment lies not in worldly pursuits but in diligently seeking and following God’s path.
- Show Total Reliance on the Father: Jesus consistently demonstrated unwavering trust in the Father’s love and provision, operating under the guidance and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. His prayer life, his constant seeking of the Father’s will, and his dependence on the Spirit are powerful examples of how to live in complete surrender and faith. This is exemplified in John 5:19: “Jesus gave them this answer: ‘Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.'”
- Live a Father-Centered Life: He modeled a life where the Father was at the absolute center, utilizing the “ingredients spokes of the wheel” to begin, continue, and complete his earthly journey in the Father’s presence. Every action, every word, every miracle was ultimately for the glory of the Father. As Jesus himself stated in John 17:4: “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.”
2. To Answer Fundamental Questions of Life: Illuminating the Path to Truth
Jesus came to address the fundamental questions that haunt humanity, providing clarity and hope:
- Origin: To reveal the Father and our connection to Him, answering the questions, “Where did I come from? Is there a God and, if so, what is He like?” Through Jesus, we understand that we are created by a loving Father, intimately connected to Him. Jesus declares in John 14:9: “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” He is the visible representation of the invisible God.
- Identity: To show us how to discover our true selves, becoming the person we are meant to be, free from the need for external validation. Jesus teaches us that our identity is rooted in our relationship with the Father, not in worldly achievements or opinions. He offers us the transformative truth of John 1:12: “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
- Meaning and Purpose: To illuminate the meaning of life and our individual purpose. Jesus teaches that life is not aimless but is imbued with purpose by serving God and loving others. In John 10:10 He declares, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Our lives are meant to be lived in service to God.
- Morality: To establish the values that should guide our lives, rooted in the Father. Jesus provides a moral compass based on love, compassion, and justice, derived from the Father’s own character. He calls us to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves, summarizing the entirety of the law and the prophets (Matthew 22:37-40).
- Destiny: To provide assurance about what happens after death and to offer a path to eternal life. Through his resurrection, Jesus conquered death and offers us the promise of eternal life with the Father. He says in John 14:2-3: “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
3. To Establish a Path to Forgiveness and Eternal Life: The Ultimate Sacrifice
Jesus’ central mission was to reconcile humanity to the Father through his sacrifice:
- Be the Way, the Truth, and the Life: He opened the door to the Father’s family through his death on the cross, offering a path to eternal life. Jesus definitively states in John 14:6: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” His sacrifice is the bridge that spans the chasm between humanity and God.
- Offer Forgiveness: He enabled us to live forgiven lives. Through faith in Jesus, our sins are washed away, and we are freed from the burden of guilt and shame. 1 John 1:9 assures us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
4. To Equip and Commission Us: Living a Life of Purpose and Power
Jesus came not only to save us but to empower us to continue his work:
- To Send Us As He Was Sent: To commission and equip us to live under the Father’s love and forgiveness, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and with Jesus as our guide (“caddy”). Just as the Father sent Jesus, Jesus sends us into the world to spread the good news of his love and salvation. He says in John 20:21: “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
- To Model Victorious Living: To show us how to live a confident, victorious life, secure in the Father’s love, plan, and presence. Even in the face of adversity, Jesus maintained unwavering faith and trust in the Father. He teaches us that through him, we can overcome any obstacle and live a life of purpose and fulfillment.
The Great Dominating Reality: Forgiveness and Unconditional Love
Jesus was sent to live for the sake of others. His whole life was directed ultimately towards his dying on the cross for the sins of the world in order to enable them to receive the ultimate “Mulligan,” forgiveness for their sins and receive eternal life. He also came to walk alongside those who accept him as their Savior and Lord, guaranteeing, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5). This enduring presence and unwavering love are the bedrock of our faith.
Romans 8:35, 37-39 powerfully illustrates the unbreakable bond we have with Christ: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?… No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
When we accept Christ, his divine love becomes an integral part of our being, a constant source of warmth and strength. Just as we feel the warmth of the sun, we experience the transformative power of Christ’s presence within us, protecting us from the chilling grip of the world and Satan.
Embracing the Indwelling Christ:
We must fully realize the embodiment of Christ within us, the invasion of this unseen friend. As we pray in line with Ephesians 3:17-19, “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” This prayer emphasizes the importance of being rooted and grounded in love to truly grasp the vastness and depth of Christ’s love, a love that surpasses all understanding.
Breaking the Barriers: Eliminating Faraway-ness
We must rid ourselves of the sense of distance in our relationship with Jesus, breaking the “rules” of spatial separation. We often think of our lives in terms of physical distance, but we must eliminate the idea of the physical as a barrier between us and Jesus. He is present, he is not leaving, and nothing can truly separate us from him.
Rejecting Performance and Embracing Love:
Don’t fall into the trap of performance and “earning” Jesus’ love. His love is far beyond normal human relationships that are often filled with expectations and conditional approval. If you feel any pressure to perform for Jesus, you will miss out on his loving presence and his desire to simply be with you. He has expectancy for you, a belief in your potential, but not expectations that demand performance.
One of the most challenging yet liberating truths of following Jesus is believing things that seem too good to be true. His love is truly out of this world, unconditional, and freely given. Embrace it, bask in it, and let it transform your life.