Why Did Jesus Come to Earth?—Part 1
When God Entered Our World and Why It Matters.
“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things…Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect.” (Hebrews 2:14, 17)
Stop for a moment, look around, and listen during the lead-up to Christmas: people are celebrating—lights, music, parties, decorations, gifts. Yet underneath all of it, so often there’s a quiet ache. A longing. A restlessness we often feel but can’t quite name.
Maybe you’ve felt that too. You enjoy the season, but a question lingers in the quieter moments: Is there more to Christmas than warm feelings and familiar traditions?
That longing—felt by every human heart—is exactly why the story of Jesus’ coming matters. Christmas isn’t only about celebration; it’s about God entering our world in a way that speaks directly to our deepest needs.
For millennia, the Christian church has used the season of Advent—the four Sundays before Christmas—to remember the longing of God’s ancient people for the first coming (“advent”) of the Lord, even as we ourselves long for his second coming. And yet, as Abraham Kuyper once observed:
“Christmas trees, Christmas presents, Christmas parties, Christmas songs, Christmas books, truly all these abound in overwhelming multiplicities. Even far more than ever before. Only the Christmas babe, the holy Child of God has disappeared from such Christmas keeping.”
A Universal Human Problem
Every person knows what it means to feel being human—fragile, limited, vulnerable. Our world is broken and so are we. We sense it every day.
So when we ask, “Why did Jesus come to earth?” Scripture’s answer is far bigger—and far more personal—than many expect.
Enter the staggering words of Hebrews 2:14 and 2:17 above. Because we’re human, Jesus chose to become human with us and for us. The Son of God took on the very flesh and blood we share. He entered our condition in order to rescue us from it. That is the heart of the Christian message.
The Big Word: Incarnation (and Why It Matters)
Christians have a word for this astounding reality: incarnation. It means “in-fleshing”—God taking on human nature. The Son of God became a man.
The Son of God, who has eternally existed with the Father and the Holy Spirit, stepped into time and space and wrapped himself in the same humanity you and I experience every day. As the ancient Athanasian Creed puts it, we worship “one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity.” And the eternal Son, without ceasing to be God, became truly man.
And Hebrews 1 gives us a glimpse of who this Son truly is:
the heir of all things
the one through whom God created the world
the radiance of the glory of God
the exact imprint of his nature
the one who upholds the universe by the word of his power
the one who made purification for sins
the one seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high
That is the one who came to earth. And he came for you.
Christianity Is Not for the Elite—It’s for Everyone
Sometimes people assume Christianity is a religion for the spiritually elite or morally impressive—the kind of people who seem like they “fit” in church. But nothing could be further from the truth.
Christianity was never meant to be an exclusive club for those who can afford it or look the part. Jesus didn’t come for a narrow sliver of humanity. The Son of God came to earth for all kinds of people—rich and poor, black and white, introvert and extrovert, married and single. As Jesus himself said, “For God so loved the world” (John 3:16). He came for sinners.
If you’ve ever felt like you don’t belong—if you’ve ever wondered whether God would want someone like you—it’s Advent that answers that question.
He came precisely because he wants you.
Why God Entered Our World
So why did Jesus come to earth? Hebrews 2 gives one of the simplest and richest answers: he came to truly be with humans.
Not above us. Not distant from us. Not peering down with disinterest.
He came into our humanity.
“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood (since we have a common humanity) he himself likewise partook of the same things…therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect.” Jesus had to be human—in body and soul.
He shared our flesh and blood. He walked our roads. He felt our sorrows. He entered our limitations, temptations, and tears.
And he did this not only so he could understand us, but so he could save us.
The incarnation was necessary because our problem is not surface-level. It reaches into every corner of our hearts and every inch of our world. We call this thing “sin.” Why is there Christmas? Why is there the holiday season? It’s because God has come to the rescue of us sinners. So, the Son of God came all the way down—into skin and bone, hunger and weariness, laughter and sorrow—because only by becoming like us could he redeem us.
An Invitation for Advent
Maybe this Advent you’re searching. Maybe you’re curious. Maybe you’ve carried questions about God for a long time.
Here’s the good news: the God who entered the world in Jesus Christ came for people exactly like you. He came to draw near, to be known, to heal, to forgive, and to restore.
So, as you move through this season—past the lights, the noise, and the busyness—pause and consider this:
What if the God who made you really did step into your world?
And what if he did it because he loves you?
That’s why Jesus came to earth.
And that’s why you have an aching in your soul you can’t quite identify.
It’s because you’re estranged from God, but he’s come to reconcile you and make you a friend.
We invite you to respond by getting in touch with us so we can talk to you about Jesus & help you plan to join us this Sunday: Get in Touch