Why Did Jesus Come to Earth?—Part 2
When God Entered Our World and Why It Matters.
“…that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.” (Hebrews 2:14)
Walk through a mall or just turn on the radio in the car during December and you’ll hear the season’s soundtrack: “Peace on earth,” “goodwill to men,” “the spirit of Christmas.” It’s all meant to make us feel warm, hopeful, and united. Yet for all our talk of peace, the world still feels fractured. Fear, hatred, and death haven’t gone anywhere. We still stand at gravesides. We still read headlines of violence. It’s hardly the idyllic image of the hymn:
“The cattle are lowing, the Baby awakes,
but little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes.”
That’s why the Bible’s explanation of Christmas is so different—and so necessary. When Hebrews 2:14 says that Jesus came “to destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,” it tells us that Christmas isn’t just sentimental; it’s supernatural. The birth of Jesus was a declaration of war on evil itself.
The Reality of Evil
The Bible speaks honestly about a real, personal, spiritual enemy it calls the devil. He isn’t a cartoon villain in red horns or a relic of medieval imagination. Scripture describes him as a fallen angel who rebelled against God and now opposes everything good and true. He’s no joke. His goal is simple: to separate humanity from God, the source of life.
Hebrews calls him “the one who has the power of death.” That doesn’t mean he’s stronger than God or sovereign over life and death. He was the means of bringing death into the world. Like a thief, he hid himself under the cloak of a serpent, waiting for his chance to lead our first parents astray. He’s even called “the god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4) since he leads all who are dead in their sins. He uses death—both the fear of it and the reality of it—to hold people captive. We see that power all around us: in the decay of our bodies, in the tyranny of sin, in the way death casts a shadow over every joy.
Left to ourselves, we can’t break that power. No amount of technology, psychology, or good intention can undo death. That’s why Christmas matters. Jesus came not merely to inspire or to teach us how to live, but to defeat the enemy that none of us could face on our own.
The Victory of Christ
How did he do it? Hebrews says it plainly: “through death.”
Here’s the great irony of the gospel. The devil’s strongest weapon was death, and Jesus used that very weapon to defeat him. The Son of God took on flesh and blood so that he could die our death—and in dying, destroy death’s power.
It wasn’t an accident or a tragedy. It was a strategy of divine love. By laying down his life, Jesus broke the devil’s claim over those who belong to him. On the cross, death itself died. The ancient bishop of Rome, Leo the Great, said, “the Son of God…has taken on him the nature of man…in order that the inventor of death, the devil, might be conquered through that (nature) which he had conquered.…not in His own majesty but in our humility.”
Imagine a bee that has lost its stinger. It can still buzz and frighten, but it can no longer harm. That’s what Jesus accomplished through his death. The devil can still tempt, accuse, and threaten, but for those who trust in Christ, his sting is gone.
The apostle Paul says it this way: “God disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in the cross” (Col. 2:15). The cross looked like defeat, but it was victory disguised as weakness. The apostle John says, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).
What This Means for You
Jesus came to destroy the one who had the power of death. That means you don’t have to live in fear anymore. The enemy who once held humanity in chains has been overthrown.
You may still feel the effects of evil in this world—sickness, suffering, temptation—but its power over your soul has been broken. Christ has removed death’s sting and opened the door to eternal life.
So, this Advent, as you see the manger scenes and hear the carols, remember what they point to: the child born to die, so that death itself would die.
An Invitation for Advent
Maybe you’ve carried the fear of death quietly for years. Maybe you’ve wondered what happens beyond this life, or whether anything can really conquer the darkness you feel. The good news of Christmas is that someone already has.
The eternal Son of God entered our world, not in armor but in flesh and blood, to fight the battle we couldn’t win. He came to break the power of sin, to silence the accuser, and to give life that death can never touch.
So, as you move through this season—past the lights and the noise—pause and remember:
The manger leads to the cross,
and the cross leads to an empty tomb.
That’s why Jesus came to earth. Rest in him by putting your trust in him. Rejoice in him that he’s done this for a sinner like you.
That’s why Christmas still changes everything.
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