Why Did Jesus Come to Earth?—Part 5
When God Entered Our World and Why It Matters.
“Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect…to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” (Heb. 2:17)
At Christmas, it’s easy to stop at the manger. We picture the infant Jesus wrapped in swaddling cloths, surrounded by shepherds and angels. But the Bible won’t let us stay there for long. Hebrews 2 tells us something stunning: the Son of God was born so that he could die.
Christmas is not only the story of God’s arrival. Jesus was not born just to be born. Christmas is not just a celebration of a little, innocent baby. Our passage says the birth of Christ was necessary for the death of Christ. Christmas is the story of God’s rescue. The baby in Bethlehem came to be the Savior on Calvary.
August von Wörndle, “Journey of the Magi” (1852)
Because of the Reality of Our Sin
Jesus came to remove the wrath of God so that we might have peace with God. That word “propitiation” may sound strange, but it means something simple and beautiful: it’s the act of turning away anger by satisfying justice.
Imagine a broken relationship. Someone has been wronged, and until that wrong is made right, reconciliation can’t happen. Propitiation means that Jesus stepped in to make things right between us and God—not by denying our guilt, but by bearing it himself.
To understand why this is necessary, we need to face the hard truth the Bible reveals about us. Humanity was created in fellowship with God, but we rebelled. In Adam’s sin, we lost the peace and purity we once knew. That rebellion didn’t just damage us—it broke the relationship. The manger was necessary because of what happened in the Garden.
We like to think of ourselves as basically good people who occasionally make mistakes, but Scripture says otherwise. It says we’ve sinned in thought, word, and deed. It says we’ve failed to love God with all our heart and to love our neighbors as ourselves. And it says that every sin—whether large or small—is ultimately against a holy God.
That’s why Christmas had to happen. The Son of God became a man because sinners needed saving.
Because of the Necessity of God’s Wrath
This is the part of the Christmas story that modern ears often resist. We prefer a God who is loving but not judging, kind but not just. But the Bible shows us a God who is both. His justice is the expression of his holiness; his wrath is the necessary response of his love to evil.
A world where God never judges would be a world where wrong is never made right. When we see injustice around us—corruption unpunished, cruelty unaccounted for—we feel the need for justice. That sense of outrage reflects the character of God himself.
And here lies the tension: the God who is perfectly just loves people who are deeply unjust. His holiness demands judgment, but his heart desires mercy. The only solution is the cross.
Jesus came to satisfy justice so that mercy could flow freely. On the cross, he bore the penalty our sin deserved. He took the judgment so that we could receive grace.
That’s what propitiation means. God’s wrath was not ignored; it was absorbed. Justice was not denied; it was fulfilled. The scowl of wrath became the smile of love.
The Wonder of Reconciliation
Because Jesus died for sinners, there is now no barrier between us and God. Fellowship has been restored.
The old theologians said it like this: “We are saved from God by God.” The very one who had the right to judge us became the one who took judgment in our place.
The result? For those who trust in Christ, God is not angry but accepting. His justice no longer condemns; it comforts. His holiness no longer terrifies; it transforms. The Heidelberg Catechism asks, “Why must the mediator be both God and man?” And it answers, “He must be truly human so that he can bear our sin, and truly God so that his sacrifice is sufficient.”
That’s why Jesus had to come. Only the God-man could bridge the infinite gap between divine justice and human guilt.
An Invitation for Advent
Maybe this Advent you’re realizing that Christmas is more than tradition—it’s a rescue mission. The Son of God entered the world not simply to inspire you, but to save you.
You can’t cover your sin with good works or wrap it in sentiment. But you can be covered by the mercy of Christ. When you trust in him, the wrath you deserved has already been turned away, and the love you long for has already been given.
As you stand before the manger this Christmas, remember the cross that stands behind it.
The child was born to die, so that those who die might live.
That’s why Jesus came to earth.
That’s why Christmas is the story of love that satisfied justice—of grace that will never end.
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