Why Jesus Left Heaven
by Pastor Bill Pevlor
Close to 2000 years ago Jesus Christ, the only
begotten Son of God, left heaven and came to earth. Think for a moment. If you
were in heaven, what would it take to get you to leave the ultimate paradise and
come to earth to face a terrible death? If you asked any number of people “Why
did Jesus come to earth?” you will get a variety of answers.
Some people will tell you that Jesus came to teach us the way we should
live. It is true, Jesus did teach us how to live. He taught us to live by the
golden rule (Mat. 7:12), to turn the other cheek (Mat. 5:39) and to go the extra
mile (Mat. 5:41). Though Jesus was the greatest of teachers, God had other
teachers who could have taught those same messages. Jesus came for a much
greater purpose.
Some will tell you that Jesus came to start a religion. This is simply not true. God did not devise a plan to send His only Son to die a horrible death so that we could formulate doctrine, teach catechism, perform dreary ceremonies and stare at stained glass windows. I suppose you could say Jesus was the originator of Christianity, but Jesus didn’t come here for the purpose of starting it and Christianity is not a religion.
Some will tell you that Jesus came to die on the cross. Certainly Jesus
did die on a cross, however, the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ was the
necessary action taken to finish His mission on earth, but not the reason He
came.
The Bible tells us the reason Jesus left heaven and came to earth in 1
John 3:8 when it says “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” All
that Jesus did - His sinless life, His powerful teaching, His death and
resurrection - were all part of his definitive purpose; destroying the work of
the devil.
Jesus made a clear distinction between His work and the work of the
devil. In John 10:10 Jesus said “The thief comes only to steal and kill and
destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
The devil’s work is to bring havoc and untold devastation to your life. Jesus
came to destroy the devil’s work so that you could have life.
And not just an “average” life, but a “full” life.
The King James version of the Bible translates it “that they might
have it more abundantly.”
The devil’s plan for your life is a bare, minimum existence filled with
heartache, distress, pain, suffering, and sorrow. Jesus, on the other hand, has
a plan for your life that is pleasing, satisfying and full; a life of quality
and quantity. The Amplified Bible translates what Jesus said as “I came
that they may have, and enjoy, life and have it in abundance, to the full, till
it overflows.”
Jesus was not referring to the time when we die and go to heaven. He was
talking about life here on the earth. Thinking that the only reason Jesus came
to earth was to hand out tickets to heaven is one of the fallacies of religion.
It is clear, from His earthly ministry, that Jesus was exceedingly concerned
about the quality and quantity of our lives here on the earth. Everywhere He
went He healed the sick, delivered those who were oppressed by the devil and
even raised the dead. If Jesus’ mission was only to provide a wonderful life
in heaven after we die, when He encountered sick and suffering people, He would
have simply patted them on the head and said “Just hang in there, I promise
it will be better when you get to heaven.”
The glorious reward of accepting the saving work of Christ is not limited to the “sweet by and by” if you can just hang in there till the end. Jesus came to destroy the work of the devil so you could have an assurance of heaven and also live a full, abundant life here on the earth. If you are not living the joy-filled, abundant, overflowing life Jesus promised, recognize the work of the devil (to steal, kill and destroy) and turn to Jesus. As the memorable song says “Jesus is the answer.”
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