Why do you celebrate Christmas (if you do, that is)? Many would acknowledge that it is a time to remember the birth of Jesus Christ but may only have vague ideas why this is such an important event. Vague ideas are good for sentimentality, but won’t have a very big impact on your life. So whether you celebrate Christmas or not; whether you sing Christmas tunes, exchange packages, wish others Merry Christmas, or do nothing out of the ordinary at all, celebrate Jesus coming into the world.  To help, here are 10 reasons Jesus came. Think of these as 10 truths to put in your Christmas stocking to help stir you to enjoy and worship Jesus this Christmas.

Reason #1 - Jesus came to glorify God. This may seem misplaced; I mean didn’t Jesus come for us? Well yes, of course. But he first came for God. It was God, his Father who sent him on a mission. And Jesus took the mission and carried it out perfectly! In John 17:4, in anticipation of his death on the cross, Jesus said, “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work you gave me to do.” And what was this work that Jesus accomplished that glorified God? He made a way for God to forgive sins and still be righteous.

Reason #2 - Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. In 1 John 3:8, it says, “The reason the Son of man appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” The devil’s works in view here are sins. The devil has been sinning from the beginning and he loves when we dishonor God by our sinning. Jesus appeared to take the shackles of sin off so we can be free from living a God-belittling life. So, not only did Jesus die for our sins – he died so that we’d stop sinning.

Reason #3 - Jesus came to show us what God is like.  At the very beginning of the gospel of John it says, “nobody has ever seen God, but he (Jesus) has made him known.” Jesus, who is God, became a man and lived on earth for over 30 years. People saw him, touched him, spoke with him, ate with him, and watched him in action which is recorded for us in the New Testament. What we get to see of Jesus in the bible is the perfect representation of God. When we see Jesus healing the sick, embracing children, eating with society’s outcasts, feeding the hungry, touching the diseased, comforting the distressed, teaching the ignorant, scolding the self-righteous, and laying his life down for his persecutors we see what God is like.

Reason #4 - Jesus came to manifest the love of God.  This is made unequivocally clear in 1 John 4:9 which says, “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him.” The love of God is the sweetest reality in the universe! At Jesus birth, we see the love of God in action as God sends his Son into the world.

Reason #5 - Jesus came to spread peace on earth. When a group of angels appeared to the shepherds outside Bethlehem, they sang the first Christmas song that included the words, “on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased” (Luke 2:14). Peace with God, peace with yourself, and peace with others. Is there anything more relevant than this today? A prophecy spoken 700 years prior to Jesus’ birth names him the Prince of peace and says his government and peace will spread without end. This is available to all who will humbly receive the Prince of peace.

Reason #6 - Jesus came to bring joy. The message of Jesus is called the gospel, which means “good news”. The day Jesus was born, the announcement came by an angel to a couple lonely shepherds, “Behold I bring you good news of great joy.” Jesus came to deliver joy. It’s joy because he meets our greatest need. It’s joy because he satisfies our deepest longings. This joy could reach such heights that one biblical writer describes it as “joy inexpressible and full of glory.” That’s good news!

Reason #7 - Jesus came to reconcile lost people to God. All of us either are or were alienated from God because of our sin. This is tragic as human beings are made in the image of God and made for relationship with him. Jesus came to redeem lost men, women, and children to God so that we could be adopted into his family. 1 Timothy 1:15 says, “This statement is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.” You were made for God – Jesus came to bring you back to him.

Reason #8 - Jesus came to be “God with us”.  An angel appeared to Joseph and called Jesus Immanuel, which means God with us. What does it mean that Jesus is God with us? Much could be said here, but consider this. Jesus, the eternal Son of God became one of us, experiencing a fully human life. He can completely sympathize with us in the troubles we experience in life. He had them. In fact, Jesus was called a “man of sorrows”. He knew pain, sorrow, rejection, and betrayal. He never sinned, but was made like us in every other way. Therefore, Jesus is not aloof or unable to sympathize with you in your trouble and pain. He is Immanuel, God with us.

Reason #9 - Jesus came to give abundant life. God indeed can and does give many things to enjoy in this life – things we could consider included in abundant life. But abundant life doesn't get any more abundant than that it is eternal life with God, the fountain of life. Listen to 1 John 5:12 which says, “Whoever has the Son (Jesus) has the life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” Jesus came to give eternal life. It is found in him and him alone.

Reason #10 - Jesus came as God’s greatest gift to all who want him.  In probably the most famous verse in the bible, John 3:16, it says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Did you get that? Out of love for your kids you may give them a wonderful gift. Out of love for the world, God gave a gift – he gave Jesus. Have you received this amazing gift? You can by simple faith.

I hope you are filled today with a sense of God’s love and grace as you celebrate Christmas – the coming of Jesus into the world.