WHY JESUS CAME
John 10:10, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
INTRODUCTION
1. Good morning. Let us pray: Father God, we magnify You today. Please bless our time together in Your Word. May Your Holy Spirit illumine our understanding that we may be strengthened by Your Word. In Christ name and for His glory, we humbly pray. Amen.
2. In Florence, Italy, a young artist labored long and hard over a marble statue of an angel. When finished, he asked Michelangelo to examine it. No Master looked over the work more carefully than Michelangelo. It appeared perfect in every way. The young artist waited. His heart nearly broke when he heard, "It lacks only one thing." But the great artist didn’t tell him what it lacked. For days the artist could not eat or sleep, until a friend called on Michelangelo at his studio and ask him what he meant. Michelangelo said, "It lacks life."
3. That is the reason Jesus came. To give life. Why? Because man does not have life. That life was lost at the fall.
4. What fallen man has is physical life. He does not have the real life. He is like our beautiful Noble Fir Christmas tree. It looks good but in reality it is dead. 1 Tim. 5:6, “But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives.” And Eph. 2:1, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins.”
THE ABIDING LIFE
1. Note that the word “that” is mentioned twice in John 10:10. The first “that” points to the “abiding life” that “sinners” can have. And the second “that” points to the “abundant life” that “saints” can have.
2. “I am come that they might have life.” They already have life—the earthly life, the physical life, the temporal life. So this is not what He came to give.
3. This life that He comes to give is His life. Col. 3:4 says, “Christ who is our life.” Because He is God, the second person of the trinity, the life that He comes to give is God’s life. Because it is God’s life, it is eternal life.
4. No wonder Paul can say, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Gal. 2:20).
5. Now, how did He give life? First, a ransom price has to be paid. 1 Tim. 2:6, “Who gave himself a ransom for all.” 1 Pet. 1:18-19, “Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”
6. Rom. 3:20-26, “For no one can ever be made right in God’s sight by doing what his law commands. For the more we know God’s law, the clearer it becomes that we aren’t obeying it. 21But now God has shown us a different way of being right in his sight – not by obeying the law but by the way promised in the Scriptures long ago. 22We are made right in God’s sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done. 23For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. 25For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God’s anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us. God was being entirely fair and just when he did not punish those who sinned in former times. 26And he is entirely fair and just in this present time when he declares sinners to be right in his sight because they believe in Jesus” (NLB).
7. To obtain this life, one must have Jesus. 1 John 5:11-12, “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” Jesus and eternal life are inseparable. Jesus is eternal life and eternal life is Jesus. You cannot have one without the other.
THE ABUNDANT LIFE
1. “I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.” One cannot have the “abundant life” without first having the “abiding life.” The “abiding life” results in the “abundant life.” This is obviously the sequence in John 15. First, the abiding life, then the abundant life.
2. What is the “abundant life”? First, let me tell you what it is not. It is not the three “f’s”: fortune, fame, and fun.
3. Now, let me tell you what it is. First, it is becoming what God designs you to be. I call this CONFORMITY TO HIS PERSON. That person is none other than God’s Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Rom. 8:29 says, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.”
4. How is this done? Rom. 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
5. There are two words in this passage that deserve special attention. The first is the word “conformed.” It is translated from the Greek word “suschematizo.” The English word “scheme” is taken from the noun form “schema.” The compound word “suschematizo” refers to an outward conformation that is contrary to inner reality. It refers to how the world tries to shape you and me into its image.
6. The second word is the word “transformed.” The Greek is “metamorphoo.” “Metamorphosis” is taken from this word. It refers to an inner change, which has outwardly observable manifestations. This is not something one does to himself. It is the progressive work of the Holy Spirit that requires the believer’s cooperation.
7. The result of this process is the “proving” or recognition of the genuineness of God’s will—that it is good, acceptable and perfect. The Living Bible puts it this way, “Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.”
8. First, the abundant life is becoming what God plans you to be. I call that, Commitment to His Person. Second, it is fulfilling God’s purpose for your life. I call this COMMITMENT TO HIS PRAISE. Why did God create man? For His glory. Isa. 43:7, “Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.” Why did He save us? Eph. 1:11-12, “In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.”
9. 1 Cor. 10:31 says, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” Col. 3:23-24 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men... It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” In other words, God’s purpose is that your whole life, everything you do, is motivated by a life principle and that life principle is ingrained in you (it is second nature with you, it comes natural with you) and that life principle is to glorify God in everything you do. That is the real, genuine service to God. Not the volume, not the result, not the applause, not the recognition, not the adulation of people. No. It is simply living for Christ.
10. This is the kingdom spirit or kingdom mentality. Jesus Christ used the term kingdom more than the term church. As a matter of fact, He used the word church only twice and only in one setting. But He used the word kingdom (somebody noted) 80 times. That definitely tells us something. It tells us that we should raise our sights and live for the kingdom rather than just for the church. Oftentimes we are preoccupied with the local church. And if our focus is on the local church alone, it can be disheartening and disconcerting. We see the problems, the failures, the bickering, the politics, etcetera. It can be discouraging. But if you look at the kingdom of God, you will see the mighty things God is doing in Africa, in Asica, and in other parts of the world. And you are part of it. And it feels great!
11. In one particular scene in the movie, “First Knight,” after Lancelot’s success at “running the gauntlet,” King Arthur made this statement about Camelot’s values: "Here we believe that every life is precious, even the lives of strangers. If you must die, die serving something greater than yourself. Better still, live and serve."
Live. Have the Abiding Life.
Serve. Have the Abundant Life.
CONCLUSION
1. As we close, let us go back to our text verse one more time. “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” In v.8 Jesus refers “thieves” to previous shepherds. Their intention was selfish. They want the fur of the sheep. They want the meat of the sheep. They were there for what they could get from the sheep. This can be Satan or the world (your job, your career, your earthly ambitions) or both. This can be you. This can be anybody or anything that prevents you from having the abiding life and the abundant life.
2. Jesus Christ is a stark difference from the previous shepherds. His intentions are diametrically opposite to the intentions of the previous shepherds. Jesus Christ came to give the abiding life to the sheep in order for them to have the abundant life.
3. The message of the Lord Jesus calls for action. He points that out towards the close of the chapter. One must choose between Jesus, the good shepherd, and the hirelings whom He called the thieves. You cannot have both. And you cannot vacillate between one and the other.
4. This is called commitment. Let me illustrate. If you are a pilot of a jumbo jet and you are speeding down the runway, you will very quickly get to a point when staying on the ground ceases to be your option. At that time you either commit to fly or you die. You cannot hesitate. You cannot change your mind.
5. It is the same with you today. Either you say “yes” or, by your silence, you are saying “no.” Please say “yes” to His gift of the abiding life and the abundant life.
