Jesus's Purpose in Coming to Earth

Why did Jesus come? What is the purpose of his mission?

Jesus told us the purpose of his coming several times. Here we examine them so we can understand why he came. We examine an exhaustive list of verses all given in context.

The Statements of Purpose ^{Back to Top ↑}

After going through the canonical gospels and we extracted all of Jesus's statements of purpose and put them into a list.

• 1) That the world be saved.

• 2) To fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 61:1-2.

• 3) To preach the kingdom of God.

• 4) To call sinners to repentance.

• 5) To do the will of the Father.

• 6) To throw fire on Earth, and
• 7) To give division to Earth.

• 8) For judgment, in order that those not seeing may see, those seeing may become blind.

• 9) That they may have life and have it abundantly.

• 10) To serve, and
• 11) To give his life a ransom for many.

• 12) To seek and deliver the perished.

• 13) To save the world.

• 14) To be a witness to the truth.

The Statements of Purpose Extracted and Condensed ^{Back to Top ↑}

So, we see that Jesus came:

• 1) That the world be saved.^{(John 3:17.)}
• 2) To fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 61:1-2.^{(Luke 4:18-20.)}
• 3) To preach the kingdom of God.^{(Luke 4:43.)}
• 4) To call sinners to repentance.^{(Mark 2:17.)}
• 5) To do the will of the Father.^{(John 6:38-40.)}
• 6) To throw fire on Earth.^{(Luke 12:49.)}
• 7) To give division to Earth.^{(Luke 12:51.)}
• 8) For judgment, in order that those not seeing may see, those seeing may become blind.^{(John 9:39.)}
• 9) That they may have life and have it abundantly.^{(John 10:10.)}
• 10) To serve.^{(Matthew 20:28.)}
• 11) To give his life a ransom for many.^{(Matthew 20:28.)}
• 12) To seek and deliver the perished.^{(Luke 19:10.)}
• 13) To save the world.^{(John 12:47.)}
• 14) To be a witness to the truth.^{(John 18:37.)}

Thus, we have an exhaustive list of all the reasons Jesus came to Earth. We should condense it into something shorter for our use. We can do this by combining statements that are the same into one statement. By doing this, we can find the most fundamental and basic statement of purpose of Jesus's coming.

Statements 1, 12, and 13 have the same meaning:

• 1) That the world be saved.^{(John 3:17.)}
• 12) To seek and deliver the perished.^{(Luke 19:10. Note, the equivalence of Statement 12 is seen in relevance to John 3:16-17.)}
• 13) To save the world.^{(John 12:47.)}

We condense these statements into, "Jesus came, therefore, to save the world.^{(Luke 19:10, John 3:17, 12:47.)}" This will replace Statement 1.

Statements 6 and 7 are from a statement given in response to a rhetorical question:

• 6) To throw fire on Earth.^{(Luke 12:49.)}
• 7) To give division to Earth.^{(Luke 12:51.)}

The prophets had long since promised peace on Earth.^{(e.g. Isaiah 9:5-7, 11:6-9, Ezekiel 34:23-31)} Most Jews connected this peace with the coming of the Messiah. Jesus disagreed. Jesus knew peace wasn't going to come, so he asked the Jews, "Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth?"^{Luke 12:51} The two statement given after this response are a result of his coming. Not a purpose. This result disagrees with what the Jews expected. Therefore, we can remove these two statements.

Statement 9 in context is also similar to Statement 1:

• 1) Jesus came, therefore, to save the world.^{(Luke 19:10, John 3:17, 12:47.)}
• 9) That they may have life and have it abundantly.^{(John 10:10.)}

We see the similarity when Jesus said, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.^{John 3:16} If they have eternal life, then they are being saved from perishing. Therefore, we can safely combine Statement 9 into Statement 1.

Statement 10 does not represent a statement of basic purpose:

• 10) To serve.^{(Matthew 20:28.)}

Jesus gave Statement 10 when he used himself as an example to the disciples. They were thinking in terms of being served, rather than serving, which Jesus disapproved of. Therefore, we remove it.

Regarding Statement 2:

• 2) To fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 61:1-2.^{(Luke 4:18-20.)}

This can't be a basic statement of purpose. There is no reason for Jesus to come only to fulfill prophecy. Instead, there must be some reason for the prophecy to be fulfilled. Isaiah 61 indicates some purposes in the details of it's prophecy. These are important. However, we will set this statement aside and look at it later because of it's indirect nature.

We are left with seven Statements:

Jesus came:

• 1) To save the world.^{(Luke 19:10, John 3:17, 10:10, 12:47.)}
• 2) To preach the kingdom of God.^{(Luke 4:43.)}
• 3) To call sinners to repentance.^{(Mark 2:17.)}
• 4) To do the will of the Father.^{(John 6:38-40.)}
• 5) For judgment, in order that those not seeing may see, those seeing may become blind.^{(John 9:39.)}
• 6) To give his life a ransom for many.^{(Matthew 20:28.)}
• 7) To be a witness to the truth.^{(John 18:37.)}

To speed along this article, we show what we have learned is the basic and fundamental purpose for Jesus's coming, then we show how the remainder are derivatives.

The Primary Statement of Purpose ^{Back to Top ↑}

Jesus did not come by his own will. God sent him. Jesus stated this conclusively, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.^{John 7:28-29} and, But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.^{John 5:36-37} and, For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.^{John 6:38}

Jesus's basic purpose in coming into the world was to fulfill the purpose the Father gave him when he sent Jesus. Jesus didn't come to do his own will, but that of the one who sent him. This is Statement 4 in our list:

• 4) To do the will of the Father.^{(John 6:38-40.)}

This is the basic statement for God's purpose in sending Jesus, and therefore is the purpose of his coming. In order to understand this statement, we need to define the will of God. Then show that the other statements in the above list are secondary statements of purpose. If they are secondary statements of purpose, then they are secondary statements of God's will. We start by summarizing the will of God.

The Will of the Father ^{Back to Top ↑}

• For an in-depth look at the will of God, see A Summary of the Will of God

God is a spiritual father.^{(John 4:24.)} He loves his children, but the children are flesh.^{(John 3:6.)} The children love the world and do not care for the spiritual father. Instead, they care for the Earthly, carnal fathers that begot them.^{(E.g. John 8:53.)} God knows that this bond of flesh must be broken before the children of the flesh can seek the spiritual father.^{(E.g. Matthew 16:17.)} Until then, these children are lost and dead to him.^{(Luke 19:10, Matthew 18:11.)} God is in heaven.^{(Joshua 2:11, Job 22:12, Psalm 53:2, Ecclesiastes 5:2, Matthew 5:16, 5:45, 5:48, 6:1, 6:9, 7:11, 7:21, 10:32, 10:33, 12:50, 16:17, 18:14, 18:19, 23:9, Mark 11:25-26, Luke 11:2.)} His one will for his children is for them to learn to love him,^{(Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30.)} and out of that love, put the flesh and life of the world away from themselves^{(Matthew 19:21, Mark 10:21, 29-30, Luke 18:22.)} and arise to him.^{(As stated literally in John 6:39-40.)} These children of the flesh are not wholly carnal.^{(John 3:5-6.)} Symbolically, these children have a vacuum in their hearts that can only be filled by God in heaven. In their ignorance, they devised many gods and religions and plans of salvation to meet the need of their inmost natures. In doing so, these children remain bound to the flesh and the life in the world.^{(Matthew 13:22, Mark 4:18-19.)} All were accommodated to the darkness of this world and feared leaving it.^{(John 3:19.)}

Therefore, the sole will of God is for all the potential children in the world to desire to leave Earth and come to him.^{(Just like the prodigal son did in Luke 15:11-32.)} God only expects Earth to provide individuals that will be candidates for life in heaven. God has given no other goals or purposes for Earth. God's will is for individuals to learn to love him^{(Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30.)} and truly desire from the heart to rise to him,^{(Just like the apostles did. Luke 18:28.)} abandoning all carnal, Earthly or worldly attachments^{(Matthew 6:19.)} and identifications.^{(Matthew 23:9.)} When that takes place, God's will is done on Earth as it is in heaven.^{(Matthew 6:10, Luke 11:2.)}

Candidates for the divine childhood are bound to their flesh and driven by the inner vacuum of their heart to fill it. Being flesh, they fill it with fleshy and carnal things. These humans are totally ignorant of God's sole desire for them and even believe the darkness is light.^{(Luke 11:34-35 cf. Matthew 6:23.)} God's will can't be done on Earth until they learn the truth their creator ordained for them, and then freely choose to rise and go to God. But, it is imperative they choose to go by themselves. It is for this reason God created the world. Whoever wants to may choose to go to him from the world and be in his glory. Not because they have to be there, but only because they have chosen to be there.

Humans had no way of knowing this will of God. God began the process of informing them by first selecting a people that were to be bearers of this knowledge. From among these he chose certain ones, called prophets, to whom he began slowly to reveal his will. Centuries passed, however, and no one accurately defined his will. No one was doing his will.

As a final effort, God begot Jesus^{(John 3:16.)} and sent him to Earth to teach man what God wanted.^{(John 3:17.)} It wouldn't be enough to simply teach them his will because God's will was so far from human conception, they wouldn't be able to understand the truth.^{(Mark 9:32, Luke 2:50, 9:45, 18:34, John 10:6, 12:16.)} Therefore, it was necessary for Jesus to illustrate the meaning of God's will^{(Matthew 26:39, 42, Mark 14:36, Luke 22:42.)} with a personal example in a public and dramatic manner. He became an example by being the first person on Earth to do God's will.^{(John 19:30.)}

Jesus is the begotten son charged by God to make God's will known to Earth.^{(John 6:38-6:40.)} He did this by making and teaching disciples. He also exemplified God's will by being the first man to perform it on Earth, when he submitted to the terrible death of crucifixion. He made the message and meaning of God's will unmistakable when he rose up from the tomb and ascended in their sight to God. Before ascending, Jesus charged them with the same responsibility God had laid upon him: to teach and to manifest the will of God on Earth just as he had done.^{(Matthew 28:19-20.)} It is by their faithfulness the truth continued to be preserved and displayed before men in the canonical gospels. This truth is summarized in all four canonical gospels as the saying, For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.^{Matthew 16:25 cf. Mark 8:35, Luke 17:33, John 12:25}

And so, Statement 4, "To do the will of God." is the primary purpose of Jesus's coming. If we chose well in selecting Statement 4, then we will find that all the other statements of purpose are secondary to this.

The Secondary Statements of Purpose ^{Back to Top ↑}

And so, we turn to look at the secondary statements of purpose. Jesus came:

• 1) To save the world.^{(Luke 19:10, John 3:17, 10:10, 12:47.)}
• 2) To preach the kingdom of God.^{(Luke 4:43.)}
• 3) To call sinners to repentance.^{(Mark 2:17.)}
• 4) To do the will of the Father.^{(John 6:38-40.)}
• 5) For judgment, in order that those not seeing may see, those seeing may become blind.^{(John 9:39.)}
• 6) To give his life a ransom for many.^{(Matthew 20:28.)}
• 7) To be a witness to the truth.^{(John 18:37.)}

1) To save the world.^{(Luke 19:10, John 3:17, 10:10, 12:47.)}

If we portrayed Jesus's mission correctly, then we understand Earth was wholly lost because there wasn't even a single person that loved God so much they wanted to rise to him. Only when people began to fulfill God's purpose for creating Earth could it be saved. The world was lost, and Jesus came to save it by teaching and doing God's will on Earth.
This purpose is secondary to the aim of doing God's will as it expresses a result of having done God's will on Earth.

2) To preach the kingdom of God.^{(Luke 4:43.)}

Every kingdom exists only while it responds to the will of the king. A kingdom that does not listen to it's king is not a kingdom at all. Therefore, Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom. This gospel was simply the truth that the kingdom of God was soon to come on Earth. The two ideas, the coming of the kingdom and the doing of the will of God, are at the top of the Lord's Prayer.

There is little difference in the ranking of this and Statement 4, but it is evident that the kingdom of God has not come until his will has been done on Earth. Therefore, the doing of God's will remains primary. For this reason we can say that the first one to do the will of God on the Earth also established his kingdom on Earth. These were both done with the same event on Earth when Jesus was crucified.

3) To call sinners to repentance.^{(Mark 2:17.)}

Jews understood sin as the transgression of the law of God. Moses delivered the law, and to transgress the law of Moses is to sin. We find support for this definition in other non-gospel writings of the New Testament.^{(e.g. 1st John 3:4.)} Now that we know and understand the will of God, we understand sin is much deeper than just transgression of the law. In sin's most basic and primary form is to transgress the will of God. That will is stated in Jesus's saying, For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.^{Mark 8:35 cf. Matthew 16:25, Luke 17:33, John 12:25} The primary sin all other sin comes from is the love of life in this world. The will of God is for an individual to hate life in this world and desire only to go to God. Should a person continue to love life in this world, which is separate from God, one is committing the most fundamental of sins, for one's entire life is sin.

By calling sinners to repentance, Jesus is calling people to repent of their love of life in this world. This statement of purpose is therefore secondary, it is the condition sinners must met if they are to do God's will on Earth.

4) To do the will of the Father.^{(John 6:38-40.)}

Statement 4 is our primary purpose. We covered it earlier in the article.^↑

5) For judgment, in order that those not seeing may see, those seeing may become blind.^{(John 9:39.)}

The context in John 9 regards the healing on the Sabbath of a man born blind. Jesus prefaced this miracle by saying, As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.^{John 9:5} The man born blind believed in Jesus. The Pharisees became involved because Jesus had done this work on the Sabbath. They questioned the man born blind about Jesus's identity. When the man said Jesus was a prophet, the Pharisees cast him out of the synagogue. When Jesus learned about it, he found the man and confirmed his faith in Jesus as a prophet from God. The Pharisees were lurking listening and heard him say, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.^{John 9:39-41}

There is a subtle interplay of meaning between physical and spiritual sight and physical and spiritual blindness. The man was born physically blind, but by becoming sighted, he saw not only the light of this world, but also the spiritual light that was in Jesus, the light of the world. For him, it was a double healing of double blindness. The Pharisees, physically sighted but spiritually blind, believed they were spiritually sighted.

This statement of purpose expresses a result of Jesus's mission, and not its purpose. Jesus said, I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.^{John 12:47b} He did no judging here, but set up the ground for those who would be judged at the last day. They said, "We see," while being spiritually blind, therefore damning themselves.^{(John 9:41.)}

6) To give his life a ransom for many.^{(Matthew 20:28.)}

When God sent Jesus to Earth, Satan exercised all authority over the nations of Earth. In this way, Jesus came to redeem men from Satan into God's kingdom. Previously, the few who would become children of God were in bondage to Satan, in darkness and in death. Their deliverance required a child of God to come to Earth and yield up his life to Satan. This meant leading any willing individuals back home to the Father. Jesus's crucifixion served as a ransom paid to Satan for the rescue of the children of God. It was a trap for Satan. He was overcome in the process of collecting his ransom and lost all of his authority.

The only will of God is for his lost children to come home. The fact Jesus paid a price to accomplish that is therefore secondary to God's will.

7) To be a witness to the truth.^{(John 18:37.)}

Pontius Pilate, governor of Judea and Jerusalem, must have been irritated by the Jews when they brought Jesus before him early in the morning. He sensed Jesus was not threat to Rome, but pursued this issue by asking Jesus if he were a king, and therefore a threat to Roman authority. Jesus responded by saying, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence... Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.^{John 18:36-37}

Jesus said that he came into the world to be a witness to the truth, and only those hearing the truth hear his voice. This is why Pilate said, "What is truth?" before going to offer the Jews the choice of releasing either Jesus or Barabbas. When they chose Barabbas, the governor reluctantly delivered Jesus to be crucified.

Jesus came to Earth to be a witness to the truth in every way. He even used his death to lead those to the truth of God. This is the same as God's will.

Jesus also came to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 61:1-2.^{(Luke 4:18-20.)}

We set this purpose aside earlier. Let us look at it now.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.^{Luke 4:18-19}

We see a lot of purposes for Jesus's coming! But they all relate to the last purpose: to "preach the acceptable year of the Lord." That's a reference to Isaiah 61:1-2 which refers to the year of Jubilee.^{(Leviticus 25:10.)} All of these purposes are consequences of Jesus's work on Earth. None of them are the ultimate reason for his coming. Therefore, they are secondary to doing the will of God. Yes, Jesus preached the gospel to the poor, healed people, preached deliverance to captives^{(John 8:31-32.)} and gave sight to the blind. This is an announcement of an eternal, spiritual Jubilee for the children of God. His mission would have been wonderful if that were all he came and did, but doing only these things would not have led people back to God. Therefore, none of these purposes given in Isaiah 61 are a primary purpose for Jesus's coming.

Some Reasons Why Jesus Did NOT Come ^{Back to Top ↑}

Jesus also gave us some reasons why he did not come! Jesus came:

• Not to judge the world.^{(John 3:17, 12:47.)}
• Not to call the righteous to repentance.^{(Matthew 9:13, Mark 2:17, Luke 5:32.)}
• Not to do his own will.^{(John 6:38-40.)}
• Not to bring peace on Earth.^{(Luke 12:51.)}
• Not to be served.^{(Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45.)}

Not to judge the world.^{(John 3:17, 12:47.)}

Jesus did not come to judge the world. God sent Jesus to Earth out of love.^{(John 3:16.)} Therefore he did not send him to judge anyone.^{(John 3:17, 12:47.)} The promise is that everyone who believes in Jesus will not perish. Yet, those that do not believe will be judged on the last day. Jesus came for judgment's sake, but not to judge. And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.^{John 12:47-48}

Not to call the righteous to repentance.^{(Matthew 9:13, Mark 2:17, Luke 5:32.)}

Jesus didn't come to call the righteous to repentance. Those that feel righteous think they have no need for repentance. They are a lost cause. The unjust are the sinners. The harlots and publicans were open to believing Jesus.^{(Matthew 21:31-32.)} The righteous in Jesus's time were not. They trusted in their sacrifices to render them just. They thought of the tax collectors and others as sinners. That is why Jesus had to explain to them that they were blind, even explaining that God desires mercy and not sacrifice.^{(Matthew 9:13 cf. Matthew 12:7, 23:23.)} The righteous in Jesus's time did not understand their blindness, and so thought themselves righteous.

Not to do his own will.^{(John 6:38-40.)}

Jesus did not come to his own will. He entered his mission by declaring whose will he came to perform. This is his primary statement of purpose. Shortly before dying, Jesus was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.^{Luke 22:41-42}

Not to bring peace on Earth.^{(Luke 12:51.)}

Jesus did not come to bring peace on Earth. He did not come to cleanse Earth of war or do anything to change Earth. Therefore he did not, and does not, pray for the world. Nor should we utter similar prayers; for example, a prayer for world peace that Jesus has specifically not imposed on the world.

I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.^{John 17:9} It isn't that Jesus doesn't want peace for all men, it is that people love life in this world. They will fight to glorify and defend their lives. It is pointless to pray for what is not to be. When people pray for peace on Earth, they expose their ignorance of Jesus. They expose their love of life in the world. They expose their depravity.

Not to be served.^{(Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45.)}

The sons of Zebedee petitioned Jesus to give them the chief places of authority in his kingdom, on the right and left hands of the king!^{(Matthew 20:21-23.)} The other apostles were very indignant when they heard this request. They hoped to have appointments to high office in the kingdom. This request was very significant to the twelve because they falsely believed Jesus would reinstate the reign of David over Israel and rule from Jerusalem. The apostles would believe this until they witnessed the resurrection. At that point, they came to understand that the kingdom of God was not of this world. If they were to hold high office in the age to come, it must be by following the example of their Lord, Jesus. He did not come to rule Earth from a Jerusalem throne. Jesus says, Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.^{Matthew 18:4}

Conclusion ^{Back to Top ↑}

Jesus's mission was to do God's will on Earth. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.^{John 6:38-40}

Now that we know the primary purpose for Jesus's mission, we can know why Jesus leaves believers on this awful world instead of calling them home as soon as possible. He said, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.^{John 20:21}