Why was Jesus born? The Bible provides a number of reasons. God the Father and Jesus agreed from the foundation of the world that Jesus would come and give his life as the sacrifice for the sins of mankind (I Peter 1:20, Revelation 13:8). Therefore, one reason Jesus was born was to give himself as the ransom for the sins of mankind. Another important reason for the birth of Jesus was to be a king. When Pilate questioned him during his trial before his crucifixion, Pilate asked him if he were the king of the Jews (John 18:33). Jesus answered that his kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36). It was not the time for him to establish the Kingdom of God Jesus did not come the first time to establish his kingdom. He came the first time to suffer for us, to give his life a ransom for many, and to be born into the royal family of David. He will sit on the throne of David and rule in the Kingdom of God. Pilate asked Jesus clearly if he were a king. Here is how the gospel according to John records Pilate's question and Jesus' answer in John 18:37: "Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, 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." (KJV) Jesus here clearly states that he was born to be a king. Jesus came into the world to bear witness of the truth of God and to preach the good news of the coming Kingdom of God. However, he noted that his kingdom was not of that time. It was to be a future kingdom as he explained more clearly elsewhere. One of things that the angel Gabriel stated in his announcement to the virgin Mary of the future birth of Jesus is that God would give him the throne of his father David. Here is how the gospel according to Luke records it in Luke 1:30-33. "And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." (KJV) God sent the angel Gabriel to tell the virgin Mary that the son she would bear would be the son of God and that he would have an eternal kingdom over the house of Jacob. Jacob was the patriarch whose named God changed to Israel (Genesis 35:10). Many people associate only the Jews with the House of Israel. However, Jacob or Israel had 12 sons who became the 12 tribes of Israel (Genesis 35:22-26). They were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. David was a great king over the 12 tribes of Israel. His son Solomon reigned after he died (I Kings 2:10-12). After the death of Solomon, the Kingdom of Israel was divided into two kingdoms. King Rehoboam ruled the Kingdom of Judah, which had its capital in Jerusalem. King Jeroboam ruled the Kingdom of Israel, which had its capital north of Jerusalem in Samaria. The virgin Mary was a descendant of King David (Luke 3:23-31). She was of the royal family. Today, she would be called a princess. She knew well what the angel Gabriel meant when he said that her son Jesus would reign over the House of Israel. She knew that he would be a king over a literal kingdom just as her forefather David was a king over the House of Israel. While David's rule was temporary, the reign of Jesus will be forever. As the Hallelujah Chorus of Handel's famous oratorio The Messiah says "king of kings forever and ever hallelujah." Why was Jesus born? He was born to be bear witness of the truth of God and to preach the good news of the Kingdom of God. He was born to be the savior of the world. He was also born to be a king. He will be the King of Kings in the Kingdom of God. Jesus will reign as the King of Kings forever in the Kingdom of God. That is indeed good news. |
