Why Did Jesus Come to Earth?

Jesus Christ’s life on earth was, without a doubt, the most significant event in humanity’s history. His teachings and sacrifice are the basis of Christianity, and His resurrection assures us of everlasting life in the future. 

But why exactly did He come in the first place?

In fact, there are many reasons that Christ came to this earth, and they are revealed in His Word. 

10 reasons Jesus Christ came to earth

This post will examine and discuss 10 biblical reasons Jesus came to earth in the flesh. 

1. Jesus came to reveal the Father

As surprising as it might sound, Jesus Christ came to earth to reveal His Father to mankind. This contradicts the common idea that the Old Testament was all about the stern Father’s interactions with Israel. In fact, that being was the One who became Jesus Christ.

Until Jesus came, the Father remained a mystery to most people. 

Jesus told His disciples that He and His Father are perfectly aligned in character and in purpose. In Matthew 11:27, Jesus reveals that it is only by Him that anyone can know God the Father.

Before Christ came, the idea of an eternal Father and Son was entirely foreign to the Jewish community, which was one of the many reasons the religious leaders rejected Jesus.

Jesus Christ is the only way to come to the Father and the only way to truly know Him (John 14:6-7).

So, who is God the Father? Jesus told His disciples that He and His Father are perfectly aligned in character and in purpose, for “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (verse 9). Furthermore, Their words and deeds are likewise one (verses 10-11).

For further reading about the dynamics between Christ and God the Father, check out our articles “Jesus, the Son of God” and “Jesus Christ Was ‘Father-Centered’—Are You?”

2. Jesus came to preach the gospel

Jesus came to earth to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God. In Luke 4:43, He plainly declared that it was for this purpose that He was sent (see also Mark 1:14-15; Luke 4:18).

This commission was so important that Christ commanded His disciples to continue preaching the gospel after His death and ascension to heaven (Mark 16:15). In fact, the end times will come only after the gospel has been preached to “all the world” ( Matthew 24:14).

Notice that the gospel Jesus proclaimed was centered on the Kingdom of God. Many people mistakenly misinterpret Jesus’ gospel to be centered only on Himself and His death. But it’s clear from His own words that His message was focused on what His life and sacrifice all pointed toward—the coming Kingdom of God on this earth.

The Kingdom of God was not only Christ’s purpose, it’s your purpose as well. God is calling people to live forever as kings and priests in that Kingdom. 

For more information about Jesus’ message, read our article “Gospel of the Kingdom.”

3. Jesus came to found the Church

A few weeks after Christ’s ascension into heaven, the Church of God was founded on the Day of Pentecost. With its founding, the Church continued spreading the gospel of the Kingdom.

Since then, the Church has survived through the centuries because of Christ’s promise that it would never die (Matthew 16:18). 

While it can be easy to mistake the growth of the Body as being a result of certain individuals’ hard work and effort, we must remember that Jesus Christ built and actively leads His Church (Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 1:18). 

Learn more about this in our Verse by Verse podcast episode “Jesus Christ Is Head of the Church.”

4. Jesus came to fulfill Old Testament prophecies

Jesus Christ fulfilled many prophecies during His lifetime, from the detailed specifics of His birth outlined by the prophets to the manner of His death predicted throughout the Old Testament.

The Gospel of Matthew particularly emphasizes Christ’s fulfillment of prophecy. Throughout the book, Matthew makes over a dozen references to specific Old Testament prophecies that Jesus fulfilled during His life. 

This acts as a witness that Jesus truly was the Messiah and Son of God. Many have claimed to be the messiah over the years, but only Jesus of Nazareth fully fulfilled the prophecies given in the Old Testament.

Find out more about one example of Christ fulfilling prophecy in our Daily Bible Verse blog post “Fulfilled Prophecy: Jesus Born in Bethlehem.”

5. Jesus came to set an example of the perfect life

The Bible tells us that Jesus never committed sin (1 John 3:5). Though facing the same trials and temptations as all human beings, He never sinned (Hebrews 4:15).

However, Christ’s sinlessness is more than just a statement about His character. It is meant to serve as an example to us flawed human beings of how to grow toward perfection. We are to look at His life and emulate it in how we live, striving to be sinless as well (see 1 John 2:6; 1 Corinthians 11:1).

To learn more about the importance of emulating Christ’s example, read “Walk as He Walked.”

6. Jesus came to become High Priest and Savior

By living a perfect, sinless life, Jesus Christ qualified Himself to be the High Priest of the New Covenant (Hebrews 2:17).

Having now experienced human life, Jesus is a compassionate High Priest who understands our daily struggles and difficulties (Hebrews 4:15). Because He can empathize and understand our weaknesses, Jesus can mercifully advocate for us before the Father. 

For a more in-depth study of Jesus’ role as High Priest, read our blog post “Jesus Christ, Our High Priest: What Is the Meaning of Hebrews 4:15?”

7. Jesus came to fulfill the law

A common misperception is that Jesus’ sacrifice did away with God’s laws recorded in the Old Testament.

However, this idea is in stark opposition to Jesus’ direct statement in Matthew 5:17: “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” In the next verse, Christ says that not one “jot or tittle” will pass away from the law until “all is fulfilled” (verse 18). 

Christ indeed fulfilled the writings of the prophets and the law itself, providing a perfect example of its true intent and a practical example of how to live by its standards. He taught the deeper meaning of the law, showing that one must obey both the letter of the law and the spirit behind it. 

Jesus never condemned the law. What He actually condemned was the rigid nonbiblical traditions that the religious leaders had added to it over the years. 

For more on this topic, read our articles “Did Jesus Fulfill the Law?” and “Spirit of the Law.”

8. Jesus came to seek and save the lost

In Luke 19, Jesus shocked a crowd when He announced that He would be dining with a local tax collector. Aware that people were surprised He would keep company with a sinner, Jesus reminded them that “the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost” (verse 10).

One of the primary reasons Jesus came was to find and guide those who had lost their way. Like the shepherd seeking the wandering lamb (Matthew 18:10-14), Jesus seeks to bring those who have wandered from His way and set them on the path of salvation. 

He came to help those who were spiritually lost to repent and follow God’s path. 

For more on this topic, read our article “What Is Salvation?”

9. Jesus came to do the Father’s will

In John 6:38, Jesus said that He came from heaven to do “the will of Him who sent Me.” This is an important statement because it tells us something about God the Father: it was His will that Christ come and do all that He did.

Jesus Christ, a loyal Son, was willing to do whatever His Father asked, even if it meant death. All too often, we can focus solely on Jesus’ sacrifice and forget that the Father was also intimately involved. It was the Father who “so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” with the express purpose of offering eternal life to all (John 3:16-17, emphasis added).

Jesus sacrificed His life, but the Father sacrificed His only begotten Son. 

God wants all to be saved and went to great lengths to ensure that this was possible. Jesus Christ, a loyal Son, was willing to do whatever His Father asked, even if it meant death.

To learn how to follow Jesus’ example and seek the Father’s will in your life, read “Thy Will Be Done.” 

10. Jesus came to sacrifice Himself for the sins of mankind

Jesus came in the flesh to die for the sins of mankind.

After the Passover of A.D. 31, Jesus Christ was arrested, illegally tried, beaten, crucified and eventually put to death. Having lived a sinless life, Christ became the sacrifice to atone for the sins of all mankind—past, present and future (1 John 4:10; Romans 3:25; Ephesians 1:7).

Christ’s sacrifice allows us to repent, turn to God, be baptized and receive the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. Had Christ not come in the flesh and died, none of this would ever have been possible and we would forever remain in our sins.

Learn more about this subject in our article “Sacrifice of Jesus.”

There’s more to learn about Jesus Christ 

These are just 10 of the many reasons that Jesus Christ came as a human being. We encourage readers to take time to study and meditate on each of these points, recognizing the amazing uniqueness of Christ’s life as God in the flesh.

You can learn more about Jesus Christ by enrolling in our free Bible Study Course. Though you will learn many truths about Christ in all 11 lessons, the fourth lesson (“Jesus Christ: Yesterday, Today and Forever”) provides an in-depth study of hundreds of scriptures relating to Jesus Christ’s life and future. 

We also invite you to follow our ongoing “Walk as He Walked” column in Discern magazine. Each article in this series focuses on a specific theme or episode in Christ’s life, examining its meaning and lessons for us today.

Photo credit:
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Date Posted: March 19, 2025