Monday, December 7, 2020
The Reason for His Birth
“For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost” (Luke 19:10 nlt).
All around us are reminders that Christmas is here. Of course, we’ll be thinking a lot this month about the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. But why did Jesus come to this earth?
Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem to save us from our sin.
In fact, Jesus revealed the reason He came to this earth when he was talking to a man from Jericho named Zacchaeus. He was a tax collector, which means that he took advantage of people. Zacchaeus effectively ripped people off. He didn’t have a friend in the entire place. No one wanted anything to do with him.
When Jesus showed up in Jericho one day, it was a big deal. Everyone wanted to get a look at Him. If that were happening today, everyone would be asking for a selfie. The problem was that Zacchaeus was too short to see above the crowd. So he climbed a tree to get a view of Jesus.
Can you imagine Zacchaeus’s shock when Jesus stopped, looked up, made eye contact with him, and called him out by name? Jesus told him, “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today” (Luke 19:5 nlt).
Zacchaeus was overjoyed, and he welcomed Jesus into his house. But the people of the city criticized this saying, “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner” (verse 7 nlt).
Exactly. After all, how can you reach a sinner if you don’t spend some time with him? Jesus said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost” (verse 10 nlt). That’s why He came: to seek and save lost people.
That day, Zacchaeus walked into his home a sinner and walked out a saint. That’s what spending time with Jesus will do.
Copyright © 2020 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org
and
Listen to Greg Laurie's daily broadcast on OnePlace.com.
Watch Greg Laurie's weekly television broadcast on LightSource.com.
In thanks for your gift, you can receive a copy of Marvel at the Moon by Levi Lusko
In this fantastic 90-day devotional, author and pastor Levi Lusko uses illuminating stories, biblical teaching, and eye-opening surprises about outer space to show kids that they’re never alone because God is always with them. A copy of this beautifully illustrated book will be mailed to you when you make a gift of support to Harvest Ministries this month.