Jesus came that we might have abundant life
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10
Jesus came to earth, born as we were. But why?
There are so many things vying for our attention. But in reality, anything that’s important (eternal) comes down to two. We have two options.
One is to listen to the thief. Of course, he never portrays himself that way. Instead, he finagles himself into our lives like he belongs there, like he has some kind authority over us.
But Jesus calls him out for who he is: he is a thief. He is a murder. And he is a destroyer.
Satan will never have our best interests at heart. He doesn’t care. All we are is one more soul that could be taken away from God. He steals us from our Creator. He kills the life that God has given us. He tears us apart and leaves us alone and lost. His game of pretend is sadly very good. But in the end, we will realize that it is fatal.
Thankfully, we have another choice. We aren’t stuck. Because our good shepherd stepped in.
Without him, all we have is death. But with him is life. And that’s why he came.
In stark contrast to the thief, Jesus said that he came to earth so we could have life. It’s more than we could ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20)!
First, we are saved from having to die a destructive death (Hosea 13:14). That’s because of Jesus’s death.
Secondly, we are given life (Galatians 2:20). That’s because of Christ’s resurrection.
But as if that wasn’t enough, Jesus clarifies what kind of life this is. This isn’t mere existence in this world. It’s not so we can live more days on this earth and it’s not so we’ll be happy all of our days. But the way he describes the life he gives to us is abundant. It’s not just enough to get us out of death. It’s a full and beautiful life – an eternal life.
Our bodies are wearing down and one day they will wither away. But if we’re in Christ, we won’t care. Because the joy of life isn’t in what our fleshly desires bring. It’s in the abundance of Christ: his love, the hope he gives, his compassion, his goodness… We could spend eternity, let alone our lives, enjoying the abundance God has given us in Jesus.
On our own we would have no happy ending to our story– just death. The only way we could pass from death to life (John 5:14) is if God intervened himself on our behalf. And he did.
Jesus came.
