What was/is the purpose of Jesus coming to Earth according to the Bible?

[NotTheRock]

In Genesis we see that Satan and then humanity rebelled against God. The following verses suggest that Jesus's purpose was/is to unite ALL THINGS back to God the Father. Do you agree?

Ephesians 1:7-10
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known[c] to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

 

[Davy]

See Hebrews 2:14 and 1 John 3:8.

 

[Aunty Jane]

In Genesis we see that Satan and then humanity rebelled against God. The following verses suggest that Jesus's purpose was/is to unite ALL THINGS back to God the Father. Do you agree?

Yes. Isaiah 55:11 says…..
”so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (ESV)

What God starts…..he finishes to his complete satisfaction, as we see in the creative “days” of Genesis.
Each “day” had a set list of things that God wanted to accomplish incrementally, so that on the following “day” another set of things would compliment what he had already brought into existence. Each day was concluded with an expression of his satisfaction thus far…..until he reached the end of the 6th “day” when it was brought to a completion….and “good” became “very good”. Everything was perfect.

If we can see from the creation account what God wanted for the human race here on this carefully prepared planet, we can get an idea of what God is bringing us back to…..to restore all that we lost in the rebellion. Christ has redeemed us from that life, giving us the hope of salvation and restoration of all things.

Can you think of what humans lost back then?

1) Their physical, moral and spiritual perfection, was marred now by a sinful nature that would lead them into wrong thinking and actions. The human race then deteriorated markedly due to demonic influence, forcing God to send a flood and through Noah, a reset for mankind on this earth.
This led to a list of rules and penalties so that wrongdoing would not go unchecked again.

2) They lost direct communication with their Creator, requiring him to provide a mediator so that his human children could still communicate with him via this channel…

3) They lost access to their garden paradise with its unlimited food supply, for which they did not have to toil.

4) They felt the result of sin when they first realized that they were naked, and experienced shame for the first time, covering their reproductive parts with fig leaves. God then gave them long garments of skin….for modesty and also for protection from the harsh environment into which they were now cast.

5) Outside of the garden, they had to learn to cultivate the soil to grow their own food, but the ground was cursed, making it a very difficult task. From eating delicious fruit, they had to grow grain to make bread for themselves. The ground would not have yielded much with weeds, thorns and thistles impeding their results.

6) They experienced grief for the first time when their firstborn son killed his younger brother over jealousy.…in premeditated murder, which made it all the more serious.

7) Their original assignment was to “fill the earth” with their children and to “subdue” the earth outside of the garden that God had planted, to show them what he wanted the whole world to look like. He gave them strong physical bodies, brimming with good health, and a creativity that reflected his own love of beauty. It would have been a labor of love.
The earth is certainly “filled” with their children, but it is not “subdued” according to God’s plan….it is instead polluted by man’s violence, wickedness and greed.

So imagine the reversal of all of that….? And a reversal even of death in a resurrection that will bring the dead back to life to enjoy the world that God planned for them all along…..sharing life with other creatures that brings us joy even now…..but with no fear of man, it will be even more enjoyable to interact with them.

 

[NotTheRock]

Yes. Isaiah 55:11 says…..
”so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (ESV)

What God starts…..he finishes to his complete satisfaction, as we see in the creative “days” of Genesis.
Each “day” had a set list of things that God wanted to accomplish incrementally, so that on the following “day” another set of things would compliment what he had already brought into existence. Each day was concluded with an expression of his satisfaction thus far…..until he reached the end of the 6th “day” when it was brought to a completion….and “good” became “very good”. Everything was perfect.

If we can see from the creation account what God wanted for the human race here on this carefully prepared planet, we can get an idea of what God is bringing us back to…..to restore all that we lost in the rebellion. Christ has redeemed us from that life, giving us the hope of salvation and restoration of all things.

Can you think of what humans lost back then?

1) Their physical, moral and spiritual perfection, was marred now by a sinful nature that would lead them into wrong thinking and actions. The human race then deteriorated markedly due to demonic influence, forcing God to send a flood and through Noah, a reset for mankind on this earth.
This led to a list of rules and penalties so that wrongdoing would not go unchecked again.

2) They lost direct communication with their Creator, requiring him to provide a mediator so that his human children could still communicate with him via this channel…

3) They lost access to their garden paradise with its unlimited food supply, for which they did not have to toil.

4) They felt the result of sin when they first realized that they were naked, and experienced shame for the first time, covering their reproductive parts with fig leaves. God then gave them long garments of skin….for modesty and also for protection from the harsh environment into which they were now cast.

5) Outside of the garden, they had to learn to cultivate the soil to grow their own food, but the ground was cursed, making it a very difficult task. From eating delicious fruit, they had to grow grain to make bread for themselves. The ground would not have yielded much with weeds, thorns and thistles impeding their results.

6) They experienced grief for the first time when their firstborn son killed his younger brother over jealousy.…in premeditated murder, which made it all the more serious.

7) Their original assignment was to “fill the earth” with their children and to “subdue” the earth outside of the garden that God had planted, to show them what he wanted the whole world to look like. He gave them strong physical bodies, brimming with good health, and a creativity that reflected his own love of beauty. It would have been a labor of love.
The earth is certainly “filled” with their children, but it is not “subdued” according to God’s plan….it is instead polluted by man’s violence, wickedness and greed.

So imagine the reversal of all of that….? And a reversal even if death in a resurrection that will bring the dead back to life to enjoy the world that God planned for them all along…..sharing life with other creatures that brings us joy even now…..but with no fear of man, it will be even more enjoyable to interact with them.

How are all things reconciled back to God if some are being tortured forever?

 

[Aunty Jane]

How are all things reconciled back to God if some are being tortured forever?

That’s the best part….there is no such place as a hell of eternal conscious torment….the incorrigibly wicked are simply not resurrected…they are forever dead….never to be seen again. That is what “Gehenna“ means. And hades is simply the grave. there is no torture.
What purpose could a loving God possibly have in torturing people forever in flames? He is about repentance and forgiveness, not sadistic punishment….

 

[NotTheRock]

That’s the best part….there is no such place as a hell of eternal conscious torment….the incorrigibly wicked are simply not resurrected…they are forever dead….never to be seen again. That is what “Gehenna“ means. And hades is simply the grave. there is no torture.
What purpose could a loving God possibly have in torturing people forever in flames? He is about repentance and forgiveness, not sadistic punishment….

Ok, so you don't believe that Jesus is able to reconcile all things back to God.

 

[Lambano]

In Genesis we see that Satan and then humanity rebelled against God. The following verses suggest that Jesus's purpose was/is to unite ALL THINGS back to God the Father. Do you agree?

Ephesians 1:7-10
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

That particular translation renders the Greek word ἀνακεφαλαιόω ("anakephalaioo") as "unite", but the word literally means "to summarize". I get more of a sense of a plan for consolidating everything under Christ's rule. This is consistent with the original Jewish concept of "Messiah" as king. But here the consolidation process seems to involve redemption and forgiveness, not violence and force.

What does that mean for those who have died alienated from God? As someone who has lost loved ones in that condition, I can only hope and pray and trust.

 

[VictoryinJesus]

That particular translation renders the Greek word ἀνακεφαλαιόω ("anakephalaioo") as "unite", but the word literally means "to summarize". I get more of a sense of a plan for consolidating everything under Christ's rule. This is consistent with the original Jewish concept of "Messiah" as king. But here the consolidation process seems to involve redemption and forgiveness, not violence and force.

Sorry edited after oops:

You wrote ‘But here the consolidation process seeks to involve redemption and forgiveness, not violence and force.’ I remember the first time an old member brought this verse up repeatedly. I’d always heard it as a good thing, a prideful thing “and the violent take it by force.” It was this member who brought attention to …. Is it a good thing? He stressed often as a negative “the violent take it by force.” The key thing for me there is the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence.
Matthew 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

Point is, it’s one of the many verses I heard used one way, as “yes” “take it by force.”

Yet we speak of and even debate of a Loving God who forces no one to believe. We speak of a God who is patience and kind and long suffering …and doesn’t over-step our free will. there being so many debates over what is His nature?

What does that mean for those who have died alienated from God? As someone who has lost loved ones in that condition, I can only hope and pray and trust.

‘As someone who has lost loved ones loves in that condition, I can only hope and pray and trust.’
I’m right there with you.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

I have a Hope when standing by gravesides, in a God who doesn’t want me to stand by loved ones graves without any hope, as one who has no hope. When the word speaks of they have had their reward in this life. We should know it caused loved ones great loss, a reward spent, devoured up and gone. But why is the reward we wait for the rewards of The Lord. Is it all about ourselves? When Romans 15:3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me."

I personally don’t think God makes empty promises to His children to bless those who have nothing, who are empty and poor and those who revile you. Those who do not have the same knowledge you have. For yours is the kingdom of God …what happens to those blessings planted in ground that is dry and spent up ? Consider it, those loved ones you speak of who say “I’m no more. I’m broke. I have no more reward.” What will @Lambano give out of the inheritance of the heart, promised where even Jesus “He loved us while we were yet sinners.”

 

[Aunty Jane]

Ok, so you don't believe that Jesus is able to reconcile all things back to God.

Where did I say that? Jesus is the means by which we become reconciled to God, and he is the way back to him. The restoration of all that we lost becomes our reality, if we serve and trust him.

 

[NotTheRock]

Yes. Isaiah 55:11 says…..
”so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (ESV)

Do you believe that, as a result of uniting ALL THINGS to himself, that ALL THINGS will accompany Jesus into our Father's Kingdom?

 

[Aunty Jane]

Do you believe that, as a result of uniting ALL THINGS to himself, that ALL THINGS will accompany Jesus into our Father's Kingdom?

Firstly we have to understand what God’s Kingdom is.....what it was designed to do.....where it is located....and who are the ones whom God chose to rule in it.

In the beginning, God was the Sovereign ruler of all that he made. He gave the human race a wonderful start by providing everything they would ever need or want in a specially prepared place...a park-like garden, landscaped by the Master Architect himself. It was not only beautiful, but practical in that it supplied all the food they needed without having to work for it.....but along with that provision, was an assignment that would have spread the boundaries of their paradise home, until the whole world resembled the garden of Eden.

They were to “fill the earth” with their children and as these increased, more workers would be added to the task with bodies perfectly designed to not only live forever but to enjoy the task before them. There is great satisfaction in landscaping, and then enjoying the fruits of our labors in beautiful surroundings that we created. Just as God had satisfaction in his labors, so would we....can you begin to imagine where we would be right now if the devil had not sabotaged God’s original purpose for us?

The Kingdom was an arrangement that God implemented to redeem the now sinful humans, by offereing the means to undo what the devil had done...in separating the humans from him through their disobedience. Christ’s sacrifice would counteract the sin caused by that disobedience, balancing the scales of God’s perfect justice, by giving a perfect sinless life in exchange for the one Adam took away from all his children.

The Kingdom is the means by which God brings all things back to the way they were meant to be in the beginning. (Isa 55:11) The devil was never going to usurp God’s Sovereignty over his creation, so there was a method or procedure that would restore all things, but it was not a quick fix. God had to make sure that nothing like this would ever happen again....so he allowed satan to have what he wanted...world rulership. (Luke 4:5-7; 1 John 5:19)

The first rebels demonstrated that they couldn’t be told about the disastrous results of disobedience...they had to be shown. Object lessons leave lasting impressions because they create precedents....lessons for others to learn from in the future.

Since Jesus came from heaven, and returned there to “prepare a place” for the chosen ones (elect/saints) who are a number of humans who will have the privilege of becoming “kings and priests” in that Kingdom, (Rev 14:1-5; Rev 20:6) these were chosen by God specifically for that role, so there were no volunteers in this group. They were chosen first and resurrected first. Not all Christians are going to heaven, but living in paradise on earth is still a wonderful prospect, with the best government we have ever had!

This heavenly “government” on “the shoulders” of “the Prince of Peace” (Isa 9:6-7) would bring redeemed mankind back into reconciliation with God, and restore everything back to his original purpose....

They will rule from “heavenly Jerusalem” over a cleansed earth, with the devil and all who have been misled into following him, completely removed. The devil and his hordes will be imprisoned for the entire 1000 years that it will take to remove every vestige of satan’s defection from this beautiful planet, (Rev 20:1-3) and allowing the resurrection of the dead to take place in peaceful surroundings. (John 5:28-29)

What picture does that create in answer to your question?

 

[NotTheRock]

What picture does that create in answer to your question?

God bless you my sister and thank you for sharing so much time and thought in trying to help me with my understanding.

 

[Papa Smurf]

What was/is the purpose of Jesus coming to Earth according to the Bible?​

Hello NotTheRock, prior to the Lord Jesus' birth an angel from God told Joseph the following about His purpose in coming here,

Matthew 1​

21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
​

I believe that our salvation from sin is twofold, first, we are saved/set free from the power that sin held over us in this life, and then second, we are saved from the penalty of sin in the age to come.

As far as the passage from Ephesians 1 that you mentioned in the OP goes, I agree with @Lambano, that it speaks of "a plan for consolidating everything under Christ's rule", of the uniting of EVERYTHING, EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE (in both the Heavens and on Earth/under the Earth) under the headship or rule or dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ. IOW, this passage speaks of the universal dominion of Christ, ~not~ of a universal salvation in Christ.

When attempting to "rightly divide" the word of God in this case, it's helpful to remember who the letter is specifically addressed to, "the saints ... who are faithful in Christ Jesus", because that also tells us who the Apostle is referring to in v7-10 when he uses the pronouns, "we", "our" and "us".

God bless you!!

--Papa Smurf

 

[NotTheRock]

...this passage speaks of the universal dominion of Christ, ~not~ of a universal salvation in Christ.

Thank you brother. Jesus has always had "universal dominion", but not unity of ALL things to himself. As the scripture says, Jesus's mission from the Father is to UNITE ALL THINGS to Jesus and thereafter, once that has been accomplished, Jesus will then deliver the united Kingdom to the Father as explained in 1 Corinthians 15. So, yes, ALL THINGS will be saved and be in our Father's Kingdom.

 

[Debp]

Hello NotTheRock, prior to the Lord Jesus' birth an angel from God told Joseph the following about His purpose in coming here,

Matthew 1​

21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”​

​

I believe that our salvation from sin is twofold, first, we are saved/set free from the power that sin held over us in this life, and then second, we are saved from the penalty of sin in the age to come.

As far as the passage from Ephesians 1 that you mentioned in the OP goes, I agree with @Lambano, that it speaks of "a plan for consolidating everything under Christ's rule", of the uniting of EVERYTHING, EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE (in both the Heavens and on Earth/under the Earth) under the headship or rule or dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ. IOW, this passage speaks of the universal dominion of Christ, ~not~ of a universal salvation in Christ.

When attempting to "rightly divide" the word of God in this case, it's helpful to remember who the letter is specifically addressed to, "the saints ... who are faithful in Christ Jesus", because that also tells us who the Apostle is referring to in v7-10 when he uses the pronouns, "we", "our" and "us".

God bless you!!

--Papa Smurf

@ArkangeMikail You might be interested in the above answer by @Papa Smurf

 

[SirJamsalot]

Romans 5 sheds some light on the why - in a nutshell, to undo the works of Satan, and to be our new federal head - which is why adoption is necessary- to get us out from under the headship of Satan. 1 John 3:8.

 

[ScottA]

Thank you brother. Jesus has always had "universal dominion", but not unity of ALL things to himself. As the scripture says, Jesus's mission from the Father is to UNITE ALL THINGS to Jesus and thereafter, once that has been accomplished, Jesus will then deliver the united Kingdom to the Father as explained in 1 Corinthians 15. So, yes, ALL THINGS will be saved and be in our Father's Kingdom.

That is a good point to be clarified. Still, evil is not converted or saved--not because it has not been offered, but because it has not received. Here is how the transition of all things immortal is preserved, but without evil remaining--evil is swallowed up:

Matthew 25:29​

‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away."​

 

[Aunty Jane]

Thank you brother. Jesus has always had "universal dominion", but not unity of ALL things to himself. As the scripture says, Jesus's mission from the Father is to UNITE ALL THINGS to Jesus and thereafter, once that has been accomplished, Jesus will then deliver the united Kingdom to the Father as explained in 1 Corinthians 15. So, yes, ALL THINGS will be saved and be in our Father's Kingdom.

This is something missed by a lot of people....the subservience of the son to the Father.....something that argues strongly against equality.
In Acts 4:27, 30 Jesus is called “God’s holy servant”. Can God be his own servant?
Paul calls him their “High Priest”.....but also an “apostle”. (Heb 3:1) Can God be his own High Priest? And how is Jesus an apostle?
Even in heaven Jesus refers to the Father as “my God”. (Rev 3:12) Can God have a God in heaven?

Jesus is the appointed King of God’s Kingdom, but it is a temporary rulership until all things are reconciled and taken back to the beginning, where sin and death did not exist. Once all things are restored, Jesus hands the reins back to his Father as the rightful Sovereign of the Universe.

 

[Jesussaves150]

Jesus opened the gates of Heaven to Humanity - so we can ascend to Heaven through him by faith.

 

[Aunty Jane]

Jesus opened the gates of Heaven to Humanity - so we can ascend to Heaven through him by faith.

Jesus did open the way to heaven for his elect to follow, which makes him “the firstborn from the dead” or the first human to be raised to heaven.....so yes, those who were his first disciples all had “the heavenly calling” (Heb 3:1) But not all Christians are going to heaven...God has wonderful plans for them on earth,

So I’ll ask, who are “we” in the next part of your statement? Does Jesus promise heaven to all his disciples and if so, why did God put humans on earth in a beautiful paradise, if he was only going to take them to heaven anyway.....? Why not create them in heaven like he did the angels?

When you understand why God put us here on this lovingly prepared planet in the first place another picture emerges completely....a better one...one that agrees with the entire Bible.