Today’s question might be considered a “no-brainer.” Just go to the “golden verse of the Bible,” Jn. 3:16: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. Jesus came to die for our sins that, through faith in His blood (Rom. 3:21-26), we might receive the free gift of eternal life (Rom. 6:23).
But there are several times that Jesus told us why He came that we should always pay attention to, of course. They do not conflict with Jn. 3:16 but they do give us important truth about the purposes of God. For example …
· Matt. 5:17-18: to fulfill the law and the prophets. Because of the revolutionary nature of Jesus teaching the Jewish leaders suggested He came to destroy the OT law and prophets. For example, Mark 7:19 says Jesus purified all foods. This might suggest He came to destroy the OT dietary laws. But Jesus said that He came to fulfill the OT. He fulfilled all the prophecies of the prophets. And He fulfilled the Law in that He lived a life of perfect obedience to the law of God.
· Matt. 9:13: to call sinners to repentance. Jesus said this in the context of the sanctimonious religious leaders who criticized Jesus for hanging out with “sinners.” Likely these men assumed that if Jesus was really the Messiah then He would be spending His time with them. But Jesus said the exact opposite.
· Matt. 10:34-36: to bring a sword (to divide people). Read these verses. Jesus really said this. He understood that His ministry and message would be divisive, even bringing a serious rift into families as well as into the Jewish nation. And this was not just “incidental.” Jesus said that this was why He came. None of these things contradict John 3:16, but rather tell us the effect of John 3:16. God’s Son came to bring salvation, and He was the only source of this salvation.
· Matt. 15:24: to offer Himself to Israel. The context for this statement in Matthew is the story in today’s reading. The woman, a Gentile from Lebanon, asked Jesus to heal her demon-possessed daughter. In 7:27 Jesus said, Let the children (the Jewish people) be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs (Gentiles, non-Jewish people). According to Matthew Jesus also said to the woman, or perhaps it is Matthew’s paraphrase of what Jesus said, I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Again, this is why Jesus came. When Jesus sent out the Twelve, He instructed them not to go to the Gentiles but to the lost sheep of Israel (Mt. 10:5-6). Paul said, Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision (Jewish people) for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers…
To be sure, Jesus healed the daughter. His words were a test of her faith, which He acknowledged. But this could be seen to contradict John 3:16, that God’s love for the world was the reason Christ came to earth.. Let’s think about this.
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