Hebrews 10:5-10
5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,
“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body you have prepared for me;
6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings
you have taken no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘See, God, I have come to do your will, O God’
(in the scroll of the book it is written of me).”
8 When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), 9 then he added, “See, I have come to do your will.” He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. 10 And it is by God’s will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
“… ‘See, God, I have come to do your will, O God’ …”
While it’s sometimes unclear who is doing the speaking in this passage (Hebrews is like that), it is Jesus who utters this statement. (Sometimes it gets complicated since Jesus is God.) Accordingly, Jesus commits himself to fully obeying the commands of the Father, thus fulfilling the Father’s will in bringing about salvation for all. Jesus thus becomes the perfect sacrifice – a necessity as far as the writer of Hebrews is concerned.
Because this involves a convoluted argument in the letter to the Hebrews, suffice it to say that Jesus comes into the world to save sinners. That is, He comes to deliver you and me and everyone else from sin, death, and the devil. He does this through his suffering, death, and resurrection. He willing goes to the cross for our sakes.
Hopefully, this revelation is not new to us. However, as we near the time of Jesus’ birth, it’s good to remember our Lord’s ultimate goal. While Jesus’ nativity is bathed in joy, jubilation, praise, and glory, lurking just around the corner is the shadow of the cross – the price he will pay for our sin. When we forget that, we truly don’t understand the reason for the season.
Prayer: Jesus, Lord, you come to save us. Open my heart, soul, and mind this season that I may remember, appreciate, and give thanks for You and the reason You came. Amen.