The Bible says that Jesus of Nazareth is God’s promised Saviour who died to take away our sins. But why did he take so long? Why didn’t He appear on earth Good Friday, go straight to the cross, ascending back to heaven, mission accomplished, on Easter Sunday? Why the of 33 years of growing from baby to child to man?
After all, Jesus had nothing to prove. The Bible says that while Jesus is truly man, He is also truly God, the Creator (the very definition of perfection in the first place). He is inherently perfect.
Because we need His life. Our biggest problem is that God is good and we are not. Justice demands we be punished for breaking His laws. But also, in order to be accepted by God and be fit for Heaven, we need to have lived perfect lives from beginning to end.
The Bible says that in all of human history the life of Jesus is unique. He alone lived in perfect obedience to God’s law in word, thought and action. Why did He do this? Love. Every day of His life, Jesus was earning a lived-out perfection which He doesn’t need, but can graciously offer to others so that in God’s sight we can be declared perfectly righteous!
For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
Paul the Apostle, The Letter to The Romans, chapter 5, verse 19