He Came That We May Have Life

In the next couple of weeks, I'll be sharing some thoughts and quotes from other writings on the point and purpose of Jesus' coming to earth--making his entrance as a newborn baby on a night that was very much like any other night, to a people going about life very much like they always have.

The following is quoted from an essay written by Ajith Fernando titled, The Uniqueness of Jesus Christ, published in the book, Telling the Truth, edited by D.A. Carson:

     "The Bible has a fully developed and deeply meaningful understanding of spirituality. Much of it is given in the Old Testament, which was the Bible of the early church and therefore did not need to be reemphasized in the New Testament. Because many Christians do not assign sufficient significance to the Old Testament, they may not have fully grasped this emphasis. Essentially, biblical spirituality is founded on a personal relationship with God, who is both loving and holy. Deepening this relationship gives life's most fulfilling experience. David said, 'You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand' (Ps. 16:11). We believe that our relationship with God is most fulfilling because God is the creator of human spirituality and Jesus is God's answer to human need. Jesus himself said, 'I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full' (John 10:10). Ajith Fernando, teaching director of Youth for Christ, Sri Lanka