This article considers
questions you may have raised and shows where you can read the answers in your
Bible. Jehovah’s Witnesses would be pleased to discuss these answers with you.
1. Where was Jesus before God sent him to
earth?
Jesus lived as a spirit person in heaven
before he was born in Bethlehem. He was God’s first creation and the only one
created directly by God. Therefore, he is fittingly referred to as God’s
only-begotten Son. In heaven, he often spoke as God’s representative. That is
why he is called the Word. He also acted as God’s helper and took part in the
creation of all other things. (John 1:2, 3, 14)
Jesus lived with God in heaven for aeons before humankind was created.—Read
Micah 5:2; John 17:5.
2. How did God send his Son to earth?
Jehovah transferred the life of Jesus from
heaven to the womb of Mary by means of holy spirit. So Jesus was born without
the aid of a human father. Angels announced his birth to some local shepherds,
who were living outdoors at night as they kept watch over their flocks. (Luke 2:8-12)
Thus, Jesus was born, not in the depths of winter, but likely in early October,
when the weather was still warm. Some time later, Mary and her husband, Joseph,
took Jesus to their home in Nazareth and raised him there. Joseph cared for
Jesus as his adopted son.—Read Matthew 1:18-23.
When Jesus was about 30 years old, he was
baptized, and God publicly announced that Jesus was his Son. Then Jesus began
the work that God had sent him to do.—Read Matthew 3:16, 17.
3. Why did God send Jesus to earth?
God sent Jesus to teach people the truth.
Jesus taught about God’s Kingdom, a government in heaven that will bring peace
to all the earth. He provided the hope of everlasting life. (John 4:14; 18:36, 37)
Jesus also taught people many things about finding real happiness. (Matthew 5:3; 6:19-21)
He taught by example. For instance, he showed how to do God’s will even in
difficult circumstances. When he was mistreated, he did not retaliate.—Read
1 Peter 2:21-24.
Jesus taught his followers self-sacrificing
love. He had enjoyed many privileges living in heaven with his Father, yet he
humbly obeyed his Father and came to earth to live among mankind. No one could
give us a finer example of love than Jesus.—Read John 15:12, 13; Philippians
2:5-8.
4. What did Jesus accomplish by dying?
God also sent Jesus to die for our sins. (John 3:16)
We are all sinners, meaning that we are imperfect and sinful. That is why we
get sick and die. In contrast, the first man, Adam, was perfect. He had no sin
and would never have died or become sick. But he lost his perfection when he
disobeyed God. From Adam, we inherited sin and its wages, death.—Read Romans 5:12; 6:23.
Jesus, who was a perfect man, did not die for
his own sins. He died for our sins. Jesus’ death makes it possible for
us to enjoy everlasting life and be blessed by God.—Read 1 Peter 3:18.
For more information please go to www.jw.org
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