And all this Jesus did.
[229]It is important here for us to see why Jesus came to earth, grew
to manhood's estate and died. The Prophet speaking the words of Jesus
beforehand said: "Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of
me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my
heart". (Psalm 40:7,8; Hebrews 10:7-10) Thus we see that he had come to
do God's will. The apostle Paul expressed the will of God concerning
mankind when he said: "God ... will have all men to be saved [from
death], and brought to an accurate knowledge of the truth". (1 Timothy
2:3,4) This is in harmony with God's promise that he would redeem
mankind from death (Hosea 13:14); and since Jesus came to carry out the
Father's will to ransom the human race, he must do this. This is the
only means whereby man could live. Therefore Jesus said: "I am come that
they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly".--John
10:10.
[230]Jesus likened his humanity to bread. He said: "I am the bread of
life.... This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may
eat thereof, and not die.... For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood
is drink indeed.... As the living Father sent me, and I live by the
Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me." (John
6:48,50,55,57) By this we understand that Jesus gave up his human life
in order that the value thereof might be presented to divine justice in
heaven as the great ransom-price.
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