Why Was Jesus Born? Here Are Twelve Reasons, by Stephen Beale
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By Stephen Beale, Catholic Exchange, December 16, 2019
Stephen Beale is a freelance writer based in Providence, Rhode Island. Raised as an evangelical Protestant, he is a convert to Catholicism. He is a former news editor at GoLocalProv.com and was a correspondent for the New Hampshire Union Leader, where he covered the 2008 presidential primary….
During Lent, reflecting on the reasons why Jesus died is a fruitful exercise in devotion.
Likewise, during Advent and as we approach Christmas, we ought to wonder why Christ was born.
The answer isn’t as obvious as you might think. Two reasons probably leap to the mind for all of us: the cross and Christ’s desire to share in the fullness of our humanity.
No doubt, his birth led to his death and, likewise, He participated in our humanity by virtue of being born.
But consider this: Adam was fully human without having a human birth and died a true human death. Yet he was never ‘born.’
If Jesus, the second Adam, had been like the first one He still would have been fully human. He would have thirsted, hungered, and wept like us. He would have died a fully human death on the cross. The question is, what did Jesus achieve by being born that would not have happened had He been like the first Adam?
Here are 12 reasons Christ chose to be born.
1. Confirm His humanity.
As stated above, because of Adam, Jesus could certainly have been fully human without a birth. But his birth has the added benefit of confirming the reality of His humanity. The fact that He was born is an indisputable sign of His authentic humanity.
2. Share in the fullness of the human experience. ….
