Here's a little side note before I jump into the message. According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year, male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid-December. Female reindeer retain their antlers till after they give birth in the spring.

Therefore, according to every historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer, every single one of them, from Rudolf to Blitzen, had to be a girl. We should have known. Only women would be able to drag a fat man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night and not get lost.

Today we're continuing our seasonal series of messages called "The Questions of Christmas." We've already looked at three questions: how do I get ready for Christmas, what is the miracle of Christmas, and who is Jesus. Today's question is: Why did Jesus come? Great question. If you remember from last week, in answering the question, "Who is Jesus?" we went straight to Jesus and let Him answer the question Himself. We're going to do the same thing today. "Why did Jesus come?" certainly could be answered with a wide variety of responses. But this morning I want us to look at three responses that Jesus gave in His own words.

Why did Jesus come? First, He came to fulfill the law. In his famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "Don't misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to fulfill them" (Matthew 5:17). It seems that Jesus had a knack for making the religious establishment edgy and angry. They were suspicious that He wasn't fully orthodox in his commitment to the Old Testament.

In this verse He set the record straight. He didn't simply affirm one Jewish school of thought or offer another application of the Old Testament to His own time and place. He cut through all the religious add-ons that had been given to the Scriptures and presented them with their intended meaning. God's will for humanity was realized in Jesus.

Jesus acknowledged the need for the law. It reveals God's will for people and points out our sinfulness and our need for God. Jesus didn't object to the law; He objected to people's misinterpretations of it. He showed the difference between binding principles and temporary, symbolic rituals. After making this statement, He gave examples of how the religious establishment missed the intent of the law. Whereas the leaders said, "Do not kill." Jesus said, "Don't have anger in your heart." The religious establishment said, "Don't commit adultery." Jesus said, "Don't look at a woman with lust." The Pharisees said divorce is okay as long as you have the official certificate." Jesus, instead, promoted marriage and taught that divorce was permissible only in cases of unfaithfulness.

The religious folks emphasized the "eye for an eye" philosophy. Jesus taught that we should turn the other cheek. He said we need to love our enemies. He always went beyond the mere letter-of-the-law approach. He came to fulfill the law and free it from all of the legalistic do's and don'ts that had been added to it.

Whether we are Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian or non-denominational, if we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that we are often guilty of being 21st century Pharisees. A couple of months ago we hosted a leadership conference with Reggie McNeal, and for two hours he blasted American Christianity for adopting a country club, members-only mentality. In typical Reggie fashion, however, he always clarified that he was not talking about Chapin Baptist Church, just every other church down the road.

In what ways do we become like the Pharisees? When we give traditions as much authority as biblical teachings. When we have a "what about us?" attitude instead of a "what about those who don't know Christ?" attitude. When we resist exploring new and creative means of helping people connect with God. When we nitpick rules and regulations to the neglect of ministering inside and outside the walls of the church.

God said in the Old Testament, "Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new. It's bursting out! Don't you see it? There it is! I'm making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands" (Isaiah 43:19, Msg). God is creative. He's always up to something new. Jesus didn't come to do away with the law. He came to reinterpret it. He came to fulfill it. He came bringing new wineskins. He challenges Christians in churches today to discover the fresh things God is doing and join Him in doing them.

Why did Jesus come? Second, He came to seek and save the lost. One day Jesus was traveling through Jericho as people crowded the streets to see him. There was a man who wanted to see Him, but he was too short to see over the throngs of people. So he climbed up a sycamore tree to get a better view.

Zacchaeus was his name. In the religious people's eyes, this man was as evil as they come. They couldn't stand people like him because he was a tax collector. He made his living by charging people more than what they owed the government. Whatever he could collect over what was due, he could put in his own pocket. Needless to say, he was wealthy.

Jesus always seemed to go out of His way to talk to people that others rejected. And this was the case with Zacchaeus. He walked up to the sycamore tree, singled him out, and said, "Zack, come on down. I'm going to your house for dinner." Oh, talk about rubbing the church people the wrong way. They were incensed with Jesus for going to eat dinner at a sinner's house. That didn't bother Jesus one bit.

That day Zack entered into a personal relationship with Jesus. God transformed his life. He repented of his wrongdoing and repaid all the people he had taken advantage of. He was a new man. It was at the end of this story that Jesus said, "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost" (Luke 19:10).

After the resurrection Jesus said, "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you" (John 20:21). What did the Father send Jesus to do? To seek and save the lost. What does He send Christians to do? To seek and save the lost. Not that we do the saving. That's God's job. It's our job to do all we can to reach as many people as we possibly can using whatever means we possibly can.

"To seek" the lost means that you go after them. Where are they? They're sitting next to you in class. They work with you. They're out in the poverty-stricken areas of our community. They're in sports bars. They're in concert halls. They're in the stands watching their children play ball. They may be sitting next to you in church this morning.

Seeking and saving the lost. That's what Chapin Baptist is all about. Changed lives. Just like Zaccheus. Craig and Annette called for an appointment. I met with them one Wednesday evening and led both of them to make a commitment to Jesus Christ. During that meeting, they asked about serving in the worship ministry since both were musicians. Craig is a guitarist. He had been playing every weekend in a bar. I walked them into the rehearsal area and introduced them. Craig went to the car and got his guitar. And on the very night they gave their lives to Christ, they started serving with their God-given talents. Craig later told me he never knew he could use his passion for singing and guitar playing for the kingdom. That's what I'm talking about.

A couple of weeks ago I ate lunch with our Lexington Baptist Association's Director of Missions. Not long ago he had brought his daughter to our church for one of the concerts at The Pointe. Johnny said to me, "Ken, I don't like the style of music (I concurred), but I want to thank you for opening your church for this kind of ministry. You're trying to reach a segment of our population that, to my knowledge, no other church in our area is trying to reach." That's what God has called us to do. The lost can't be saved unless we seek them first. Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick….For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners" (Luke 9:12).

Scholar and author D. A. Carson tells of a time when he and a friend were going to the beach for some much-needed peace and quiet, but when they got there they found a horde of high school kids celebrating graduation with lots of beer, loud music and public displays of affection. Carson was deeply disappointed that his evening's relaxation was being shattered by a raucous party. He was on the verge of outrage and was about to unload his venom on his friend, but stopped as he saw him staring at the scene with a faraway look in his eyes. Then his friend said softly, "High school kids - what a mission field!" That's the kind of mindset each of us needs to have toward the lost segments of our world - mission fields all around us.

Why did Jesus come? Third, He came to give abundant life. Jesus said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10). What kind of difference has Jesus made in your life? Would you describe your life as one that is filled with joy? Would you say that you are living life to the fullest, enjoying all that God has to offer?

Well known pastor and author Lee Strobel in a sermon talks about the difference God made in his life. His daughter Allison was 5-years-old when he became a follower of Jesus. All she had known for those five years was a dad who was profane and angry. He remembers coming home one night and kicking a hole in the living room wall just out of anger with life. He spoke of being ashamed to think of the times Allison had hid in her room to get away from him.

Five months after Lee gave his life to Christ, Allison went to his wife and said, "Mommy, I want God to do for me what he's done for Daddy." Here was a 5-year-old girl who had never studied theology. All she knew was that her dad used to be hard to live with. But now her dad has changed. And if that is what God does to people, then sign her up. That very year she gave her life to Christ.

That's why Jesus came. To change people's lives. To offer an abundant life, one that is filled with joy and significance. What are you going to do with the rest of your life? When it's all been said and done, what will people remember you by? Is it something you will be proud of? What are you doing that has eternal significance to it?

Some of you are retired or are approaching retirement. It's a new phenomenon for the 21st century with millions retiring with a full expectancy of living another healthy 20 years of life. Imagine the impact for God's kingdom you could make. Don't spend all your years playing golf or traveling. Volunteer your time to do something that has eternal value to it. Do mission work. Volunteer at some of the local ministry outposts. Go to James and tell him you want to teach a class of middle school students. You can't live life to the fullest unless you're doing something with kingdom significance.

My weeks of sabbatical last spring gave me the opportunity to do a lot of reflecting and praying and dreaming. I guess it dawned on me for the first time that retirement is going to be in my future—fifteen years out maybe. I don't know. But one thing I do know. I don't want to be like a lot of guys I've known who simply want to coast along until they retire. I want to do something that will make a difference. I want to stay on the edge of what God is doing in our world and join Him. I want God to use me to change lives. I want Him to use me to build bridges to the community.

And I believe that's how God wants to use each one of us. Jesus said, "I came that they may have life and have it to the full." I encourage you to commit your life to Jesus Christ, God's Son born in Bethlehem. I challenge you to make that decision today. You're longing for significance. Jesus can satisfy that longing. He can and will make a total difference in your life. He will change your outlook. He will give you joy. He will guide you into arenas that will make a difference in other people's lives. Give Him your heart today.