hy did Jesus come to earth? This question probably comes to my mind now because it's the Christmas season. As Christians, this time of year finds us wading through shallow commercialism as we attempt to combat the consumer mind-set that seems to overshadow the important things. We wear our pins and proudly bear our slogans: “keep Christ in Christmas" and "Jesus is the reason for the season.”

There is a great deal of truth in our slogans. If we take Christ out of Christmas, we are simply left with a holiday lacking substance. It is true that Jesus is the reason for the season, but what do our slogans teach the world about the nature of our Savior?

The God of all that exists left the radiance of heaven to enter a fallen and broken world. Why would a perfect and holy God trade the riches of heaven for the rags of earth? To put it simply, he came because he desired a relationship with us.

Are we telling God’s story? Are we sharing the truth of Christ’s coming? Are we describing the indescribable? How do we communicate the reason for the coming of Jesus Christ to this world?

He came not so that he could know us, but rather so that we could know him. He came to complete the relationship between the depraved and the divine. Christmas is a celebration of God's desire and commitment to enter into relationship with mankind.

One would think that in his infinite wisdom God would have put into play an incredibly complex plan to accomplish the goal of building a relationship with humanity. That is not what we see when we look at the life of Christ. Mark 10:45 says “… the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

It seems inconceivable and far too simple that the Son of God, the Creator of the universe, “the Word made Flesh” who sits on an eternal throne in heaven came to serve. However, the truth is he did just that.

Therein lies the beauty of God's plan. It is extravagant, yet so simple. Jesus said that he came to serve and give his life as a ransom. The fact that Jesus came to serve says so much about the character of God. He is the ultimate example of sacrificial love. Not only did he give himself away in death, but he gave himself away in life as well.

Service does not come natural to any of us. We are incredibly selfish beings. We think of ourselves before we think of anyone else. It should not be that way, but something has gone wrong inside the human spirit. This is why service is so powerful. It catches us off guard.

Jesus was a servant in his relationships. He was constantly aware of the needs of those around him. He actively looked for opportunities to meet those needs. He focused on other people. We can see in his life that he is not just the way to salvation, but that he is also the perfect model of how to build relationships.

We can build relationships on many different things such as money, material possessions, social status, common interests, goals, competition, shared experiences, and especially physical attraction. None of these things are inherently wrong, but they alone will not add value to the soul.

When we take the time to meet someone else’s spiritual, emotional or physical needs through service, we add value to their soul. We build them up. In so doing, we not only meet their needs but we ourselves find great fulfillment. Quite simply, it feels good to help people!

When we serve others, we essentially make the declaration that life is not all about ourselves. A life well lived will be a life that adds value to other people because, in the end, relationships are all that matter. Relationships are the substance of life.

We build healthy relationships by serving, and serving helps our relationships grow and remain healthy as well. Relationships thrive when we focus on meeting each other’s needs. We need to put ourselves on a relationship maintenance plan. We have to continually challenge ourselves to find ways of serving those who are closest to us.

Ask yourself on a weekly basis, “What specific way I am going to serve my spouse, my children, my parents, my boss, my co-workers, my enemies ... this week?” Be a person who adds value to others by making it a top priority to serve in tangible ways.

How can we communicate the reason for the coming of Jesus Christ to this world? The answer is quite simple. We will not find it in catchy slogans or statements. In fact, we will not usually see the answer at all in our words. We find the answer in treating people the way Jesus would — by serving them regardless of the cost.