Why did the eternal Word of God, the unique Son of God, who was equal in dignity, might, and being with the Father and the Spirit, leave the glories of heaven above to descend to this grubby earth? What motivated Him to become a little baby in a small town in a backwater province of the mighty Roman Empire, with obscure parents lacking prestige, power and abundant possessions? Thousands of weighty tomes could not adequately answer this question, but this short passage from Matthew provides at least one small clue: He came to save us from “all our sins and sorrow.” Though not every sickness results any particular sin (John 9:3), illness does come from the penalty for sin which God pronounced upon Adam and Eve: “In the day that you eat of [the tree of the knowledge of good and evil], you shall surely die!”(Genesis 2:17). Every ailment of the body, including fatigue, weakness, and disease, points toward that final dissolution into dust that we call death. Now Jesus came to “save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21) – from the penalty, power, and finally even the presence of sin itself. When He healed the sick and delivered the demon-possessed, the beginnings of this salvation proved that His kingdom of light, life, and liberty was advancing to inevitable and total victory. In short, He came to take upon Himself our infirmities and bear our sicknesses, as Isaiah had foretold long before His incarnation (Isaiah 53:4). By taking our sins and placing them upon Himself, He gained the authority to heal those who were brought to Him from these effects of disobedience and bitter foretastes of its ultimate penalty, death itself. How shall we adequately honor the one who divested Himself of all the comforts of heaven to deliver poor sinners from the consequences of rebellion against our most holy Creator and Lord? Let us offer to Him daily our unfeigned praise, thanksgiving, worship, and heartfelt love.