In Jesus’ own words, the reason why he came to earth was, “…to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
God is perfect in holiness and cannot be in the presence of sin. Sadly, every single one of us has sinned against God, therefore we are alienated from him, “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). God declares that the just punishment for our sins is death and hell. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
Our estrangement from God deeply grieved him. Therefore, out of his great love for us, he provided the way for us to be reconciled to himself:
Jesus, as God incarnate, lived the perfect, moral sinless life none of us could live. Then he took our sins upon himself and bore the penalty for them through his death on the cross. Jesus died as a ransom and substitute for all of those who trust in him. He rose from the dead three days later, making reconciliation with God possible.
In order to be reconciled to God you must first repent (confess and turn away) from your sins. Second, you must trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior, believing that he has paid the full punishment for you through his death on the cross.
Many people think of Jesus as a great moral teacher or a prophet, and while these things are true, Jesus is far more than just a teacher or prophet, for he claimed to be God (John 8:58). Furthermore, the fundamental reason why Jesus came was not to teach or to prophesy but to give his life as a ransom for all those who repent of their sins and trust in him for eternal salvation.
He came to save us from our sins and their penalty, death and hell.
“…an angel of the Lord appeared to him [Joseph the betrothed husband of Mary, Jesus’ mother]…and said, ‘…you are to give him the name Jesus [which means “The LORD saves”] because he will save his people from their sins.’” (Matthew 1:21)
For more information on who Jesus is, please see:
Websites:
An article that briefly answers many of the common questions about who Jesus is.
A website with heaps of information and answers to many questions about Jesus:
Videos:
Jesus Christ claimed to be God incarnate. The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the greatest single evidence of the existence of God. This video examines the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ (56:22). (Start at 2:45 if you want to skip the personal intro and go straight to the facts about the resurrection):
The Case for The Resurrection, By Lee Strobel
The Case for Christ, By Lee Strobel