[229]It is important here for us to see why Jesus came to earth, grew to manhood's estate and died. The Prophet speaking the words of Jesus beforehand said: "Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart". (Psalm 40:7,8; Hebrews 10:7-10) Thus we see that he had come to do God's will. The apostle Paul expressed the will of God concerning mankind when he said: "God ... will have all men to be saved [from death], and brought to an accurate knowledge of the truth". (1 Timothy 2:3,4) This is in harmony with God's promise that he would redeem mankind from death (Hosea 13:14); and since Jesus came to carry out the Father's will to ransom the human race, he must do this. This is the only means whereby man could live. Therefore Jesus said: "I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly".--John 10:10. [230]Jesus likened his humanity to bread. He said: "I am the bread of life.... This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.... For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.... As the living Father sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me." (John 6:48,50,55,57) By this we understand that Jesus gave up his human life in order that the value thereof might be presented to divine justice in heaven as the great ransom-price. To eat means to appropriate to oneself. Then it follows that any one who accepts or appropriates to himself the value of Jesus' sacrifice by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ and doing the Father's will, that one will have life everlasting through Christ Jesus. The apostle Paul makes it clear that the death of Jesus was for the benefit of the entire human race when he says: 'Jesus, ... by the grace of God, tasted death for every man'. "There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time."--Hebrews 2;9; 1 Timothy 2:5,6. [231]"Sin is the transgression of the law." (1 John 3:4) "The wages of sin is death." (Romans 6:23) Adam transgressed the divine law and for this reason suffered the penalty of death, and this penalty came upon all mankind by inheritance. Jesus the perfect man permitted his life to be taken that it might be used for the purpose of releasing Adam and his offspring from the great enemy death, and that they might have a full opportunity for life. Hence his life was made an offering for sin, or a sin-offering. [232]For many centuries Jehovah foreshadowed this great event in his plan, and this adds to the importance of it; in fact, without the sacrifice of Jesus it would have been impossible for any of the human race ever to live at all.