Sun 9:30a Class; 10:30a Worship; 11:35a Communion
Bible Bites
The Mission of Jesus
Jesus plainly stated his mission in Luke 19:10: "The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” He ministered to the temporal needs of many, but this was never his mission.
Since seeking and saving the lost was his mission, there is no record of His seeking the hungry or sick or handicapped. Those he served were those who came to him or those he saw "as he passed by" (Jn. 9:1). He stilled tempests, but He was not a storm chaser.
Since seeking and saving the lost was His mission, He did not allow anything to distract him. Early one morning after a day of healing, "the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, 'I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent"' (Luke 4:4243).
Since seeking and saving the lost was his mission, He did not publicize His social service. In fact, more than once after a healing, "He commanded them that they should tell no one" (Mk. 7:36, also 1:44; 3:12; 5:43).
Since seeking the lost was his mission, He taught all who would listen in the places He visited, but He did not heal all who were sick (Mk. 6:5-6).
Since seeking and saving the lost was his mission, He refused to feed those whose only interest was in "the food that perishes;' but had no interest in the "living bread" (Jn. 6:26-66).
Since seeking and saving the lost was His mission, He did not heal or feed the hungry in other parts of the world during His lifetime, though He could have done so. Since seeking and saving the lost was His mission, He did not provide for healing or feeding anyone in future ages.
Since seeking and saving the lost was His mission, He did not set up a fund or seek financial assistance from others to do His healing and feeding work.
Since seeking and saving the lost was His mission, He did not form some kind of foundation or establish some kind of institution for social work in the future.
Christ's mission to earth was not intended to leave mankind with a higher standard of living or longer life expectancy; if so, he completely failed. Rather he left mankind with the gospel, "the power of God unto salvation'' (Rom. 1:16). This He commissioned to be taken to "all the nations" and preached "till the end of the age" (Mt. 28:18-20). In the salvation of mankind through the gospel His mission would be accomplished and "all nations be blessed" (Gen. 18:18).
Since seeking the lost was His mission, the one thing He did establish was "the church of the living God" and its mission is to be "the pillar and ground of the truth'' (I Tim. 3:15). He did not commission it to engage in general social work at home or abroad. Its mission is primarily spiritual, a mirror of His own mission. Worldly people are not impressed with such a mission, but the goal of Jesus was not to impress the world, but to save it.
But what about poor, sick, and oppressed people in the world? Not all will be cared for, even as Jesus foresaw when he said, "The poor you have always with you" (John 12:8). Many will be cared for, however, just as they were in the days of Jesus, not by organized group activity but by Christ-like individuals who, as they have opportunity, will "do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith" (Gal. 6:10).
Local churches were organized by the Lord "for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:12-13). When saints begin to attain "to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;' they will do as Christ did. This is essential to Christlikeness; it is pure religion (Jas. 1:27).
But, as was true of Jesus, it is not our mission to wipe out poverty or sickness; our mission, like His, is "to seek and save the lost:' And may we be as focused as He was on the accomplishment of this mission, while not failing to reach a helping hand to those we meet who need physical assistance!
— In Biblical Insights, February 2014
