Jesus
came to preach.
It's
been said that God only had one Son, and he was a preacher. Jesus had a passion
for proclaiming God's truth, and he told the disciples that in no uncertain
terms.
Jesus
would get up early in the morning to pray by himself. One day the disciples
woke up, couldn't find him, and went looking for him, exclaiming that
"Everyone is looking for you!" (Mark 1:37). He responded by saying,
"Let us go somewhere else to the nearby villages so I can preach there
also. That is why I have come." (Mark 1:38)
Jesus
came to call sinners to repentance.
Have
you ever wondered what Jesus preached about? Would you like to hear one of his
sermons? You can do that by simply reading the four gospel accounts of Matthew,
Mark, Luke and John. They are filled with his preaching and teaching.
Mark
gives us an excellent summary of Jesus' preaching ministry he proclaimed
"the good news of God" (Mark 1:15). What does that mean? Here's a
summary of his sermons: "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe
the good news" (Mark 1:16).
So
Jesus came to preach, and the content and goal of that preaching was to
confront sinners with the need to repent. When the Pharisees criticized Jesus
for spending time with the scum of society (tax collectors and
"sinners"), he responded, "It is not the healthy who need a
doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners"
(Mark 2:17). Luke's account is more explicit "I have not come to call the
righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Luke 5:32).
Jesus
came to serve.
Has
there ever been a person in the history of the world who did more for others? I
think not. When reading the four gospels, we are overwhelmed with the way Jesus
met the needs of those around him. He spent countless hours not only teaching
and preaching, but healing the sick and feeding the crowds and driving out
demons. He did whatever he could to help people.
This
was intentional "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to
serve . . .” (Mark 10:45).
Jesus
came to die.
The
ultimate purpose of Jesus' coming is clearly stated in the last part of Mark
10:45. Jesus came to serve, "and to give his life as a ransom for
many."
A
ransom is the price one person pays to set another person free from slavery.
How did Jesus do that? When he died on the cross, he paid the price to liberate
guilty sinners from the bondage of sin, death, and hell.
Everything
Jesus did and said for three years led to this. It was his primary mission.
As we
reflect on the Mission Statement of Jesus, how should we respond? Certainly
with much praise, thanksgiving and worship! And also with humble submission and
repentant self-examination, asking ourselves the question to what extent am I
devoting my life to the Mission Statement of Jesus?
What
is your response?
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Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord.
This blog is created for the main purpose of spreading the good news and gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord to everyone via the internet. Jesus Christ instructed all true Christians who are saved and born into the kingdom of God to go into the World and preach the gospel to all creatures as it is written in Mark 16:15 (And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature)
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