THE MISSION OF JESUS
Luke 3:1–6, 4:14–21
As a child of the 1980s, I have come to realize my age more frequently. Today’s kids will never know the thrill of going to the video store on the weekend to rent a movie, fighting your sibling for the toy in the cereal box or joining the Columbia House Cassette Club. They were great times, but time does not stand still.
“Back to the Future” was one motion picture encapsulating that decade’s fads and culture. The movie was based on the premise of time travel to correct something that went wrong previously.
If given the opportunity, many would take the offer to go back in time to change some of our experiences, but then again, we would forfeit the lessons we needed to learn. With these next few sessions, we will travel in a time machine together and revisit a few of the remarkable moments in the life of Christ. With so many erroneous opinions and views about Jesus floating around, it will be beneficial to recall and appreciate the biblical Jesus.
John prepared the way for Jesus’ mission. (3:1–6)
Except for Jesus, John the Baptist is my favorite person in Scripture. We would all do well to pattern our life after his.
John, although eccentric and misunderstood, was used by God. He embraced his purpose of pointing others to Jesus.
Imagine how much more effective Christians and churches would be if recognition were not needed from others. All that we say and do should convey to others that Christ — not our selfish ego — is the reason for our being.
If anyone leaves our worship services and Jesus is not the primary topic, we have failed. John knew his role; he humbly and happily made sure others knew that Jesus was the Messiah, the One they had been anticipating.
Isaiah prophesied the purpose of Jesus’ mission. (4:14–19)
If the church you serve is like mine, we strive to communicate a clear and intentional mission statement in all we do. In this timeless passage, we can read and ponder the mission statement of Christ. His mission should become our mission. Serving the poor, sharing the gospel, signaling the grace of the Father and other distinguishing marks should serve as the guide for our personal and church ministries.
Jesus was able to fulfill His mission because of His faithfulness and dependence on the Heavenly Father to help Him.
If you feel as though your mission is stuck, take a step back, evaluate and honestly see if your mission is from God and if you are fully trusting in His guiding hand to see it come to fruition.
Jesus declared that He is the long-awaited Messiah. (20–21)
With these few words, Jesus begins His public ministry, and the world will never be the same. Separated by time and culture, we cannot fully appreciate the weight of what Jesus did that day.
For thousands of years, they had waited for the Messiah, and He was declaring that their wait was now over.
As a Jewish people, they had gone through countless prophets, hardships and ungodly rulers in their past, but Jesus conveyed that the search for the Christ was over.
By Bobby McKay
Pastor of New Liberty Baptist Church in Morton, Mississippi
