What was Jesus' mission?

1. What was Jesus’mission?– 28th
August 2017
“Here I am!I standat the doorand knock. Ifanyone hears my voice andopens the door, I will come in
and eat with that person,and they with me.” (Revelation3:20).
Several times in Jesus’ life, He demonstrated that He had to fulfill a mission. He had a purpose,
which He fulfilled. The gospels reports of an incident where at a young age his parents couldn’t
find him. We can learn of this from Luke 2:45-49, “When they did not find him, they went back
to Jerusalem to look for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting
among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 Everyone who heard him
was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were
astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I
have been anxiously searching for you.”49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked.
“Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”
Evenat an earlyage JesusknewthatHe “mustbe about the Father’sbusiness.”He came here for a
purpose…tosave humanityfromsinandresultingeternal death. The bible tellusthat He knew thatHe
wouldsacrifice Himself tosave mankindfromGodsrighteousjudgment. We canreadthisfromLuke
9:51, “As the time approachedfor himto be taken up to heaven, Jesusresolutely set out for
Jerusalem.” He willinglywenttoJerusalemknowingfull wellastowhat wasto happento Him. The bible
alsoteachesusthat the fundamental missionof Christ’stime onearthwasto fulfill God’splanof saving
the lost.
Thisis explainedbyJesushimself in Luke19:10, “Forthe Sonof Mancame to seek and to save the
lost.” We can learnof an incidentwhere Jesushadjustbeencriticizedforgoingtothe house of a
“sinner.”JesusrespondedbyaffirmingHismissionwastosave people whoneededsaving. We canlearn
from1 Timothy 1:15, “Here isa trustworthy sayingthat deserves full acceptance: ChristJesus came
intothe worldto save sinners—ofwhomI am the worst.” Theirreputationforsinfulnesswasnota
reasonto avoidthem;rather,itwas a reasonto seekthemoutand bringthemback to God’spresence.
Many timesduringChrist’sministry,He soughttoforgive those whomthe self-righteousleadersof the
day shunned.
We can observe manyinstanceswhereJesussavedmanysinnerswhocame toHim. He soughtout and
savedthe womanat the well andthe Samaritansof hertown:“Manyof the Samaritansfromthat town
believed inhim becauseof the woman’stestimony,“He toldme everything I ever did.” 40
Sowhen the
Samaritanscame to him,they urged him to stay withthem, and he stayed two days. 41
And becauseof
hiswords many more became believers.” (John4:39–41, We can read of the sinful womanwiththe
alabasterjar as we readfrom Luke 7:37-38, “Awoman inthat town who liveda sinful lifelearned that
Jesus waseating at the Pharisee’s house,so she came there withan alabasterjar of perfume. 38
Asshe
stoodbehind himat his feet weeping,she began to wet hisfeet with her tears. Then she wiped them
with her hair,kissed them and pouredperfume on them.” We can alsolearnthat Matthew one of
Jesus’own disciples,hadbeenatax collector:“AsJesuswent on from there, he sawa mannamed
Matthew sittingat the tax collector’sbooth. “Followme,” hetold him,and Matthew got upand
followedhim.” (Matthew9:9). Itis clearthat hismission wastofulfill God’splanof savingthe lost

2. sinnersandto bringthemback to God’s presence.
We can readthat again inMatthew 9, Jesuswascriticizedfor“eatingwithtax collectorsandsinners” as
we can read from Matthew 9:11, “Whenthe Phariseessaw this,they asked his disciples,“Whydoes
your teacher eat withtax collectors andsinners?” Jesusresponded bystatingHismissionaswe can
learnfromMatthew 9: 12-13, “On hearingthis,Jesus said, “Itis not the healthy whoneed a doctor,
but the sick. 13
But go andlearn what thismeans: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’For I have not come to
call the righteous,butsinners.” Jesus’goal wasto save us frometernal destruction.Itwasa goal that
He reached.Before He wastakenaway He prayedto God as we can learnfrom John 17:4 “I have
broughtyou gloryon earth by finishingthework yougave me to do.”
All throughthe Gospels, we cansee that Jesus’missionwastosave humanity.He calledforrepentance
and forgives the worstof sinners.Noone istoosinful tocome to Him.In fact,He goesafterthose who
are lost,as the parables of the lostsheep andlostcoinshow in Luke 15:1–10. In the story of the prodigal
son,JesusteachesthatGod will alwayswelcome withopenarmsthose whocome toHimwitha
repentantheart.We can read thisfrom Luke 15:21–22, “Theson saidto him, ‘Father,I have sinned
againstheaven andagainstyou. I am nolonger worthy to be calledyour son.’22
“Butthe father saidto
hisservants, ‘Quick!Bring the best robe andput it on him.Put a ring on hisfingerand sandalsonhis
feet.”
From the bible we canlearnthat He tellstothe lostsheep:“HereI am!I standat the doorand knock. If
anyonehears my voice and opensthe door,I will come in and eat with that person,and they with
me.” (Revelation3:20). Our decisiontoseekHimandprayfor salvationhasto originate fromusandHe
will come intoourhearts.