Investigating Jesus - Part 14

Investigating Jesus Part 14
Jesus’ Purpose

What was the purpose of Jesus? Jesus’ mission was to be the Servant of the Lord, and therefore, the saviour of the world as God’s Son.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17).

His purpose as the Messiah was neither that he be served nor that he will lead a political overthrow of the Roman government as some had hoped. Rather, as we see here, his purpose as the Messiah was to be God’s servant and give a message of hope for the spiritually poor and spiritually oppressed people. When Jesus rebuked Peter, he was also telling off the other disciples (Mark 8:33). They had not yet understood how suffering and glory were in relationship with each other.

However, by the time Peter had written 1 Peter, he had correlated the two as being in harmony with each other. (1 Peter 1:6-8, 1 Peter 4:13-5:10). Some Jewish leaders taught that there would be two Messiahs – one to suffer and one who would reign (1Peter 1:10-12). Instead of following who we think Jesus is, we need to follow who Jesus actually is. Jesus does make demands of those who would follow Him.

We learn that:
• There is a price to pay for true followers of Jesus:
• We must surrender completely to Him.
• We must identify with Him in his suffering and death.
• We must follow Him obediently, wherever he leads.

What is the reward for following Jesus?

• satan promises glory now, but in the end suffering comes.
• God promises suffering now, but the suffering turns to glory.
• Spiritually, now, the disciples were still blind to who Jesus was, just as the man who was physically blind.

Our confession of who we say that Jesus is, is a matter of life and death (John 8:21; 1 John 4:1-3) and it is necessary to do for salvation to be assured (1 Corinthians 12:1-3), when that confession is from the heart (Romans 10:9-10). Christians are called to follow Jesus and take up their own cross. This means being ready to suffer and die for Jesus - just as many people down through history and today are prepared to do. Are you?

 

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