I am always amazed at how many people (including Christ-followers) don’t know what the mission of Christ was while He was here on earth. I find it amazing that Christians would follow someone if they don’t understand where He was “going.” If you are going to follow someone, you need to know where they are headed.
The mission of Jesus was two-fold. The first part of Jesus’ mission was to make redemption possible for every person, in every nation, in every generation. Jesus made redemption possible for every person by living a perfect and sinless life, dying on a cross, and rising from the dead.
Only Jesus could fulfill this part of His mission. Jesus is the only one who could make redemption possible for humanity. Jesus is the only one who could live a sinless life, atone for sin, and have victory over death, hell, and the grave. When Jesus was being crucified, He said these words, “It is finished.” He was referring to His work of redemption. Jesus was professing that He had accomplished one of the two things He came to earth to do.
We should all be eternally grateful that Jesus was faithful to finish the work of redemption. We would be spending the rest of eternity separated from God if Jesus had not made redemption possible and if we had not received His work in our lives.
Part two of Jesus’ mission was to start a movement of messengers of redemption. This movement of messengers are called “disciples.” Jesus began a movement of disciple making that would ensure that the message of redemption would be passed down from generation to generation so that every person in every nation and every generation could hear the message of redemption.
Jesus is the one who started this movement of redemption messengers, but all of us are now responsible to see that it continues. Jesus left the task of making disciples in the hands of every generation of disciples. In John 17:4, Jesus prayed, “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work You gave Me to do.” The work Jesus is referring to here is the work of starting a movement of disciple making.
I am so thankful that Jesus started a movement of disciple makers that made it possible for us to have the opportunity to receive redemption. If Jesus had not completed the work of starting a movement, we would never have heard about His work of redemption and we would be spending the rest of eternity separated from God.
Understanding the two-fold mission of Jesus should change the way we live. It should change the way we live because as a Christ follower, Christ’s mission should be your mission. In other words, you can be a part of keeping the movement of redemption messengers going. That is one of the main reasons you are alive today: to accomplish the mission of Jesus on earth.
At Impact Discipleship Ministries, we seek to inspire people and churches to be and build disciples of Christ. We do this through training and resources that help Christians and churches make and multiply disciples. If we can assist you in this mission, please let us know and check out our website at impactdisciples.com.
