By Pastor Robby
What is your mission for your life? It’s a tough question to answer, and maybe not something we think about all that often. Jesus knew that how we answer this question matters, so he actually answered it for us in John 12:44-50. In this section, we actually learn a few key things about his mission that can help us answer this question for ourselves.
First, we learn that God the Father is the one who sent him on this mission, and a key part of this mission is to be light in the world. Light helps us to see and understand what is going on around us. Without it, we’re just lost in the darkness. That’s one of the things that Jesus does in his mission, he helps rescue us from the chaos and confusion of stumbling through the darkness
Next, Jesus tells us that he has not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He knows that his job is not to condemn people and inform them that they’re bad people. The thing is, we usually know we’re bad apart from Jesus, even if we would rather not admit it. Instead, Jesus has come to save us from our wickedness. That isn’t to say there isn’t judgement for some. In the very next verse is 48 Jesus tells us that those who do reject him and his message will face judgement on the last day, but that day is not today because today is the time for salvation.
Jesus finally closes this by saying that the things he is saying are not his own, but are the words he has received from the Father. He’s here to give life because our heavenly Father gives new life. We should walk away from this verse excited because this is all good news!
I noticed something about this verse, and I want to know if maybe you noticed it, too. As Jesus’ followers, his mission is our mission. We should be continuing his mission, the one he is laying out here, today. Did you notice that there is a challenge here in these verses? Jesus knows that our natural, sinful flesh wants to start by judging other people. Judging people is easy, and it makes us feel better about ourselves. It often elevates our view of ourselves over others. That’s not what Jesus says to do, though. We’re supposed to bring the light to people who are in darkness, not judge them. We’re called to point them to the salvation found in Jesus.
It’s time to ask ourselves some uncomfortable questions. Do I bring people light or darkness? Do lost people who encounter me see the light of Jesus in my life, or are they still left in the dark? Am I known by others as helping people find salvation through Christ, or am I known more by how I judge others? I know for me, I regularly find myself operating in the darkness and must constantly remind myself that I should be moving people towards the light of Jesus.
You might also struggle with this. Maybe your mission for your life has felt a bit aimless. If you answered honestly, you’d say you’ve been living your life in the pursuit of money, power, comfort, or something else. Your mission has been more about yourself and less about telling people how Jesus can rescue them from the darkness. That’s ok, though, because that’s what this fast is all about. We’re using this time to redirect our lives so we’re doing Jesus’ mission, not our own.
I know for me, I will be on the lookout today for whom I can have a gospel conversation with. It doesn’t have to be jumping right into sharing the gospel. It may just start with a conversation about their day, or what they believe about Jesus. You can do that today as well. That would be a great way to make Jesus’ mission your mission. Let’s pray now and ask for Jesus to help us do his mission.
Heavenly Father, thank you for the mission you gave your son, to be light in the darkness and save us instead of judge us. I am so grateful for all Jesus has done in pursuing me in that mission. I ask that you would help me to make that my mission, too. Help me to lay aside whatever mission my sinful flesh may desire and instead to boldly pursue Jesus’ mission of saving the lost with my life. Send me to someone today who needs to hear about your light, and empower me to boldly share the story of your Son with them. I know this mission is difficult, but if you are with me, then I can do it. Amen.