Mission through history

Christians throughout history have been excellent in their discoveries of messianic passages in Scripture but have been almost blind to the obvious missional characteristics of the Messiah! The missional nature of Messiah as Suffering Servant flows out of the whole Grand Narrative of Scripture. “Was it not necessary that the Messiah must suffer . . . and that repentance resulting in forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all the peoples” (Lk. 24:26,46-47). The doctrines of the pre-existent triune God, His creation, man’s Fall in Adam, the redemption in Christ, and the coming consummation are all inextricably missional.  God has called His people to be a missional people, who participate in God’s very own mission. The Lord has planned that all the clans and peoples of earth will be impacted and transformed by God’s very own mission, in which His people participate.

 

In the Old Testament Jesus reveals His Father’s mission. The Father chose Abraham’s

family—the people of Israel as a people involved in God’s mission. This mission in turn leads

to Him as Messiah and from Him to mission for the new covenant children of Abraham, including

both Jews and the gentilic peoples, in Christ.

The goal of the mission of God is that all peoples become joyous and delighted worshippers of our Father through Christ our Lord.