The Mission of Jesus
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Chapter Nine
The providence centering on Jesus is likewise established with primary and secondary objectives. Unlike the traditional Christian view that divides Christ’s mission into two advents separated by 2,000 years, Jesus seeks to accomplish everything in a single primary mission that requires the faithful response of contemporary Israel.
This primary objective is what is meant by the term “the Kingdom of God.”
Jesus Calls for Faith and the Kingdom
Mark 1:15
"The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"
Matthew 4:17
From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
John 6:28-29
Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
Clearly the Kingdom was an immediate objective in Jesus’ view. He said the “time has come, the Kingdom is near.” He is asking them, at that moment, to repent. If they do, the unfolding of the Kingdom will be the consequence of that repentance. How more explicit can it be than the clear answer of John 6:28-29? The will of God is to believe in him, whom God has sent.
Matthew 23:37
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.
Matthew 23:37 is significant because Jesus is describing the two branches of God’s providence. Jerusalem “killing and stoning the prophets” reflects Jeremiah 25:4-7. Jeremiah tells Israel that they were inexorably locked on the secondary path; however, they could have remained in the land had they heeded the prophets.
Jesus indicates that their rejection of him falls into that same secondary category and is contrary to his own expressed desire “to gather Israel together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings.” Jesus’ desire reflects Isaiah 65:17, which stated “a new heaven and new earth” would come to Jerusalem, the primary plan.
Jesus indicates, “You were not willing”, that is, Israel was not willing. Jesus wanted it, God wanted it, but it was Israel’s responsibility. In failing to respond in faith to Jesus, Jeremiah’s admonition of 600 years earlier, “you have brought harm to yourselves,” is, sadly, realized once again.
Could it be possible that Jesus had a personal desire that was contrary to the primary Will of God? Could the faithless people be in greater concert with what God really wanted than Jesus himself? In John 8:37-42, Jesus clearly explains the proper conduct of “the descendants of Abraham.”
John 8:37-42
“I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you do what you have heard from your father.”
"Abraham is our father," they answered. "If you were Abraham's children," said Jesus, "then you would do the things Abraham did. As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things.”
You are doing the things your own father does." "We are not illegitimate children," they protested. "The only Father we have is God himself." Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me.”
Jesus establishes that the people are the descendants of Abraham, “yet you are ready to kill me.” Jesus is affirming that killing the messiah is inconsistent with the purpose for Abraham’s descendants. Jesus goes on to explain even more emphatically, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the things Abraham did; as it is, you are determined to kill me. . .Abraham did not do such things.”
Matthew 21:35-37
The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.
Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. Last of all, he sent his son to them. “They will respect my son,” he said.
Here Jesus reveals the motive of God in sending the son, “They will respect my son.” In fact, this parable (Matthew 21:35-43) borrows from the fifth chapter of Isaiah “Song of the Vineyard” in which God laments “what more could I have done for my vineyard that I did not already do? And yet, when I looked for good fruit, why did I find only bad?” Jesus indicates that the bad tradition of Israel rejecting its prophets is one that God seeks to reverse in sending His Son; “surely they will respect my Son.”
This primary objective is what is meant by the term “the Kingdom of God.”
Jesus Calls for Faith and the Kingdom
Mark 1:15
"The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"
Matthew 4:17
From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
John 6:28-29
Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
Clearly the Kingdom was an immediate objective in Jesus’ view. He said the “time has come, the Kingdom is near.” He is asking them, at that moment, to repent. If they do, the unfolding of the Kingdom will be the consequence of that repentance. How more explicit can it be than the clear answer of John 6:28-29? The will of God is to believe in him, whom God has sent.
Matthew 23:37
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.
Matthew 23:37 is significant because Jesus is describing the two branches of God’s providence. Jerusalem “killing and stoning the prophets” reflects Jeremiah 25:4-7. Jeremiah tells Israel that they were inexorably locked on the secondary path; however, they could have remained in the land had they heeded the prophets.
Jesus indicates that their rejection of him falls into that same secondary category and is contrary to his own expressed desire “to gather Israel together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings.” Jesus’ desire reflects Isaiah 65:17, which stated “a new heaven and new earth” would come to Jerusalem, the primary plan.
Jesus indicates, “You were not willing”, that is, Israel was not willing. Jesus wanted it, God wanted it, but it was Israel’s responsibility. In failing to respond in faith to Jesus, Jeremiah’s admonition of 600 years earlier, “you have brought harm to yourselves,” is, sadly, realized once again.
Could it be possible that Jesus had a personal desire that was contrary to the primary Will of God? Could the faithless people be in greater concert with what God really wanted than Jesus himself? In John 8:37-42, Jesus clearly explains the proper conduct of “the descendants of Abraham.”
John 8:37-42
“I know you are Abraham's descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you do what you have heard from your father.”
"Abraham is our father," they answered. "If you were Abraham's children," said Jesus, "then you would do the things Abraham did. As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things.”
You are doing the things your own father does." "We are not illegitimate children," they protested. "The only Father we have is God himself." Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me.”
Jesus establishes that the people are the descendants of Abraham, “yet you are ready to kill me.” Jesus is affirming that killing the messiah is inconsistent with the purpose for Abraham’s descendants. Jesus goes on to explain even more emphatically, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the things Abraham did; as it is, you are determined to kill me. . .Abraham did not do such things.”
Matthew 21:35-37
The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.
Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. Last of all, he sent his son to them. “They will respect my son,” he said.
Here Jesus reveals the motive of God in sending the son, “They will respect my son.” In fact, this parable (Matthew 21:35-43) borrows from the fifth chapter of Isaiah “Song of the Vineyard” in which God laments “what more could I have done for my vineyard that I did not already do? And yet, when I looked for good fruit, why did I find only bad?” Jesus indicates that the bad tradition of Israel rejecting its prophets is one that God seeks to reverse in sending His Son; “surely they will respect my Son.”
