Believers in Christ, we are not saved merely to feel good or enjoy the pleasures of this life alone. At the moment we received Christ, each of us was enlisted into God’s army. Jesus, our Saviour, has given us the Great Commission: to go on a rescue mission, preaching the message of eternal salvation to deliver the souls of sinners who are bound by sin and held captive by the forces of darkness. Many are hell-bound and trapped in the bondage of sin, and in dire need of the gospel!
The Mission of Christ
The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord
In this passage, Jesus is quoting a prophecy written about Him in the book of Isaiah 61:1-3 by the prophet Isaiah. The structure of a mission, purpose, or mandate is evident in this passage. There is a rescue mission to:
- Preach the gospel to the poor.
- Heal the brokenhearted.
- Proclaim liberty to the captives.
- Help the blind recover their sight.
- Set the oppressed and captive free.
- Proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord—the time of God’s favor and the season of His redemptive purpose.
Jesus fulfilled each of these missions while He was on earth. But there’s more.
The Great Commission
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
After fulfilling His mission on earth, Jesus passed the baton to us through the Great Commission in the passage above. Just as American SEALS (the U.S. Navy’s elite special operation forces) are sent on a tactical mission to rescue hostages, Jesus sends every believer to every part of the world to preach the gospel of eternal salvation which can rescue sinners from poverty, sickness, blindness (both physical and spiritual), pornographic addiction, drug addiction, tobacco addiction, alcohol addiction, robbery, gangsterism, financial crime, idolatry, fornication, adultery, rape, all forms of sexual perversion and every other known sin in this world.
Don’t Be Idle
Dear Believer, don’t stay idle! You have been commissioned to go and break open the prisons that hold sinners captive and set them free into eternal life through the powerful message of the gospel of Christ. The level of human sinfulness and widespread lawlessness has reached a crescendo. We are in a state of emergency and every believer in Christ needs to join the effort to rescue humanity from the jaws of the god of this world (Babylon) who has held them in captivity, oppression, and spiritual darkness.
You have the backing of God
Dear friend, Jesus did not send you on this mission alone or empty-handed. He has equipped you with the Holy Spirit, His people (other brethren), and His divine power that no throne, dominion, ruler, or spiritual force in the heavens or on earth can withstand (Ephesians 6:12). His name “Jesus” is higher than every other name; when it is mentioned, “every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” — Philippians 2:10–11. You are not alone and God is right behind you. Go and share the Gospel of Christ through every available avenue, and you will see the power of God to rescue souls and bring the world back to Himself. You are blessed, Christian friend, as you obey; in Jesus’ name, amen.