What is Your Mission on Earth?

N.T.#191 "What is Your Mission on Earth?"

Nov. 24, 2023

Matthew 16-Part 7

From that time forth began Jesus to show unto His disciples, how that He must go into Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 

LET IT GLOW

What was Jesus' mission and destiny on earth? It was in order to give a foundation for the gospel         (1 Cor. 15:3-5), salvation for the Gentiles, and establish His church by way of faith in Him as Savior, Messiah, and Son of God. He showed us a way to live a sinless life that pleased God. He is the sinless Lamb who died and was sacrificed for our sins.

 In verse 21, we read of the first of three times in Matthew that Jesus predicted His death and resurrection. The two other times appear in 17:22-23 and 20:18. The disciples still did not grasp Jesus' true purpose because of their preconceived notions about what the Messiah should be. (Life Application Study Bible)

What can we learn from Jesus' statement?

1. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. The sinless Son of God took the punishment of our sins so we could have our sins removed. It was God's plan all along for us to have salvation through faith. We just have to believe Christ did this for us.
2. He was buried. The fact that Christ died is revealed in His burial. He was buried in a tomb on the side of the mountain. 
3. He rose from the dead on the third day, as the Scriptures said. Jonah 1:17 quoted in Matthew 12:40. Psalm 16:8-11 and Psalm 110 foretold of the Messiah's resurrection.

We read of those things happening to Jesus, but we have to take them by faith, believing they happened. Have you asked Jesus to be your Savior, believing He died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the grave?

LET IT GROW

Jesus of Nazareth, with His ragtag band of outcasts, wasn't what most Jews had in mind for the Messiah. But the dullness that accompanied faulty expectations wasn't limited to just the crowds of rubberneckers and hangers-on who hoped to catch a few miracles or hear a scathing rebuke of the Pharisees. The disciples themselves, who fully embraced who Jesus was, "the Christ, the Son of the living God" still had a long way to go before they could accept what He had come to do: "suffer... and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. (verse 21) (Swindoll)

Are we fulfilling our mission on earth? Does your family believe in Jesus as Savior? Are you living for Him? Does our life point people to Jesus? Are we loving our neighbor as ourself? Have we done all we can to persuade them that they need Jesus Christ?

LET IT GO 

I have a plaque cross on my wall that reads: Pray. Let go and let God take over. 

What a wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord!