Here’s a question to consider: what was Jesus’ mission? Maybe you would answer: to die on the cross for our sins. You would of course be correct. Luke 19:10 says of Jesus, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.” Praise the Lord that He came to fulfill that
purpose, for He is the reason that we have salvation, by grace through faith in Him. But consider for a moment if that was all He did. He came to earth born of a virgin, lived 33 years and died on the cross and on the third day He defeated death and resurrected from the dead.
(Can I get a Woohoo?!)

I would like to point out that there was another reason that Jesus came to earth. And this reason is kind of what His purpose was until He fulfilled the other purpose on the cross. His purpose before the cross was… wait for it… to make disciples. In John 17:4 Jesus said, “I have gloried you on the earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” In this passage Jesus was praying to the Father BEFORE He had gone to the cross. It was before He had even been arrested. And He said, “I have glorified you by completing the work you gave me to do.” What work had He completed? Making disciples. He had invested His life from the moment of His Baptism when the Holy Spirit entered into Him until this moment. He had poured His life into many people, but specifically into the twelve (Mark 3:13-15).

Why was that so important? Because as Paul pointed out in Romans 15:14 “How can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher?” (A person to share or proclaim the message of the gospel, not a person who stands on a stage and
speaks). Jesus Christ came to die on the cross and pay the penalty for the sins of the world. He came to be raised from the dead and defeat sin and the grave. And He invested in the people who would continue to carry that message of the gospel around the world. He invested in
disciples who would make disciples, who would make disciples, who would…

This is why Jesus gave the great commission. Because this is the mission of the church. This is the mission of every believer. This is your mission. This is my mission. We are called to GO and help people DISCOVER that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Here’s how you can pray about this truth.

• Give the Lord thanks for sending Jesus to save you, and the whole world. Rejoice in His grace, mercy and His love.
•  Ask the Lord to give the church (even our church) a desire to make disciples by telling others about Jesus.
• Ask God to help others DISCOVER Jesus Christ and FOLLOW Him as Lord and Savior of their life.
• Pray for someone specifically in your life—a neighbor, co-worker, friend, family member, etc. —to DISCOVER and FOLLOW Christ.

O Lord, thank you so much for giving your life to die on the cross for our sins and be raised on the third day. And thank you for investing in the people who continued to share that message. Thank you for the people who share the gospel with me! May we be a church who takes your mission seriously.