MISSION OF GOD IN JESUS

Mission of God in Jesus begins with the trinitarian mission of the Son. Jesus eternally existed as
the Son. But because of God’s plan, he engages in mission to send his Son. So, it’s a new action
of relation between God and his creation.
Here’s an important insight: To connect all this… trinitarian God is the foundation for missions.
The trinitarian missions of the Son and Spirit reflect the unity and diversity that exists in the
Godhead. The Trinity is thus our starting point for understanding the Mission of God. My goal is
not to be confusing… the Trinity is a beautiful mystery… faith seeking understanding. But I
really do believe it’s important for thinking about mission.

The Mission of God in Jesus

Here’s a one-word summary for thinking about the Mission of God in Jesus: Fulfillment. He is
the one who fulfills all of God’s promises in the OT. All of the covenants find fulfillment in
Christ and the new covenant. That is what is meant by Paul’s statement in 2 Corinthians 1:20
“For all the promises of God find their Yes in him.” Let’s take the gospel of John as our starting
point for looking at the Mission of God in Jesus. We see the trinitarian mission of the Son unfold
in the beginning of John’s gospel.
John’s gospel is the most literary/poetic of the gospels. John 1:1-3 “In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with
God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that were
made.” “In the beginning” echoes Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the
earth…”
So, we already see how John is interpreting Jesus as fulfilling of the OT covenants. This takes
our mind to Genesis and God’s covenant with creation and his image bearers in the garden.
What happens in the garden? Mankind is plunged into sin. But you have God’s gracious gospel
proclamation.
Genesis 3:15 we have the protoevangelium, the first gospel proclamation: “I will put enmity
between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your
head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
One theologian says this demonstrates “someone out of the human race itself (‘the woman’s
offspring’) although fatally ‘wounded’ himself in the conflict, would destroy the serpent
(Satan).” (Robert Reymond)
So here at the beginning of John’s gospel—he is taking us back to Genesis, priming us to see that
Jesus is the fulfillment of all that has come before.
In the beginning was the Word… and the Word was with God and the Word was God.
This is talking about Jesus (the Word) as the text later makes clear. The Word became flesh…
(vs 14).
So, in the very first verses of John, we see trinitarian operations. The Son existed eternally with
the Father. The Word was with God and the Word was God. One essence, three persons.

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And the Word became flesh (vs 14) and tabernacled among us. This refers to the incarnation of
Jesus. And as I already read John 3:16… The Son was sent into the world, not to condemn the
world but to save the world. (The Son, in his first advent, did not come to execute God’s final
judgement… rather, the Son came to bear God’s divine judgement upon himself!)
Turning to the gospel of Luke, we see more fulfillment.
The annunciation (Luke 1). Angel Gabriel appears to Mary. Luke 1:32-33
32
He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to
him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his
kingdom there will be no end.”
Even in the angel’s appearance to Mary, we have the announcement of how Jesus fulfills the OT
covenants.
Here we have reference to Jesus fulfilling the Davidic covenant of 2 Samuel 7 and Psalm 89.
Jesus is the promised King from David’s line, who will lead and reign an eternal kingdom.
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And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most
High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born[a] will be called holy—the Son of God.”
The fulfillment language continues. Just as the Spirit of God hovered over the waters as God
begins his work of creation, the Spirit now overshadows Mary with the power of the Most High
as she conceives.
The Greek word “overshadow” translates to the Hebrew word that was used to talk about the
settling of the glory cloud of God’s presence in Exodus. (Stephen Wellum)
Just as in the past, God’s glory presence breaks into human history … and settles on Mary as she
carries the God-man, who is the tabernacle and temple of God… God with us, Immanuel.
Later in Luke, Jesus himself helps us see how we are to understand the Mission of the Son as a
fulfillment of the OT covenants.
Luke 24 – The Road to Emmaus.
Luke 24:25-27
25
And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have
spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his
glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the
Scriptures the things concerning himself.
Luke 24:44
44
Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that
everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be
fulfilled.”
The Bible Jesus used to point to himself was the OT Scriptures. Everything written in the Torah,
the Prophets, and the Psalms, Jesus viewed as being written about him! (This is staggering!!!!)
This is what is meant when theologians say the Bible is Christocentric. – They center on Christ.
Martin Luther: German trans of Bible. OT are the swaddling cloths of Christ.
Simple and little are the swaddling-clothes, but dear is the treasure, Christ, that lies in them.
(Introduction to the Old Testament, 1545)
We find other passages in the gospels that are similar. John 1:17-18
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For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has
ever seen God; the only God,[a] who is at the Father’s side,[b] he has made him known.
In the Greek, “he has made him known” could be translated as “he has interpreted him.” The
Greek word is exegesato. Where we get our word “exegesis.”
Exegesis is an important part of interpreting the Bible. It means, drawing meaning from the text
itself. Not imposing or reading your own ideas into the text. We want our preaching to be
exegetical.
Jesus is the Supreme Exegete.
Jesus exegetes God! Jesus is the chief exegete and interpreter of Scripture. As Luke 24
demonstrates. Or the Sermon on the Mount… there also Jesus is depicted as a greater Moses,
exegeting, showing the true meaning of the OT Law. Jesus will say “you have heard it said… but
I say to you…”
Another remarkable passage in John 5:36-39
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But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has
given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father
has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you
have never heard, his form you have never seen, 38 and you do not have his word abiding in you,
for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. 39 You search the Scriptures because you think
that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,
John 5:46-47
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For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. 47 But if you do not
believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”
Honestly, we could go on and on and on…
As you look at the life and ministry of Jesus you will find themes of fulfillment.
Here’s a key point about fulfillment: Fulfillment is the link of continuity between the OT and
NT.
Fulfillment is not “replacement.”
Matthew 5:17 17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not
come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
The OT and the covenants anticipate Jesus.
Summary: One-word summary of the Mission of God in Jesus: fulfillment.
Life and Work of Jesus (I’ve not done this chronologically… I’ve done this thematically)
Last week ended with the 400 years of prophetic silence.
Israel was awaiting a promised Messiah (a promised Son) who would deliver their people.
Their expectations were realistic if we were in their shoes. They were awaiting a military ruler
who would overthrow Roman oppression.
But as God’s unified plan of redemption unfolds, the identity of the Messiah becomes more and
more defined. (Wellum)
Israel is waiting for a Messiah who will inaugurate God’s saving reign (his kingdom) and usher
in the new covenant age.
God’s kingdom – God’s saving rule and reign.
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Jesus is the one who brings inaugurates God’s kingdom. In Jesus, we have full and final
forgiveness of sins (The book of Hebrews – Jesus is better). The Law and the OT priestly
sacrificial systems were temporary stop-gap measures anticipating the full and final forgiveness
of sin in the substitutionary death of Jesus.
Jesus not only was our substitute, bearing our sin and dying in our place. But Jesus’ whole life
and active obedience was substitutionary. He obeyed the Father as our representative. (remember
universality and particularity).
In the particular God-man (fully God and fully man), Jesus acts as the representative for all those
who have faith in his name. Then his righteousness is imputed and given to us.
Now, because of Jesus’ resurrection, the new creation, the age of the Spirit has burst in. All of
God’s promises are fulfilled in Christ.
Themes in the life of Jesus – Ingathering of the Nations: (centripetal and centrifugal)
From the very beginning of Jesus’ life, he was drawing the nations to himself.
Read the birth narratives of Matthew, with the wise men (sometimes called Magi from the East).
You see gentile worshippers – the nations – coming to worship God the Son incarnate… lying in
a manger.
When the angels appear to the hillbilly shepherds in Luke 2, one of the angels says:
“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” (Luke
2:10)
All throughout Jesus’ ministry, he has interactions with gentiles, often to the chagrin of Jewish
people. He often rebukes Israel because they should be the ones with eyes to see the Messiah, but
they reject him and it is often the gentiles who express great faith.
For example, Jesus teaching in the Synagogue in Nazareth (Luke 4).
Jesus went to the synagogue and starts reading/preaching from the scroll of Isaiah. Here’s Jesus,
exegeting the Prophets… and he says
Luke 4:24-30
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And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. 25 But in truth, I
tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up
three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, 26 and Elijah was sent to
none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a
widow. 27 And there were many lepers[a] in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of
them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard these things, all in the
synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought
him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the
cliff. 30 But passing through their midst, he went away.
In other words, Jesus tells them… you have a history of rejecting prophets. God has historically
showered blessings on gentiles.
Israel’s rejection and the Gentile reception.
This is a major theme throughout the book of Luke… it’s fascinating to see their obstinate
rejection of him.

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However, even though Jesus came as a light for the gentiles, he spends the majority of his time
and ministry among Jews.
Matthew 15:24, Jesus says “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
This is not to the exclusion of the nations… but this is what Paul means by the good news to the
Jew first, then to the gentile. In terms of a redemptive-historical sense… Salvation has come to
the Jews and by extension, all nations.
Passion of Jesus
Many fulfillment patterns reach their climax with the passion and death of Jesus.
Jesus’ death/resurrection fulfills the promise of the new covenant.
Full and final forgiveness of sin.
No more faulty mediators who are not actually able to take away sin.
In the cross and death of Jesus, God brings a message of hope through judgement. Salvation is
for those who believe in Jesus—and as a result, there would be a multi-ethnic multitude who
would join in the chorus of salvation.
Jesus interprets his own death as inaugurating/fulfilling the new covenant promises. On the night
where the Jews gathered to celebrate Passover, the great feast of remembrance of God’s
deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt.
As you’ll recall, blood was spread over the doorposts in Egypt to spare Israelite firstborn sons
from the angel of death. Then Israel traveled through the parted Red Sea and to Sinai.
Jesus’ blood represents a better blood than the lamb slaughtered at Passover. He is the Passover
lamb sacrificed for us.
He is the resurrected priest-king, who inaugurates the new creation – his kingdom (his saving
rule and reign) that is now here in part but not yet here in fullness. We now look forward to the
day—the great marriage supper of the Lamb, when we will celebrate at table in the heavenly
banquet. When we practice communion—that is what we are doing! We are looking backward
and forward in anticipation of the consummation of God’s kingdom.
That’s where we’ll stop today. Next week, we will look at The Mission of God in the Church.
Implications:
God has one unified plan of redemption.
How we read the Bible.
All Scripture is a unified, cohesive whole. (Dangers of separating OT from NT)
Christocentric – it’s all about Jesus – pattern our lives after Jesus
Evangelism – all peoples can get in on covenant promises.