Jesus. Only begotten Son of God. Son of Man. Redeemer. Saviour. Healer. Teacher. Lord.
As I would appreciate, reflecting on who Jesus is and what He has done, is doing, and will do is the sort of preoccupation that consumes all of life. It’s not just an exercise in reading and recalling the titles and names attached to Him. It’s not just an activity of singing about Him and feeling happy. Those things are definitely involved and worthwhile, but there’s a lot more to it than that.
As I discovered, the first step in our journey with Jesus is to examine our relationship with Him. But the next step is equally important: align our lives with His priorities. Jesus, during His time on earth, was a Man on a mission. Are we living in a way that reflects His mission?
For those embarking on their journey with Jesus, it's crucial to understand that He is a Man on a mission and expects you to be on a mission, too. But not just any mission – His mission. As you immerse yourself in His teachings, His mission should become a part of your life, guiding your actions and decisions.
That was not evident in my realising stages of appreciating discipleship. Church activities are, more often than not, noble. Having a calendar of activities and a great idea of why the gathering exists is great. I’m not even that fussed about the church-building funds and the desire to get people into positions where they’re paid to be professional Christians. (I stress that I’m not that bothered, which is to say that I’m not as bothered as I used to be – largely because I recognise there are more pressing issues to attend to.) That’s all well and good. It can get people to understand how they can help and serve something larger than themselves, which is the heart of what it is to be on a mission. I mention this because there was enough to occupy people for all of my formative years in church, which was a good thing.
What I discovered, however, when discipleship was centred on focusing on Jesus was that being a man on His mission was not necessarily about ticking all the boxes of the church activities over the year. In His wisdom, God put me alongside men who were keenly aware that as Jesus was on a mission, so they needed to be about their father’s business. That was something that consumed their entire lives. Their wives and children understood that this is what they lived for. They understood it and contributed to it. They saw that it wasn’t just about keeping things ticking over at a building once a week. They observed that it was not limited to a church polity or organisational culture and perpetuated the same old. They saw men who were highly enthused to serve people and saw them recognise who Jesus was. They saw men engaging and exercising all the skills and abilities God gave them to impress on others that the mission of Jesus did not end on His ascension. They saw men who enlarged a vision of Jesus that affected all of life.
Witnessing all that left a mark on me that cannot be removed, however strong the disinfectant. It left the kind of mark that did not allow me to be content with an approach to church based on annual fund-raising activities and weekly rhythmic services. It left the kind of mark that did not allow me to be content thinking I was doing God a favour by praying and reading every day and giving him some chump change on a plate at the end of the week.
These experiences challenged me to see the exalted Jesus ahead of me, bidding me to follow Him. Follow Him in a mission that involved engaging with people from various walks of life in various settings. Follow Him in a mission that included intimate settings of healing and grand settings of splendour for service. Follow Him on train journeys, car rides and planes. Follow Him on walks and fireside chats. Follow Him to share His word. Follow Him to hear the pain and suffering of others. Follow Him to encourage others to follow Him. Follow Him to be encouraged by others to follow Him. Follow Him on a mission to do what He was doing for the glory of the Father.
The exciting thing about this missional focus was that it brought in a bigger picture that had rarely been outlined to me as a child but was pivotal to any understanding I was to have about Jesus and His Mission. As I was meditating, celebrating, and serving Jesus—the only begotten Son of God, Son of Man, Redeemer, Saviour, Healer, Teacher, and Lord—I needed to understand a vital aspect of Him.
Jesus, the King and His Kingdom.
For His Name's Sake
C. L. J. Dryden
Shalom
