The mission of Jesus

Matthew 11:1 states: “After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee” (NIV).

   Matthew states the early aspect of the mission of Jesus, as recorded in Matthew 4:23: “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.”

   Matthew repeated this mission, as recorded in Matthew 9:35: “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.”

   Then as recorded in Matthew 10:7-8, Matthew tells how Jesus sent His twelve apostles to carry out the same mission.  They were called and enabled to do what Jesus had been doing, which was teaching, preaching, and healing.

   Now the instructions Jesus gave the apostles made it clear they were embarking on an adventure which would be filled with trouble.  Jesus even said they would be hated (Matthew 10:22).  Jesus even states their lives would be in danger!  Yet He still encouraged them to carry out the mission: “What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.  Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:27-28).

   Then after Jesus sends them on an epic adventure, what does He do?  Jesus continues on with His mission, as is stated in Matthew 11:1.  Jesus led by example.

   Teaching and preaching about Jesus may not seem the wisest priority in this world, yet it is, being the most loving priority in this world, because people without Jesus are headed for the destruction which is the result of sin.  Sin always has bad consequences, and the ultimate bad consequence is spiritual death.  Yet Jesus, who is good, offers eternal life.  The ultimate mission of Jesus: Jesus Christ died on a cross for the forgiveness of sins of anyone.  He was the atoning sacrifice for the consequence of sins.  Then He was resurrected.

   Jesus said: “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven” (Matthew 10:32).  For those who receive Jesus, and thus are transformed, we gain the desire to acknowledge Jesus before people.  We are grateful we have been forgiven of our sins and united with our loving God.  And we want other people to receive the gift Jesus is offering to them so they will be saved and be headed to heaven like us.  Heaven is offered by Jesus, the One who made the sacrifice on the cross.  You can receive His gift today.

Hunter Irvine

The Unseen Revealed

2 Corinthians 4:18     So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (NIV).

   This statement seems illogical.  If you cannot see something, how can you trust whether it even exists, let alone whether it is good or whether it will last forever?  And even if you can create a dim vision of something you have not seen or experienced, it could be merely a fantasy.

   Now what we people see is under what many would call “natural law.”  The Bible reveals God is superior to “natural law,” rather than being confined by it.  God can overcome “natural law.”  When this is done, we often term it “supernatural” or “miracles.”  And miracles bring our focus on the unseen.

   God, who is unseen to us, has revealed Himself to people ever since the separation between God and people.  Before the time of Christ, God interacted with humanity, including doing miracles.  For example, the Hebrew people were miraculously given bread by God for forty years in a desert region!  This bread from God was unique, which is why the Israelites named it manna, which means, “What is it?”  The description: “It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey” (Exodus 16:31).  This was only one of many miracles God did for the Israelites!

   Yet miracles seen and experienced by the Hebrew people were exceptional.  And all of us humans are physical beings in this world of matter, and focusing our minds on the “unseen” can seem ridiculous.

   Yet then the Messiah came!  “Immanuel,” which means God with us, entered the world on our level.  Jesus, being fully God and fully human, could be seen, heard, and touched.  And when Jesus started His ministry, He did miracles which were seen, heard, and felt.  For those who experienced the miracles, they were known!  John 1:18 states: “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.”  And revealing Himself with miracles was simply a part of His ultimate mission to become the sacrificial atonement on the cross.

   A revelation from Jesus: “God is spirit…” (John 4:24), thus He is of a different substance than what the human eye can detect.  Yet since we people were made in the image of God, as is revealed in Genesis, we can realize we have a core of ourselves which is unseen.  Thanks to the reconciliation which God made possible since Jesus died on the cross to forgive sins, we can now know the love of God in our “hearts.”  We can know in our minds and “hearts” the reality of the invisible God, because Jesus has revealed God to us!

   Suffering so much unemployment during this pandemic, I wondered if God was going to call me to something other than my passion of vocational ministry.  Since ministry work, title or no title, has been a way of life for me for so long, it seemed odd when I considered it would be easier to do a job where you could frequently see the results of your work.  It would be easier to deal with what is under “natural law.”  But easier does not mean better.  When I do ministry work, I know in my heart I am doing work which is making an eternal difference.  And if you are a follower of Jesus, as you witness Jesus by your life and in your life, you are making an eternal difference.

Hunter Irvine

I love Jesus

   Regarding being all out romantically in love, I was in love once.  She married someone else.  It still hurts.  Yet I pray for her sometimes, since to truly love people is to want the best for her or him.  Now if I am ever blessed to romantically fall in love again and get married, I know I will tell everyone I know: “I am in love!”  I will probably tell some people I do not know.  And I am quite certain she will dominate my screen saver.

   Regarding my true love which I have had for over 31 years, I now consider the fact that in my heart this entire time I have wanted to tell the world I am in love with Jesus.  Usually there has been a purpose in telling others about Jesus: I want others to likewise receive the true love of Jesus, which is offered to everyone, and gain the eternal life and goodness which results from receiving His love.  Yet even in addition to wanting others to be in a true loving relationship with the Lord God Almighty, sometimes I express to someone that I love Jesus simply because I am in love.  I think expressing your heart is a natural need.

   Here in 2021, I have engaged in an unusual expression of my heart.  Though I had a mask in 2020 which really fit and which was very protective, I remained on a long search for a mask which genuinely expressed me, and which I thought was classy.  To me, covering up my face is personal, since your face is what first identifies you to most people.  After a long search, last winter I bought a mask online which states: Jesus loves you, with “love” expressed by the symbol of a heart.  It became my go-to mask.

   Now I was not expecting mask compliments, yet I have had many.  Students at school sporting events, two cashiers, a security guard, a fellow customer in a store, and two stocking clerks.  Comprising of a variety of ethnic groups, the one cashier was a woman from India.  I was encouraged by each and every compliment!  But even if weird looks is all I ever got, I would wear the mask because being in love with Jesus is my life.  We human beings, who are made in the image of God, need true love for life.  And I live by the love of Jesus!

   Being in love with Jesus, there are still numerous hardships.  In this world where there was a separation between God and people, there are countless wrongdoings and hurts.  Even we Christians still sin.  We need to be grateful that we have the forgiveness of our sins, which would have otherwise resulted in spiritual death.  And we can be thankful God keeps improving us.  Yet the journey is still full of many hardships.  In following Jesus for over 31 years, I have had consistent rough times.  Yet what has remained has been His true love.

   If you love Jesus you do not need to go out and get a mask like mine, or a t-shirt, or a bumper sticker.  Rather express your love for Jesus in a manner fitting for you, which includes actions.  Yet saying “I love You” is always a good thing.  May I encourage you this very day, when you have a moment of time all alone, to tell Jesus, “I love You.”

   And know that Jesus loves you.

Hunter Irvine