The Mission of God

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” (Matthew 28:19)

One of Jesus’ final commands to his disciples, and to us as his followers, is to go into the world and make disciples.  It’s called the Great Commission; to be missionaries to our world and our culture, and to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Theologians call this the Missio Dei, translated from Latin meaning Mission of God.

Jürgen Moltmann says, "It is not the church that has a mission of salvation to fulfill in the world; it is the mission of the Son and the Spirit through the Father that includes the church."

It’s God’s mission to spread His glory by using the Church to teach and train people to love and follow Jesus.  And in the Great Commission Jesus calls us to be a part of that mission.  That’s where the phrase to live missionally comes from—it means to live out the Mission of God.

Have you ever thought about the fact that God is a missionary God?  He is.  The great thing about Jesus’ call for us to go and make disciples is that He led by example!  The greatest display of the Mission of God is in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

How does thinking of Jesus as God’s sent missionary to you, affect your thoughts toward missions?

Spend some time today thinking about the fact that God is a missionary God who came into your world to reach you with His love through Jesus Christ.  His desire is to see you, and all people, reconciled, and redeemed.

Then, spend some time in prayer today, rejoicing in the thought of God the Father’s great love towards you, and that He sent His Son Jesus to reach, love, rescue, and redeem you through His finished work on the cross.