Articles
Jesus Knew His Purpose
Reading: Luke 4:16-44
This chapter of Luke finds Jesus preaching in Nazareth and Capernaum with two very different results. Those in Nazareth acknowledge the power of Jesus’s teachings and works, but they are skeptical and end up attempting to throw him off a cliff (v. 29). Yet in Capernaum he heals many, and the people beg for him to remain with them longer (v. 42).
In both these instances, Jesus demonstrates his full understanding of his ministry. He reveals that Isaiah 62:1-2 is talking about him as the anointed proclaimer of God’s good news. In verse 43, he plainly states his purpose is to preach the good news of the kingdom. But he rejects the notion that he has come to cater to the whims and wishes of the people. He’s not even aiming to help and heal every last person (at least not in an immediate, physical way). It certainly wasn’t in gaining fame and the approval of men—otherwise, he would have let the demons speak freely of his identity as the Holy One of God (see v. 41)!
This begs two questions:
Do you know Jesus’s purpose?
And, do you know YOUR purpose?
Was Jesus’s ministry, all his suffering, and his death, burial, and resurrection for the purpose of making you comfortable? Giving you whatever you desire? Approving what you already decided on your own? No, his purpose was to bring light and life through the gospel (2 Timothy 1:10), so that we could be saved from our sins and be holy as our Father is holy. Your life’s purpose isn’t founded on maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain. We are made to abide in the One who created us, both in this life and into eternity. And the good news? Jesus makes it possible.
