Whenever I hear the word “mission” I immediately think of the “Mission: Impossible” films in which a team of undercover agents are sent out on covert assignment that usually involves uncovering a sinister plot and saving the world from certain destruction. Whether or not you are a fan of spy thrillers, they offer a good analogy for the way that “mission” is described in the biblical story. 

The Movement of Divine Love

The English word “mission” comes from the Latin verb mittere meaning “to send.” “Mission” can therefore be defined as an intentional and purposeful movement towards something and/or someone. 

In his letter to the early church, John writes:  

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him” (1 John 4:7-9).

In this passage, John describes God with both simplicity and profundity by saying: “God is love.” To declare that “God is love” is to say that he is a God of mission because love, by definition, involves movement towards another. Love is active rather than static. This means that “mission” is not simply something that God does, rather it is fundamental to who God is.

It is no surprise, therefore, that immediately after describing God this way, John recounts the movement of divine love towards humanity by saying that, “God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.” In this one sentence, John summarizes the entire biblical narrative. From cover to cover, the Bible tells the story of God’s mission––the movement of divine love to redeem humanity and all of creation from the power of Sin and Death. 

Made to be Partners

What is perhaps most remarkable about God’s mission is the way he invites each of us to participate in it together. From the very outset of creation, God’s desire has been to partner with humanity to create a kingdom where life flourishes under the reign of divine love. But when humanity ruins that partnership by rebelling against him, God does not abandon us to the consequences of our selfishness and pride. Instead, he remains committed to his mission and continually moves towards his creation in love. 

The Old Testament describes how the mission of divine love unfolds through the nation of Israel, the people that God rescued from slavery in Egypt and called to partner with him in revealing his love and kingdom to the world. Sadly, it’s not long before the people of Israel prove to be just as broken and corrupt as all the other peoples of the earth. 

By the end of the Old Testament story, Israel’s continual rebellion against God leads them into exile where they once again live under the oppressive rule of other kingdoms. Amidst the darkness and disillusionment of exile, God raised up prophets who proclaimed that Israel's God was still King and that, one day, he would once again rescue his people and establish his kingdom once more. 

When we fast forward roughly four centuries to the New Testament, we find Jesus of Nazareth proclaiming the good news that God’s long awaited kingdom was arriving and that he was the it's king. But what surprised everyone was how Jesus’ described God’s kingdom in ways that turned the values and structures of all human kingdom upside down. According to Jesus, the greatest people in God’s kingdom are not the strong, the wealthy, and the powerful, but those who lay down their lives in self-giving love for others––even their enemies. 

Israel's religious leaders were so threatened by Jesus’ message and the challenge it brought to their power and status that they conspired to put him to death. Instead of thwarting their plans and saving himself, Jesus believed that by giving up his life as a sacrifice of love for his enemies he would break the power of Sin and Death and make a way for divine love to once again reign over creation. 

Commissioned By Jesus

When Jesus rose in victory over sin and death, he told his disciples “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21). In other words, those who follow Jesus are sent out to participate in the movement of God’s love towards people as we await the day when our King returns to make all things new. 

As the family of God in Christ, we are meant to fulfill this mission together by living as Jesus’ witnesses who declare and demonstrate the reign of God’s redeeming love. Along the way, we invite people everywhere to enter God’s kingdom by repenting of their sin and giving their allegiance to Jesus, becoming his disciple and joining in on God’s mission.