My life’s mission is to usher as many people as I can into the kingdom of God.
Why do I have such a mission in life? It is because the Lord Jesus gave it to me. It is not a mission unique to me though, for it is given to all who believe in him. Jesus’ commission to us all is found in Matthew 28:18–20: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
In these words, Jesus proclaims that he has been given all authority, and that not only on earth but in heaven as well. They were spoken just before his ascension to heaven, forty days after his resurrection from the dead.
Jesus had been tried and sentenced to be crucified by the Roman governor in Jerusalem because the Jews had accused him of claiming to be a king. Jerusalem was called the city of David and the city of the Great King — David was the greatest king in Israel’s history, and the Great King refers to God himself. Into this city, Jesus had rode on a donkey, to the shouts of “Hosanna to the Son of David!” by very large crowds who welcomed him and who spread their cloaks and cut palm leaves on the road — Jesus was welcomed as royalty. Jesus would thereafter go to the Temple in Jerusalem, where he overturned the tables of the moneychangers and traders there, accusing them of turning the house of prayer into a den of robbers. The chief priests and the elders challenged Jesus, asking, “By what authority do you do these things? And who gave you this authority?” to which Jesus wittily replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism — where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?” to which they answered, “We don’t know.” (Matthew 21:7–9, 12–13, 23–27). When Jesus was before Pontus Pilate, the governor said to him, “Don’t you realise I have the power to free you or to crucify you?” to which Jesus replied, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.” (John 19:10–11).
As can be seen from the preceding paragraph, the people had struggled against Jesus, or in the face of Jesus, for power and authority. That was what they wanted, and if they had it, the words of Jesus reminded them that it was actually not theirs to possess, save as granted from above, that is, from heaven, by God. Jesus did not strive with the people for power and authority. He exuded that, as seen in his triumphal entry to Jerusalem, his righteous anger in the Temple, his teachings to his disciples and the multitudes, and his conduct at his trial and suffering. He exuded authority because he knew where he had come from and where he was going — he had come from the Father who sent him to be the Saviour of the world, and he was going back to his Father to take his rightful place at the Father’s right hand. It was for the joy set before him that he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2).
After conquering death, and the one who had power of death (that is, the devil — Hebrews 2:14), Jesus now has the keys of Death and Hades (Revelation 1:18). According to human ancestry, Jesus was the son of David, and according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead (Romans 1:3–4). This is why all power and authority was now his. This power was not in heaven only, but on earth as well. Though the world might not know him, he rules over the whole world. To those who received him and believed in his name, he gave the right, the power, to become children of God (John 1:12). He had come that we might become children of God.
Just before Jesus ascended to heaven, he also said to his assembled disciples, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8). He was going to send the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, to his followers, and when he was come, they will be empowered to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth, to make disciples of all nations. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the 120 disciples assembled for prayer, and on that day, 3000 new believers were added as the apostle Peter stood up to preach. The Spirit of God is also the Spirit of the Son, and it is by the Spirit that our hearts can call out, “Abba, Father!” to God, our heavenly Father.
This is why I have a mission. It is not a worldly mission, measured by worldly success. It does not carry the promise of material prosperity, or of monetary rewards. It calls me to invest the resources I have in the mission, to give, to sacrifice, to not store up treasure on earth but to store up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19–21). It calls me to risk rejection by men, by friends, by family, for telling them the truth that they so need to know. For the gospel brings eternal life to all who believe, and the gospel message is simple:
God loves you so much that he sacrificed his one and only Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross for you so that if you believe in him, you can know that all your sins are forgiven and that you have eternal life.
I can have this mission only because I know I already have eternal life. I can have it only because my faith is not in myself but in my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. There are some people who know me who do not yet know that I believe in Jesus, simply because I have not told them that I do. Well, anyone who reads this will for sure know now. Yes, for I carry the imprimatur of Christ, to be his mouthpiece and to be a help to others along the journey of life to discover their Creator and Supreme Lover of their beings.
All power and authority belong to Jesus Christ, my Lord. I can be of service to him only because he has redeemed me to serve him. I do not hold credentials (as pastor, deacon, elder, worker etc.) of a church, and I do not have any ambition to join any ecclesiastical hierarchy. But I do have a self-assigned credential that I hope to be able to uphold: I am an usher: I am here to usher people into the kingdom of God. If you have not yet believed in Jesus, I would like to be of service to you, as an usher. I will explain the gospel to you, and help you to discover the kingdom of God for yourself. I can usher you to the extent that you are willing to let me. I may speak with fear and trembling, I may not have smooth-flowing words proceeding from my mouth, I may not exhibit great human wisdom, and I may be stumped by some questions you might have. Nevertheless, it will be my privilege to serve you, and the Lord, as an usher. And to trust you to make your own decision, with God’s help, on what is best for you, in this world and for eternity.