Foundations for Christian Mission, Student Workbook, SW04

1 8 0 /

F O U N D A T I O N S F O R C H R I S T I A N M I S S I O N

Isa. 61.1-3 - The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; [2] to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; [3] to grant to those who mourn in Zion- to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. Jesus’ answer shows what the Messiah would be, and why his own works and actions correspond perfectly to that image. Jesus’ healings and preaching the Good News to the poor are signs of the Messianic era, that the Kingdom of God has come, and most importantly, that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah of the Kingdom. We know that Jesus is the One by what he did with (and said to) the poor. How, then, do we reveal our connection to the Messiah? By loving the hungry, thirsty, naked, stranger, prisoner, and the sick as if they were him, as if he were them, for in fact, what we do (or don’t do) to them, we are doing it to him (Matt. 25.31-46). The Messianic era (and the Messianic community) will be known by its justice and righteousness done on behalf of the broken and the needy. This is significant for us today. The true Messiah proved his spiritual credential by virtue of his love, generosity, care, and healing of the most vulnerable, unlovely, and needy persons in Israelite society, and by his preaching to the poor the Good News of God’s Kingdom come. Now his followers must demonstrate their authenticity by fleshing out the same works to the same people as he. Indeed, those who claim to be abiding in him ought to walk, even as he walked (1 John 2.6). Jesus is certainly the One that we all are looking for. By the way, are you a member of his new forever-to-live Messianic community? As the campfire tune suggests, “And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”

4