Jesus’s Plan, Our Purpose

“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

Why am I here?

The answer to that question — even if a person says, “I don’t know” — leads to the creation of a powerful mental map that their life’s journey will inevitably follow.

After Jesus’ resurrection, his followers must have asked this same question. They probably wondered what was going to happen next. It’s not hard to imagine them thinking, If you’re leaving, Jesus, why are we staying? What is our purpose here on earth?

Jesus had a plan for his disciples — a plan to take over the world. But instead of overthrowing the Roman Empire militarily, he would conquer the hearts of people — one by one. His “army” would be those who know him. Their “weapon” would be the message of forgiveness and new life offered by Christ. These “commandos” would relay God’s commands and liberate with God’s compassion — first their neighbors, then individuals across town, finally people in other countries. Eventually they would tell the whole world about Jesus.

The Great Commissioning

The words of Acts 1:8, a variation on what is often called Jesus’ Great Commission, provide a purpose and direction for all of Jesus’ followers. In light of the value that God’s followers place on knowing him, what could be more important than helping others know him? Introducing someone to God brings that person into a relationship that has eternal benefits.

What about you? Consider the Bible for a moment. Perhaps someone gave you one or you bought a Bible to satisfy your spiritual curiosity. Either way, people who value Jesus’ message passed it on to you in this written form. And before that, someone else explained his story to them. And going way back, there were those who were taught by Jesus’ followers. An unbroken line of people relaying Jesus’ truth goes all the way back to Jesus standing with his disciples on that hillside two thousand years ago — and it ends right here, in this moment, with you reading these words.

If you accept the Bible’s message as truth you can trust, you’ll begin an extraordinary adventure. You will fulfill your main purpose for living by experiencing all that Jesus has in mind for you — especially by sharing that reality with others. You’ll be joining a continuous succession of believers who are serious about taking their leader’s message “to the ends of the earth.” That’s why Jesus left those early followers on earth. And that’s why he’s eager to begin his work through you.

Article content drawn from The Journey Bible ebook.