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Barnes in Commonthe magazine of Churches Together in Barnes
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Pastoral letterfrom Revd. Graham Pulham, Minister, Barnes Baptist Church
Why did Jesus come? In a world already awash with gods, goddesses, religious beliefs, philosophies and moralities of all kinds, why did Jesus come? Why did God send his Son into a world when - like a supermarket - the shelves were already packed full of spiritual offers and products to suit all desires and tastes? And why come to a place, Israel, that has been described as having 'the highest religion and the finest political and governmental system that the world of that time had seen'? Why did Jesus come? Numerous books and articles have been written in an attempt to either directly or indirectly answer that question, and no end of opinions have been given and continue to be given, from pulpit to tabloid press, in an attempt to find an answer to - or explain away - the 'Jesus enigma'. Interestingly enough, Jesus himself doesn't seem to have suffered from any such uncertainty. If you want to understand how Jesus saw his mission you don't need to look far into his teaching to notice he talks a lot about things lost being sought, found and restored. Have a look, for example, at his parables about the lost coin (Luke 15:8), the lost sheep (Matthew 18:13), or the lost son (Luke 15:11-32). These stories were told again and again by Jesus to illustrate his mission for he said that he himself had come, "to seek and to save what was lost" (Luke 19:10). Jesus understood humanity as being 'lost' to God as a direct result of turning away from God and wandering off into the wilderness. He spoke of a humanity living in disobedience to and rebellion against the Creator. But he spoke also of the God who in His love and compassion longed for reconciliation - a reconciliation that He alone could affect. Through his words and deeds Jesus proclaimed not only that he was the One sent by God (John 3:16) and approved by God (Mark 9:7), but the One through whom this reconciliation to God was possible (John 14:6). His mission reached it's climax with his own self-sacrifice, an act Jesus - and later his followers - understood as the means by which he took upon himself the consequences of humanity's disobedience and nullified them. So the cross where he gave 'his life as a ransom for many' (Matthew 12:28). So his triumphant resurrection, God's proclamation of 'mission accomplished'. That's why his birth was proclaimed as the birth of a Saviour (Luke 2:11) by the angelic host. That's why, despite all the other gods, goddesses, spiritualities, philosophies, etc., Jesus came. He came to do that which he alone was sent and equipped to do, 'to seek and save what was lost'. His uniqueness as Saviour and Lord was unashamedly proclaimed by the early church in the midst of a multi-cultural, multi-faith society (see Acts 4:12) and it's a uniqueness I believe remains unchanged. A uniqueness the church compromises on at it's peril. An arrogant assumption perhaps - unless of course it's true! What then the implications? I'm reminded of words spoken by the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Carey, at his enthronement service.
Why did Jesus come? What do you think? Have a look again at your answer and ask yourself what difference the Jesus you have described would/should make to yourself and to the world. Was it worth this Jesus coming? What could you find in him that you couldn't find in anyone or anything else - be it god, goddess, philosophy or spirituality? Is there anything unique, anything about your Jesus, that's worth sharing with another, or that makes him worth knowing? Your understanding of why Jesus came and who He is will greatly effect your understanding of His death and resurrection. So it hasn't been a pointless exercise. Rather it's an exercise taking us to the very heart of our understanding of Christmas, Easter, the Christian faith and any grounds we, indeed the world, might have for hope.  |
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