Jesus, the Christ: Mission of

The God of Israel spoke; the Rock of Israel said to me, ‘He who rules the people with justice, who rules in the fear of God,

…is like the light of the morning at sunrise of a cloudless dawn, the glistening after the rain on the sprouting grass of the earth.’

“I, the LORD, have called you for a righteous purpose, and I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and appoint you to be a covenant for the people and a light to the nations,

…to open the eyes of the blind, to bring prisoners out of the dungeon and those sitting in darkness out from the prison house.

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners, …

Seventy weeks are decreed for your people and your holy city to stop their transgression, to put an end to sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place.

And he will confirm a covenant with many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of the temple will come the abomination that causes desolation, until the decreed destruction is poured out upon him.”

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel—One whose origins are of old, from the days of eternity.

“On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the people of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.

But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire, like a launderer’s soap.

And He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will present offerings to the LORD in righteousness.

She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”

I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.

But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Do not assume that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. …

He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

…

…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

But Jesus answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns so I can preach there as well, for that is why I have come.”

While Jesus was dining at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Him and His disciples—for there were many who followed Him. …

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

…because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the Dawn will visit us from on high,

…to shine on those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

For my eyes have seen Your salvation, …

Then Simeon blessed them and said to His mother Mary: “Behold, this Child is appointed to cause the rise and fall of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against,

…so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your soul as well.”

Coming forward at that moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the Child to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed,

…to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

But Jesus told them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well, because that is why I was sent.”

But the Pharisees and their scribes complained to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” …

Soon afterward, Jesus traveled from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with Him,

And He and His disciples went on to another village.

I have come to ignite a fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! …

Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you out without purse or bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” “Nothing,” they answered. …

Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and then to enter His glory?”

And He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,

…and in His name repentance and forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.

No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven—the Son of Man. …

The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When He comes, He will explain everything to us.”

Jesus explained, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And this bread, which I will give for the life of the world, is My flesh.”

Then Jesus declared, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind may see and those who see may become blind.”

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in all its fullness.

Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? No, it is for this purpose that I have come to this hour.

I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in Me should remain in darkness.

As for anyone who hears My words and does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world.

“Then You are a king!” Pilate said. “You say that I am a king,” Jesus answered. “For this reason I was born and have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to My voice.”

God exalted Him to His right hand as Prince and Savior, in order to grant repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.

All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.”

…that the Christ would suffer, and as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”

He was delivered over to death for our trespasses and was raised to life for our justification.

For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. …

For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin. He thus condemned sin in the flesh,

…so that the righteous standard of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

For Christ is the end of the law, to bring righteousness to everyone who believes.

For this reason Christ died and returned to life, that He might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

If your brother is distressed by what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother, for whom Christ died.

For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs,

…so that the Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to Your name.”

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that One died for all, therefore all died.

And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and was raised again.

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,

…who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

…to redeem those under the law, that we might receive our adoption as sons.

He who descended is the very One who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things.

This is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst.

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.

Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil,

…and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.

Otherwise, Christ would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But now He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

But you know that Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin.

The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.

And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.