 Have you ever thought about what your mission and life would be? Not just your profession, but your purpose in life?

 Christ’s life was part of God’s plan to save all people.  Apart from the time when Jesus was lost and found in the temple, we know very little about Jesus’ life as a child, teenager, and young adult – hidden life of Jesus.  What we know is that – Jesus was obedient to his parents, and grew in “wisdom and knowledge.”  Jesus’ public life began with his baptism by John the Baptist.

 Jesus went to the desert to fast and pray – where he was tempted by the Devil to achieve his mission through fame, comfort, and political power – and not through suffering and death.  After he returned from the desert, Jesus began his mission of proclaiming the Kingdom of God or the Reign of God.

 Jewish culture in Jesus’ time   strict morality with consequences  non-Jews are seen with suspicion and not part of the Kingdom of God  the Messiah is a political and military leader  Jesus challenged these misinterpretations of beliefs.

 Best summary of Jesus’ teachings in the Gospels  “I have come not to abolish the law but to fulfill it.”  Examples (Mt. 5:21-28):  Your shall not kill  someone who holds on to anger  You shall not commit adultery  someone who looks someone with lust  Love your neighbor, hate your enemies  love your enemies.

 Jesus used parables to challenge his listeners.  Parables – stories that has a surprising twist, to shock the people and to hear them in a new way.  Some examples:  Parable of the Prodigal Son  Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus  Parable of the Good Samaritan  Parable of the Unforgiving Servant  Call to love and forgive goes beyond the minimum requirement.  You don’t have to be perfect to be part of the Kingdom, but willing to allow the Holy Spirit to help you grow in love and forgiveness.

 People believed in Jesus because he actually lived the reign of God, not just simply because he was inspiring.  They experienced God’s love and power in a profound way.  Some ways that Jesus lived the reign of God:  Jesus’ miracles  Jesus welcomed everybody – rich and poor, young and old, saints and sinners  Jesus reached out to the outcasts of society (ex: Woman at the well – John 4:1-42)  Jesus included the poor and sinners.  Jesus forgave sins.

 Jesus’ miracles are grouped into four categories:  Physical healings (curing people of paralysis, blindness, leprosy etc.)  Exorcisms (driving out demons)  Bringing the dead back to life  Nature miracles (feeding of the five thousand, calming of the storm).  The miracles show that Jesus had power over all creation – even demons, and that in the Kingdom of God, we are rescued from evil, suffering, pain, and death.  Jesus Christ and the Reign of God are linked together.  Modern society has hard time accepting miracles. But just because some people do not believe in them, it doesn’t mean they’re not real.  Miracles are all around us. We just need to see it.

 Jesus invited his disciples – which means students or followers – to share in his mission to proclaim the Kingdom of God. They come from a diverse group.  Twelve special disciples or inner circle known as the Apostles were –  B – Bartholomew  A – Andrew  P – Peter, Philip  T – Thomas, Thaddeus  I – James, James the son of Alphaeus, John, Judas Iscariot  S – Simon the Zealot  M -- Matthew  12 calls to mind the 12 Tribes of Israel  The bishops are the successors to the apostles

 Many of Jesus’ disciples followed Jesus and provided for the work of the apostles, especially women.  Jesus’ relationship with his disciples teaches us several things about the Kingdom of God:  It’s about your relationship with others and Jesus.  Jesus wants us to be part in proclaiming the Gospel. We are partners in his mission.  The Church (meaning us) – has the responsibility of continuing the mission of Jesus. It’s not perfect. It consists of sinful but saved (redeemed) people.