Jesus read from the book of Isaiah chapter 61:1-3, He quoted this scripture in the hearing of the people in the synagogue at the onset of His earthly ministry (Luke 4:18-19) though the people did not have a full understanding of all He was sent to do, nevertheless, He told them His mission on earth. To preach the gospel, to teach, to cast out devils, deliver the oppressed, heal the sick, to train the disciples and commission them (Mark 1:21-23, 32-34, 37-38, 3:14-15). His mission on earth was so clear to Him and apparently He didn't lose focus of His mission. He shunned away every undue publicity but faced His major assignment squarely (Mark 2:13,17). Jesus never focused on people's opinion about His personality or deity. He, however, concentrated on His mission. If Jesus lost the sense of His mission, what would have been the hope of this world. It would have been terribly disastrous for human race, but He our perfect example tenaciously followed His mission on earth and would not be dissuaded by anyone who is merely ambitious or vague.
The disciples and many of His followers were obviously ignorant of His mission through He repeatedly and clearly stated it. And His mission is simply to seek and save them that were lost. Despite his declarations, teachings and pronouncements, notwithstanding, they had little or no understanding of His personality-who He was and what He came to do (His mission). Even the disciples lacked clarity of their master's mandate. And that's why He posed a question to them and asked, "Who do men say that the Son of man is?" Indeed they misconceived and misrepresented Him. A wrong view and belief about Jesus often affects the understanding of His personality and His mission. But under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Peter declared that Jesus is Christ. However, Jesus rebuked Peter and called him Satan because he wanted to twist His mission by forbidding Jesus to suffer and die for human kind (Mark 8:33). To culminate His assignment on earth, the man Jesus had to die. Though He was full of glory and majesty, He relinquished it and preferred to die in order to complete His mission on earth. He fulfilled prophesy (one must die for others to be released John 11:50-52). A man on mission, the man Jesus, He became a ransom for the sins of the world. He laid down His life and paid the utmost price, full and free for the redemption of mankind. The man Jesus, though everything was created through Him and for Him, He chose to give His life, therefore, it pleased the father that in Him all the fullness should dwell and that in all things He may have the preeminence (Colossians 1:14-19).
Apostle Paul was another man who embraced and pursued his divine mission. He would not exchange it with anything. He has a clear mandate and counted all his attainment and achievements as dung. After his unusual encounter with the Lord on his way to Damascus, everything about him changed. He recounted and affirmed it severally in his epistles to the churches and in the book of the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 20:19-24, 26:19-20, Romans 15:15-16, 1 Corinthians 1:1, Galatians 1:1, Philippians 3:7 and so on). He was not disobedient to the heavenly vision but carried it out explicitly. On the contrary, the disciples who followed Jesus during His earthly ministry and received clear instruction from the Lord, after Jesus ascension changed their mission. They probably reasoned among themselves that the miracle man who used to feed thousands of people with five barley loaves and two small fish has gone, and thought of how to move on in life and provide for themselves. So, the disciples under the leadership of Peter embarked on their own mission which was out-rightly opposite what the Lord and Master mandated them before His departure. The master's instruction in the book of Matthew 20:18-20 was "go ye into all the world to preach the gospel" but Peter led the disciples to go a fishing. They went anyway but not to preach the gospel.
So, Jesus had to come again and remind him about the original mission. After He has satisfied the sincere passionate desire of Peter, He provided bread and a fish on the coals of fire for them. Not only did He provide a ready-made meal for them but He directed them to where the fishes were. When Peter realized that it was Jesus, he jumped into the sea because he saw his nakedness and nothingness, his effort to live the life that has not been ordained for him. Then, after meeting all the needs of this self-centered, ambitious, and rebel leader, Jesus confronted and challenged him with the question, "Do you love me more than these? In the gospel according to John chapter 21 verses 15-17, "So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these?" He said to him,"Yes, Lord; You know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me? He said to him , Yes Lord; You know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah , do you love me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to Him, "Lord , You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep.
It was deliberate that Jesus repeatedly asked the same question three times, He did this intentionally to be sure that Peter fully understood the import of the discourse. Peter, are you sure, do you really mean it that you love me more than "these" (a fish on the fire and many more in the net)? Peter was grieved because the Master asked him thrice, but the Master was doing the right thing. Peter was broken and affirmatively responded "Lord thou knowest." Jesus was invariably saying to Peter that as you can see, for all these (Luke 12:30) that you desire to be laboring for, I have effortlessly set a table for you, here is bread, a fish on the coals of fire and many more in the net, so what else. This is just for you to know that I can supply your needs. Oh! His perspective changed, his approach to the work of the Master also changed. Then, Jesus told him, feed my lambs (the young converts), feed my sheep (matured believers) and tend my sheep (care for them). Now, this is your mission-the sheep and the lamb, not "these" (bread, fish on the fire and those in the sea that you longed to catch). To be convinced of true love and devotion to Jesus is not a mere lip declaration, it must be from the heart. And it is when our mission is only to love God supremely can the lamb and the sheep be committed to our care. Jesus is asking the same question now and until we answer Him from a heart void of hypocrisy, we may be wasting His grace, gifts (endowment) and blessings on earthly, useless and valueless things. And it will be a disaster if "these" is the essence of our mission or our main pursuit.
Thank God for after encountering the Lord, the same Peter who once led the rest disciples in a wrong direction, fully assume his duty as Jesus commanded him to feed the sheep and the lambs. In the book of the Acts of the Apostles, Peter's exploits were remarkable and this could simply be attributed to the visitation by his master. His orientation about his mission and pursuit in life changed because the Lord and Master redirected him. He eventually became the pillar as foretold by Jesus. He fulfilled his purpose on earth (Acts 11:13-14), he preached to the Jews and the gentiles (Acts 2:14-39, 3:12-19), he led the other apostles (he was their able spokesman) Acts 1:15-26, and if not for the mercy of God that made Jesus to visit him, he would have missed it. We believers in this generation need a fresh visitation of the Saviour so that the original mission will not be missed.
Unfortunately, many are having a beclouded view of what their mission on earth really is. There's a lot of diversion and perversion going on, yet, the mission and mandate of Jesus for the church has not change. When our mission is no more to seek and save the lost, we have missed it. When activities, programs and special events that doesn't lead souls to heaven takes over, we have missed it. When concentration is on raising structures and building ego empires, competition in amassing wealth and properties at the expense of souls for which Christ died, there's serious problem. The mission of many have been twisted by Satan and they are unaware, little did they know that that are treading and leading others on dangerous path. To be candid, we need to ask ourselves this pertinent question and be very sincere with ourselves: What is the essence of all that I am doing? Is it out of pure love for God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, or is it initiated by the flesh (self). Is it for gaining recognition, getting affluence, influence or position?
