The relevance of this inquiry about the reason why Jesus preached should be seen in the light of our desire to have a proper understanding of the mission of Jesus. We shall treat it under various heads in order to collect as many elements as possible for a comprehensive view of our mission of Gospel proclamation.
Jesus Preached Because He was Sent by God: One of the essential conditions of the availability of the Word of God for the people to act upon is that it should be preached by someone sent by God. No one can or should take it upon oneself to preach the word of God in God's name unless he or she is sent by God or His representatives. John the baptist, the fore-runner of Jesus and the last prophet of Israel, was sent by God to announce Jesus to the public on seeing the Spirit descending upon him (See John, 1: 33-34). All the prophets of the old testament announced the word of God received either directly or in a vision. The word of the lord comes to them taking possession of their entire selves in such a fashion that they live for the word of God thereafter. Many Major prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel were directly called by God to announce His word to the Kings and the people. All of them were reluctant to preach the word of God for one reason or another, but the Lord overruled their objections. God does not necessarily select those who are eager and ready for the job, but the most unsuspecting ones are chosen. The very first prophet of Israel, Samuel, was called by God when he was a mere boy at the service of the priest Eli in the Temple. Before him Moses was chosen as the leader of the people of Israel though he was reluctant and wanted to excuse himself. King David was a mere shepherd boy who could never imagine the heights to which God was to raise him. The most telling case of a reluctant prophet is Jonah who was taught lessons through his experiences in life and sent to preach the word of God to the city of Nineveh In the New Testament too we see that all the Apostles were selected by Jesus on his own without being influenced by the wishes of anyone. The dramatic call of Paul who persecuted the Christians when he was known as Saul was the result of a direct intervention of God sending as preacher of the word of God to the non-Jews.
Identification of Jesus with His Mission: Genuine Word of God comes from the one who is sent by God to preach as was the case with Jesus. In the synagogue of Nazareth, where he was brought up, Jesus stood up and read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah as follows: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me; he has sent me to announce good news to the poor, to proclaim release for prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind; to let the broken victims go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" (Luke, 4: 18-19). Afterwards Jesus went to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and preached in the Synagogue and went to Simon's house on leaving the Synagogue. In the morning, at day-break, Jesus went to a lonely place where the people searched him out and insisted that he should not leave them. "But he said, 'I must give the good news of the Kingdom of God to the other towns also, for that is what I was sent to do'. So he proclaimed the Gospel in the Synagogues of Judea" (Luke, 4: 43-44). God has a very specific purpose in sending Jesus into the world, which is expressed in these words: "It was not to judge the world that God sent His Son into the world, but that through him the world might be saved" (John, 3:17). The Father not only sent His Son to preach in His name, but also testified that he was sent by God Himself (See John, 5: 36-38; 8: 18). Besides, in order to work the way God wants us to work, we must believe in the one God has sent (See John, 6: 28-29). Jesus identified himself so closely with the mission he was sent for by God that even his close disciples did not understand how he could have anything else to eat but the material food. But Jesus said, "It is meat and drink for me to do the will of him who sent me until I have finished his work" (John, 4: 34).
Identity of the Mission of Jesus and of the Father: Although Jesus was sent by God Himself to announce the Good News of salvation of the humans, many found it very hard to believe in him. John mentions a particular case of some among those in authority who believed in Jesus and yet would not acknowledge him because they were afraid of the Pharisees and did not want to be banned from the Synagogue. Their social position prevented them from expressing their personal convictions. John himself gives the reason for their reluctance thus: "For they valued their reputation with men rather than the honor which comes from God" (John, 12: 43). It was an occasion for Jesus to bring out the implications of belief in him and its consequences along with the source of his authority. "So Jesus cried aloud: 'When a man believes in me, he believes in him who sent me rather than in me; seeing me, he sees him, who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that no one who has faith in me should remain in darkness. But if anyone hears my words and pays no regard to them, I am not his judge; I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world. There is a judge for the man who rejects me and does not accept my words; the word that I spoke will be his judge on the last day. I do not speak on my own authority , but the Father who sent me has himself commanded me what to say and how to speak. I know that his commands are eternal life. What the Father has said to me, therefore - that is what I speak' " (John, 12: 44-50).
Mission of the church: Thus the reason why Jesus preached was that he could not have done anything else as the Father had commissioned him to do so. Although Jesus as the eternal Son of God was the very Word of God (See John, 1:1-3), he preached because he was sent by God for the same. Preaching of the Word of God, therefore, is not something we take upon ourselves but should do on being sent authoritatively. The authenticity and genuineness of the Word of God require that the preachers be sent by God to preach in His name. That is why the official proclamation of the Gospel belongs to the C hurch, which has been commissioned by Jesus to preach the Gospel to the whole world. The authority in the Church has a grave obligation to do it properly by sending people to preach and monitoring to see how they do it. However, the faithful in the Church do not have to wait for a formal authorization to proclaim the Gospel as it is done primarily by witnessing to Jesus Christ through our life. (To be Contd).
Jesus Preached Because He was Sent by God: One of the essential conditions of the availability of the Word of God for the people to act upon is that it should be preached by someone sent by God. No one can or should take it upon oneself to preach the word of God in God's name unless he or she is sent by God or His representatives. John the baptist, the fore-runner of Jesus and the last prophet of Israel, was sent by God to announce Jesus to the public on seeing the Spirit descending upon him (See John, 1: 33-34). All the prophets of the old testament announced the word of God received either directly or in a vision. The word of the lord comes to them taking possession of their entire selves in such a fashion that they live for the word of God thereafter. Many Major prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel were directly called by God to announce His word to the Kings and the people. All of them were reluctant to preach the word of God for one reason or another, but the Lord overruled their objections. God does not necessarily select those who are eager and ready for the job, but the most unsuspecting ones are chosen. The very first prophet of Israel, Samuel, was called by God when he was a mere boy at the service of the priest Eli in the Temple. Before him Moses was chosen as the leader of the people of Israel though he was reluctant and wanted to excuse himself. King David was a mere shepherd boy who could never imagine the heights to which God was to raise him. The most telling case of a reluctant prophet is Jonah who was taught lessons through his experiences in life and sent to preach the word of God to the city of Nineveh In the New Testament too we see that all the Apostles were selected by Jesus on his own without being influenced by the wishes of anyone. The dramatic call of Paul who persecuted the Christians when he was known as Saul was the result of a direct intervention of God sending as preacher of the word of God to the non-Jews.
Identification of Jesus with His Mission: Genuine Word of God comes from the one who is sent by God to preach as was the case with Jesus. In the synagogue of Nazareth, where he was brought up, Jesus stood up and read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah as follows: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me; he has sent me to announce good news to the poor, to proclaim release for prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind; to let the broken victims go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" (Luke, 4: 18-19). Afterwards Jesus went to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and preached in the Synagogue and went to Simon's house on leaving the Synagogue. In the morning, at day-break, Jesus went to a lonely place where the people searched him out and insisted that he should not leave them. "But he said, 'I must give the good news of the Kingdom of God to the other towns also, for that is what I was sent to do'. So he proclaimed the Gospel in the Synagogues of Judea" (Luke, 4: 43-44). God has a very specific purpose in sending Jesus into the world, which is expressed in these words: "It was not to judge the world that God sent His Son into the world, but that through him the world might be saved" (John, 3:17). The Father not only sent His Son to preach in His name, but also testified that he was sent by God Himself (See John, 5: 36-38; 8: 18). Besides, in order to work the way God wants us to work, we must believe in the one God has sent (See John, 6: 28-29). Jesus identified himself so closely with the mission he was sent for by God that even his close disciples did not understand how he could have anything else to eat but the material food. But Jesus said, "It is meat and drink for me to do the will of him who sent me until I have finished his work" (John, 4: 34).
Identity of the Mission of Jesus and of the Father: Although Jesus was sent by God Himself to announce the Good News of salvation of the humans, many found it very hard to believe in him. John mentions a particular case of some among those in authority who believed in Jesus and yet would not acknowledge him because they were afraid of the Pharisees and did not want to be banned from the Synagogue. Their social position prevented them from expressing their personal convictions. John himself gives the reason for their reluctance thus: "For they valued their reputation with men rather than the honor which comes from God" (John, 12: 43). It was an occasion for Jesus to bring out the implications of belief in him and its consequences along with the source of his authority. "So Jesus cried aloud: 'When a man believes in me, he believes in him who sent me rather than in me; seeing me, he sees him, who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that no one who has faith in me should remain in darkness. But if anyone hears my words and pays no regard to them, I am not his judge; I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world. There is a judge for the man who rejects me and does not accept my words; the word that I spoke will be his judge on the last day. I do not speak on my own authority , but the Father who sent me has himself commanded me what to say and how to speak. I know that his commands are eternal life. What the Father has said to me, therefore - that is what I speak' " (John, 12: 44-50).
Mission of the church: Thus the reason why Jesus preached was that he could not have done anything else as the Father had commissioned him to do so. Although Jesus as the eternal Son of God was the very Word of God (See John, 1:1-3), he preached because he was sent by God for the same. Preaching of the Word of God, therefore, is not something we take upon ourselves but should do on being sent authoritatively. The authenticity and genuineness of the Word of God require that the preachers be sent by God to preach in His name. That is why the official proclamation of the Gospel belongs to the C hurch, which has been commissioned by Jesus to preach the Gospel to the whole world. The authority in the Church has a grave obligation to do it properly by sending people to preach and monitoring to see how they do it. However, the faithful in the Church do not have to wait for a formal authorization to proclaim the Gospel as it is done primarily by witnessing to Jesus Christ through our life. (To be Contd).
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