Easter is this Sunday, so you probably think that this post is going to be about Jesus’ death and/or resurrection. In a way, it is. But I also want to take a step back to examine the reason that He died and rose again.
The Promised One
Even though Jesus performed incredible miracles and shared important teachings during His earthly ministry, neither of those things were His main purpose for coming to Earth. Rather, His main purpose was to fulfill the Old Testament prophecies that promised a Savior would come.
That Savior came—and He sacrificed His life so that we can be forgiven and redeemed. When He died on the cross and came back to life, He proved that He was whom He claimed to be: the Son of God, the Messiah, and the Savior.
As I’ve thought about Jesus’ earthly purpose—and how often He probably thought about it during His life—I’ve also thought about this question: Are we as focused on fulfilling our purpose as Jesus was?
The Risen King
So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” (John 18:33-37 ESV, emphasis mine)
Nearing His crucifixion, Jesus told Pilate, “For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth” (v. 36). Of course, Jesus was (and is and always will be) the King of Kings. But He didn’t come to build an earthly kingdom; He came to make a way for us to enter His heavenly kingdom.
I honestly struggle to stay focused on fulfilling my purpose in this life (i.e., to love God and others). But Jesus’ example of focusing on—and fulfilling—His purpose is an inspiration. I hope that it inspires you this Easter, friends.
Happy Easter!
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