Kingdom Mission, Purpose, & Power | Sunday, April 27, 2025

Then Jesus went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths. And they were astonished at his teaching, for his word was with authority. Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. He cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Let us alone. What have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Did you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God." But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet and come out of him." And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him. And then they were all amazed... For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out. And the report about Jesus went out into every place and the surrounding region. — Luke 4:31-37

Why did Jesus come? He told us plainly—and his answer reorders everything we think we know about him.

The Question "Why?"

As far back as I can remember, I've been one of those people constantly wondering and asking the question why. My dad tells me I asked it constantly as a little kid. So when I consider what the Bible tells us, I find myself wondering.

We're told there is a God who made everything we see and even the things we can't see. Then we're told this God became a man and walked among humanity 2,000 years ago. This man, Jesus of Nazareth, moved from Jerusalem to Galilee proclaiming a message and performing miracles. We're further told that this God-man was crucified, buried, and rose again the third day. If you're anything like me, you look at all that and wonder: Why did Jesus come? Why did he preach? Why did he perform miracles? What was Jesus's purpose?

Many Opinions About His Purpose

Even though an increasing number of people in our culture don't know much of what the Bible says, they still have ideas about Jesus. I did a Google search this week. Some say his purpose was to challenge religious hypocrisy and legalism. Some say he came to give us an example of how to live and love one another. Some say he was a champion for the poor and the marginalized, or a great philosopher with profound ideas—"love your enemies," "turn the other cheek," "do unto others." Some say he came to promote peace and non-violence or to challenge unjust social structures.

There are a lot of different answers when you ask people why Jesus came. But we don't need to speculate, because Jesus made it quite clear. You don't need to ask Google or someone walking around—you can go to the text and see what Jesus said.

Jesus's Own Mission Statements

A lot of people spend much time and money having PR firms help them craft a mission, vision, and values statement. I've helped organizations and churches do that. Jesus states his quite clearly.

The thematic verse for Luke is found in Luke 19:10: "The son of man has come to seek and to save the lost." This comes in the context of him reaching out to a tax collector—someone the culture had rejected as a sinner.

In Mark 10:45, Jesus says, "The son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many." The word "serve" carries deeper meaning than waiting on someone—the original Greek speaks of an agent, an intermediary acting on behalf of another. A ransom is paying a debt someone else cannot pay. So Jesus says, "I have come to be your agent, your mediator, to settle the debt."

In Matthew 5, Jesus says, "Do not think that I came to destroy the law and the prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." Everything written from Genesis to Malachi, he came to fulfill. And in John 10:10, "I have come that you may have life and that you may have it more abundantly." I don't think there's a person in our county not looking for more abundant life—and that abundant life extends into forever, because it is eternal.

"I Have Come To..."

If you keep studying the Gospels, you find more of these statements. I've highlighted them in my Bible program. In Matthew 9, Mark 2, and Luke 5, he says, "I have come to call sinners to repentance." In Luke 9:56, "I have come to save men's lives." In John 6:38, "I have come to do the father's will." In John 18:37, "I've come to bear witness to the truth."

That last one comes as Jesus talks with Pontius Pilate just before his crucifixion. Pilate asks, "What is truth?"—and seems to leave the question hanging as he turns and walks away. Oh, that I wish Jesus had been given the chance to answer. In John 12:27, his purpose is to die on the cross. In John 12:46, to be a light to those in darkness. In John 12:47, to save the world.

Point number one: Jesus was never unclear about his mission. That's not to say people didn't misunderstand it, or try to co-opt it for their own ends. I've studied church history, and it is not always a pretty picture—many have hijacked the mission of Jesus for their own purposes.

When Even Disciples Resist His Mission

Some closest to Jesus tried to impose their agenda on him. When Jesus "set his face like flint towards Jerusalem"—a metaphor meaning he would not be deterred—one of his closest disciples stood in his way and said, "Far be it from you, Lord." Those words do not go together. Jesus replied, "Get behind me, Satan. You are an offense to me, because you're not mindful of the things of God but of the things of man."

Sometimes we, as Jesus's closest followers, can find ourselves saying, "Not so, Lord." I've had moments where I sensed Jesus asking, "Who is Lord here?" Jesus came for a purpose and remained on mission throughout his time on earth—and he has remained consistent since ascending into heaven, seeking to accomplish it through his church.

Rejected at Nazareth, Welcomed in Capernaum

We've come to a section where Jesus is now engaged in fulfilling his purpose. In the previous text, Jesus was in his hometown of Nazareth, where you'd assume he'd be received warmly—but they rejected him.

We ended last week at Luke 4:29 and started today at 4:31, skipping a fascinating verse. At the end of verse 29, the people took Jesus to a cliff to throw him off. But verse 30 says, "Then passing through the midst of them, he went his way." I want more details on that one. People have speculated; I have no idea what it means—but it's on my list of things to see the replay of when I get to heaven.

So Jesus is not only expelled from the synagogue and the town, they try to exterminate him. After this rejection, he returns to Galilee, to Capernaum, on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. You can visit its ruins today—a relatively good-sized but quite small village.

Words and Works Reveal Purpose

What Jesus said and did—his words and his works—reveal his purpose. The same is true of you. If I listen to how you talk, or look at your credit card statement or your calendar, I can tell you what you're about.

In Luke 4:31, "He went down to Capernaum... and was teaching them on the Sabbaths, and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word was with authority." Notice the repetition. In Luke 4:14-15, Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit and "taught in their synagogues, being glorified by everybody." In verse 16, returning to Nazareth, "as was his custom he went into their synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read."

Point number two: Jesus spoke his mission with his words and displayed his purpose in his actions. As he engages his mission, awesome things happen. In the synagogue, a man with an unclean demon cries out, identifying Jesus as Christ. Jesus rebukes him: "Be quiet and come out of him." The man is delivered, and everyone is amazed: "With all authority and power he commands unclean spirits, and they come out."

Astonished at His Words and His Works

Two things astonished people about Jesus. First, his teaching (verse 32). This recurs throughout the Gospels. At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, "the people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes" (Matthew 7:28). In Mark 11:18, the scribes and chief priests feared him because "all the people were astonished at his teaching."

Second, they marveled at his works. He commanded a demon and it obeyed. In Matthew 8, he rebuked the wind and waves and they were calmed, and his disciples marveled, "Who can this be that even the wind and the waves obey him?" In Matthew 9:8, he healed a paralyzed man and the multitudes glorified God. In Matthew 9:33, he cast out a demon making a man mute, and the multitudes said, "It was never seen like this in Israel." The words and works of Jesus are still astonishing. I've seen Christ transform lives in powerful ways.

At Simon's House

Continuing in verse 38, Jesus enters Simon's house, where Simon's mother-in-law is sick with a high fever. They make a request, and Jesus rebukes the fever; it leaves her, and she rises and serves him.

Several things are interesting here. First, Luke drops Simon into the text with no character development. Why? I don't think Luke imagined that 2,000 years later in San Diego people would read his words. He was writing to people who, when he said "Simon," all knew exactly whom he meant—because Simon was still alive and one of the most prominent figures in the early church.

Second, observant Jews don't travel far from the synagogue on the Sabbath. So Simon lived close to the synagogue in Capernaum. You can visit the synagogue ruins and walk about a hundred feet—a lob wedge away—to what is believed to be the house of Peter.

Third, Simon Peter—regarded by a large segment of the church as the first pope—was married. He had a wife and a mother-in-law, and Jesus healed her.

Miracles That Authenticate the Mission

Point number three: Jesus's power over illness and evil authenticated his identity and mission. This is very important. We can misunderstand and assume the miracles were the core focus of his ministry—but they clearly were not. You will never find a text where Jesus says, "I have come to heal the sick" or "to feed the poor" or "to walk on water for all the surfers in the room." That's not his purpose. So why did he do it? His miraculous power was an authentication, a validation of who he was—a demonstration of his divinity.

Here's an illustration. For the last 15 or so years I've served as a chaplain with the Escondido Fire Department, and they gave me something 5-year-old Miles would have loved: a gold badge. It says "Chief"—I'm not; I'm a chaplain—but all they see is a gold badge, so they call me "sir," even though I show up with long hair and a beard. There are times they call me to a closed police scene; I drive up, show the badge, and they wave me through. That badge has no intrinsic power, but it represents power. It's a credential.

Jesus's miracles are a divine demonstration—the authentication of his identity, not the primary focus of his mission. This is key, because many Christians and churches have focused all their attention on the miraculous, the "works" side. Those things can be good, but only as validation. The message is the purpose.

In John 5:36, Jesus says, "I have a greater witness than John... the works which the father has given me to finish bear witness of me that the father has sent me." And the theme verse of John, 20:30-31: "Truly Jesus did many other signs... but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God, and believing you may have life in his name." The miracles authenticate the message. When the miraculous becomes the focus, you've missed the primary purpose.

Trying to Capture the Momentum

This is exactly what happens next. In verse 40, when the sun was setting on the Sabbath, all who were sick were brought to him, and he laid hands on every one and healed them. Demons came out crying, "You are the Christ, the son of God," but he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak—it wasn't time yet.

When it was day, he departed to a deserted place, and the crowds tried to keep him from leaving. Mark's account (1:35) adds that Jesus rose long before daylight and went to a solitary place to pray. Simon and the others searched for him, and when they found him said, "Everyone is looking for you."

I can imagine what was in Simon's mind: "Jesus, this is it! There's so much buzz, so much momentum. We can start the miraculous ministry of the Messiah right here in Capernaum. You can heal people all day long. Let's capitalize on this." But Jesus has a clear mission. Healing and deliverance were a byproduct of his power, not the primary focus.

Look at verse 43: "But he said to them, 'I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also. Because for this purpose I have been sent.'" Underline that.

Point number four: Jesus often needs to adjust and refocus my attention to his mission, because I'm given to co-opt it or change the agenda, too—just like Simon. And this won't be the last time Simon says, "No, no, we have a better plan."

The Kingdom Was His Focus

This brings us to an important and often misunderstood topic: the kingdom. The kingdom was core to Jesus's ministry and focus. The kingdom shows up 129 times in the four Gospels. Sometimes it's "the kingdom of God," sometimes "the kingdom of heaven"—used interchangeably; don't get into the weeds over the distinction. Of those 129 times, 105 are Jesus himself talking about it. If he talks about it 105 times, do you think it was important to him?

Much of Jesus's teaching came as parables, and many are called kingdom parables because he begins, "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who planted seed... a treasure hidden in a field... a merchant seeking beautiful pearls... a certain king who wanted to settle his accounts." The kingdom, the kingdom, the kingdom.

Why did Jesus come—this man whom some two billion people still look to for hope, salvation, and forgiveness? To proclaim the message of the kingdom. He remains fully committed to this, and anyone who tries to dissuade him hears, "Get behind me, Satan." Remember, in the wilderness the devil showed him all the kingdoms of the world and offered them if Jesus would bow down. Jesus refused—because he's already the king of a greater kingdom. And why did he perform miracles? To validate the kingdom message with kingdom power.

What On Earth Is the Kingdom?

First, note from the text it's not on earth yet. Jesus taught his disciples to pray, "Father, your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." He told Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36). So if it's not of this world, what was the point of preaching it here? Because it will one day come. The same kingdoms the devil offered him will one day be given to him; he will take them. Revelation 11:15 pictures this: "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord."

So Jesus came to proclaim the message of the kingdom—to prepare us for its coming, to invite us to participate in its work, to reveal its mysteries through his parables, to call us to seek first his kingdom, to establish his kingdom in us, to give us the keys to the kingdom (access!), and to make us fit for the kingdom. In my natural nature, I'm not ready—I'm not dressed right yet—but he's here to make us fit. If the kingdom was Jesus's focus, then if I'm his follower, the kingdom ought to be my focus too.

Misunderstandings About Heaven

When we talk about the kingdom, we're talking about heaven, and there is a lot of misunderstanding about it—because it's a mystery. Why? Because none of us have been there yet. If we want to know about the kingdom of heaven, we want to hear it from someone who's been there—and there's someone who came down from there to here who had things to say.

I find many Christians hold unchristian, even heretical, ideas about heaven that aren't based in Scripture. Misunderstanding Jesus's kingdom teaching leads to bad kingdom theology—liberation theology, "kingdom now" theology, or what you've heard called Christian nationalism, which is basically a form of "kingdom now" theology. But Jesus said his kingdom is not of this world, even as he taught us to pray, "Your kingdom come." The kingdom is our eternal home and a big part of our hope. Next week we'll begin a brief two-week series on the kingdom of heaven—a great opportunity to invite anyone wondering what the Bible says about it.

Citizens, Subjects, and Ambassadors

How do we wrap this up? With some things to think about. First, has Jesus's focus and purpose become yours? Or are you trying to get your agenda done—"your will be done in heaven as it is on earth"—which isn't how he gave it to us. Can you honestly pray, "Your kingdom come, your will be done in my life as it is in heaven"? Can you say, "Not my will, but yours be done"? He's the king.

When you become a Christian, you become a citizen of a new kingdom and a subject of a new king. Paul says in Philippians 3:20, "My citizenship is in heaven." Not only that—you become an ambassador and representative of that king and his kingdom here on earth.

So a challenging question I wrestle with: How well am I representing the king and his kingdom—in the way I interact with my wife, my kids, the church, my work? We wear a uniform, in a sense. Maybe you have a sticker on your car that outs you as a Christian, and people are watching. A lot of people have bad ideas about the church because the representatives have been bad at representing the king. But we are ambassadors of another kingdom. What do your words and your life show about your purpose? Have you accepted his lordship and surrendered your will to his?

Seek First the Kingdom

Point number five: Jesus wants his kingdom to be my focus. This is really important. We live in an anxious time and an anxious culture. Everything coming at you all day, every day, is making you more anxious—almost as if engineered to be so. I don't think it's George Soros or the Koch brothers; I think it's more spiritual. Many people I know are anxious about all kinds of things.

Jesus said, "Do not worry." That's as much a command as "Thou shalt not covet." In Matthew 6, Jesus said don't worry about what you'll eat, wear, or where you'll live—the fundamental things people worry about—because those who don't know their Father in heaven worry about those things. "But you, seek first the kingdom, and all these things will be added unto you." If that's true, it's awesome. I don't have to worry; I have to reorient my focus to his kingdom. God help me—I'm not always good at that. You can pray for me, and I'll pray for you.

Closing Prayer

God, thank you for the simple teaching of the kingdom. It's a radically different thing, because so often we can be led to think that your message was not the message you yourself promoted. We attach all kinds of things from our own agenda or co-opt your purpose, and you just keep saying, "No, this is my purpose." Your disciples came and said, "Here's what we think you should do," and you said, "No, that's not what I'm doing. We're going to go preach the kingdom, because for this purpose I came."

God, I pray that your kingdom would rule and reign in my heart and mind. I pray for my brothers and sisters here today that we would set our hearts and minds upon you and your kingdom. Fix our focus on you, and let all the things that weigh upon us and cause anxiety and fear fade away as we seek first your kingdom. God, would you help us to do that this week by your Spirit? We ask this in Jesus's name. And all those agreed said, "Amen."