Fourth Sunday in Lent: Epistle, 2 Corinthians 5:16-21                       

2 Corinthians 5:16-21

Boy there is a lot of chatter in the church today about what it means to be the church. I guess I’ve never been very patient with spiritual questions that arise because people want to skirt what the Bible plainly says. The Son of God took on human flesh and human nature save for sin and “decided” to walk in our midst. He was born for us, was baptized for us, lived and died, rose and ascended all for us. Oh, and don’t forget He took His seat at the Father’s right hand when He went home and will come again to get us. In short, Jesus was and is on mission. And what is so doggone exciting is that now, today, you and I are taken into that mission with Him. Now, the work has been done for our salvation. We cannot add anything to that marvelous work. But we have the immense privilege, after receiving God’s gifts, to offer  them to others. As my pastor loves to say, “That’s pretty remarkable!”

Our epistle for this fourth week in Lent reminds us of all I have said above, not word for word, but with absolute clarity. Jesus in short has made all things new, transforming the universe by His full payment for sin. And although we don’t see the full result yet, those called into Christ’s family through the Holy Spirit by means of the gospel, are made new as well. But even that isn’t the end.

In our passage we have been given another gift. We have been named ambassadors for the King of Kings. We have been given “the ministry of reconciliation; that is in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:18b-19). That is Jesus on mission today in and through the people He has redeemed and made new by faith. Why so much gab and jabber? I cannot rightly understand all the blather. But Jesus has given you and me an infinite gift.  And He wants to use us to make sure everyone else hears the good news with ample opportunity to receive the same gifts. It’s no mystery. The Bible makes it plain: Christian, we’re on mission!