INTRODUCTION
Christ came to buy men and women through which He ransomed from every tribe, people, nation and language (1). The incarnation, Jesus first coming, if anything, was an act done by God for God’s own glory, that we might be satisfied in Christ alone. Christ first coming, therefore, was and is a missional mandate; namely, that those without hope would also come to taste and see great satisfaction in Christ the Savior. One cannot fully comprehend the magnitude for which Christ came without appropriately applying the two-fold excellencies of Christ incarnation unto Christ great commission (2), namely, the excellency of Christ coming to us, and the excellency of us proclaiming Christ Gospel to others.
THE EXCELLENCY OF CHRIST COMING TO US
Not knowing that within a few short months I would come to a saving faith in Christ Jesus, and that, this saving faith through Jesus would be the most excellent soul satisfying experience of my life, I can remember sitting alone fuming at the thought of God’s existence, while at the same time, weeping at what a horrible person I had already become. I was twenty-years old with nothing satisfying about the thought of God, or the thought of Church; it all seemed dismal and boring. I knew not of the overwhelming excellencies of Christ saving power or of His amazing grace, kindness, joy, beauty, satisfaction, faithfulness, mercy, etc! How could I know of something that I had not yet experienced?
It has been eleven-years since that glorious moment when the Holy Spirit shown forth marvelous light into my soul, resurrecting me from a dead and hopeless state into the Son of God’s satisfying love and salvation. It has been more than years since I boarded my first flight overseas to do mission work, ten plus years since God plucked me out of my cultural context, placed me onto a foreign land with opposite cultural values and lifestyles. Culturally speaking, I fell in love and wrestled with annoyances, all for the purpose of the crucifixion and sanctification process, for the discipleship of my person. At the summation of these first eleven years in the Lord, I am left stunned by the goodness of the Lord, through joy and suffering, He has remained faithful to produce in me that which greatly desires Him to do so. There have been seasons and times that my heart have been met by such marvelous, tangible exposure to and in His presence; and, there have been seasons and times that I have known the seemingly inexhaustible sufferings that occur along this journey, called life.
When I survey the incarnation in reflection of my life, I am brought nearer to the depths of Jesus mercy, love and faithfulness. His past, present and future grace. The excellencies of Christ coming at His incarnation was and is for the purpose of magnifying the glory due His name. God became a man to reveal the glory of whom the Father of glory is, and that that glory would espouse soul satisfying salvation of man. He brought my person into a perpetual state of magnifying the glory due His name. God, in Jesus Christ, tasted of death that we might taste of the supreme satisfaction of His life (3).The incarnation compels me to give joyfully of myself to others as a witness of Christ, for the joy and satisfaction of other souls, namely, that they too, would taste and see that the Lord is good.
THE EXCELLENCY OF US PROCLAIMING CHRIST TO OTHERS
Mary of Bethany pouring out her costly oil upon the feat of Jesus, an inheritance worth one-years wages, is the biblical model for which the soul delighting in God’s merciful salvation must disciple and be discipled (4). What’s often missed in this story of devotion is that the disciples appeal to social justice, out of indignation, saying, “What a waste, this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor” (5). Why does this woman’s act of devotion get memorialized that we should mention this wherever the Gospel be preached? Jesus is not implying that we should not care for the poor. Jesus is emphasizing His worth, He is showing us that devotional adoration of Himself is more important. A heart soaked in devotion to Jesus is more important than social justice. Social justice, then, becomes an overflow of devotion to Jesus. We care for the poor and needy out of lovesick obedience to Jesus. If our social justice’s are founded upon devotion to Jesus, how on earth would we leave the preaching of the Gospel out of the equation, in the name of “love?” We cannot! We must not! Preaching the Gospel is love. A soul coming to Christ is the ultimate social justice! Avoiding the preaching of the Gospel is the ultimate social injustice! Fallen men need Christ! Feeding the poor and clothing the naked may bring temporary solutions to their problems, but a warm, full belly without Christ leaves the soul bare, empty and in danger of an eternity that has far more consequences than being poor and naked. The greatest act of love and kindness we can give a person is the Gospel of Christ.
The proclamation of the Gospel is about actively making much of Jesus, and it glorifies God in doing so. Jesus is worthy to glorify. Let us gladden ourselves in the delighting of glorifying our Savior by proclaiming His amazing grace and mercy. Adoration of the excellencies of Christ is the compelling factor in the presenting of the Gospel. We overcome the fear of evangelism by surrendering our person to the satisfying pleasures of Christ. When we reconcile within us an equal understanding of the kindness and severity of God, it becomes unnatural to keep quiet. When we taste and see that the Lord is good, we cannot but go forth to those without the Gospel, that they too may taste and see that the Lord is good (6).
CONCLUSION
Christ coming to us is all the motivation we should need to take Christ to others. If we adore the God-man Christ Jesus and what He has done for us, the natural response of one's adoration is to share the reason for such an adoration. The God of glory has placed His glory upon us! Go share that glory with those whom know not the glory of God. We go because He came! We go so He will come back.
CITATIONS
1. "Revelation 5:9-10." ESV Bible. The Journaling Edition ed. Wheaton: Crossway, 2001. Pp 1031. Print.
2. "Matthew 28:18-20." ESV Bible. The Journaling Edition ed. Wheaton: Crossway, 2001. Pp 835. Print.
3. "Hebrews 2:9." ESV Bible. The Journaling Edition ed. Wheaton: Crossway, 2001. Pp 1001. Print.
4. "Matthew 26:6-13." ESV Bible. The Journaling Edition ed. Wheaton: Crossway, 2001. Pp 831, 832. Print.
5. "John 12:1-8." ESV Bible. The Journaling Edition ed. Wheaton: Crossway, 2001. Pp 898. Print.
6. "Psalm 34:8." ESV Bible. The Journaling Edition ed. Wheaton: Crossway, 2001. Pp 464. Print.