To Know Jesus is to Know His Commission
Teachers
Lesson Summary
In the December 31, 2023 class, Richard Sutton recapped the year‑long series on knowing Jesus and transitioned to the focus on Jesus’s mission and the Great Commission. He reminded the congregation that the purpose of Christ’s incarnation was to live a sinless life and willingly die on the cross for the sins of the world, citing John 3:16, Matthew 1:21, and Luke 2:10‑11. Sutton emphasized that Jesus’s knowledge of His mission was explicit, and that His ultimate goal was to be the Savior of the world, a truth that undergirds the call for believers to become His disciples and witnesses. Sutton then connected this theological truth to a practical commission, comparing the U.S. Navy submarine’s global mission to the disciples’ Great Commission. He surveyed current understanding of the Commission among Christians, revealing a lack of awareness, and presented a pop‑quiz that highlighted the multiple scriptural bases for the Commission—Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:47, John 17:19‑20, and Acts 1:8. The lesson concluded with a look ahead to the 2024 “Soul to Soul” theme, encouraging personal evangelism and one‑to‑one outreach as the next step in living out the knowledge of Jesus.
Key Scriptures
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.