To the Ends of the Earth

The Good News of Jesus Christ and his victory over death offers hope, life, and salvation to men and women of every nation. The covenant promises were never limited to the nation of Israel or the small territory of Canaan.

Jesus declared that “all authority in Heaven and on Earth is given to me, therefore, Go! Make disciples of all nations!” He sent his disciples to announce his Lordship and Salvation “to the ends of the Earth” - To every nation and people. The Promise of the Abrahamic Covenant to bless all nations through the Patriarch’s “seed” is coming to fruition through the Nazarene.

The Age of Salvation commenced with Christ’s Death and Resurrection, and his life-giving message must, therefore, be announced to all men and in every nation. The Son of God achieved salvation for his people, and everlasting life is offered to one and all. He is the promised ‘Servant of the LORD’ in whose name “the nations will hope” – (Isaiah 11:10, Matthe 12:21).

[Photo by Joshua Kettle on Unsplash]

God exalted Jesus of Nazareth to the Messianic Throne as promised in the Scriptures: “I will give you the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the Earth for your possession.” Therefore, he now sends his emissaries to announce his Sovereignty and the forgiveness of sins to all nations and peoples – (Psalm 2:8).

By pouring out the Gift of the Spirit on his Assembly, Jesus empowered his disciples to proclaim this Good News throughout the Earth, and he assigned this task to his Church before his enthronement:

• “Thus, it is written, that the Christ should suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” – (Luke 24:46-47).

• “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judaea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the Earth” – (Acts 1:8).

This salvation is for men, women, and children of every generation, people, and nation without exception. Jesus died and God raised him from the dead so they would live no longer for themselves but for Him.

This hope for all nations is in fulfillment of God’s promise to the Patriarch, Abraham, a hope confirmed by the Prophets of Israel, and centuries later by Jesus and his apostles:

• “I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand upon the seashore… In your seed will all the nations of the Earth be blessed; because you obeyed my voice” – (Genesis 22:17).

• “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Yahweh as the waters cover the sea. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the root of Jesse, that stands for an ensign of the peoples, unto him shall the nations seek, and his resting-place shall be glorious” - (Isaiah 11:9-10).

• “For I say that Christ has been made a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, that he might confirm the promises given to the fathers, and that the nations might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, Therefore will I give praise to You among the Nations, And sing to Your Name. And again he declares, Rejoice, you Nations with his people. And again, Praise the Lord, all you Nations, and let all the peoples praise him. And again, Isaiah declares, There shall be the root of Jesse, And he that rises to rule over the Nations; On him will the Nations hope - (Romans 15:8-12).

• “The scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the nations from faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, In you will all the nations be blessed. So then, they that are from faith are blessed with faithful Abraham” – (Galatians 3:8-9).

• “Now to Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his seed. He says not, And to ‘seeds’, as of many; but as of one, and to your ‘seed’, which is Christ” - (Galatians 3:16).

• “And they sing a new song, saying, Worthy are you to take the Scroll, and to open its seals, for you were slain, and purchased for God with your blood men from every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, and made them a kingdom and priests for our God. And they are reigning upon the earth” – (Revelation 5:9-10).

• “And the city has no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine upon it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the lamp thereof is the Lamb. And the nations will walk amidst its light, and the Kings of the Earth bring their glory into it” – (Revelation 21:23-24).

This same Jesus from the insignificant village of Nazareth is the promised “seed of Abraham” through whom the covenant is fulfilled; therefore, he is the hope of the nations. The Messiah of Israel is fulfilling the covenant by gathering the nations into the Kingdom of God as his Gospel is proclaimed “to the ends of the Earth.”

God loved humanity so much that He “gave his only born Son” so all men might believe and receive “everlasting life.” No man is worthy of his gracious gift. It is offered freely to one and all. Every man and woman who repents and believes is set right with his Creator through the redemption achieved through Christ’s obedience – (John 3:16, Acts 2:36-38, Romans 3:24, 2 Corinthians 5:17-20).

Because of his suffering “for our sins,” God raised him from the dead and “highly exalted him, granting him the name that is above every name” – JESUS - the name that means “Yahweh saves,” for he was sent to “save his people from their sins,” including the nations of the Earth – (Matthew 1:21).

Through this same Jesus, the salvation promised by the God of Israel became real and is now offered to men from every nation. His Son is the “Ruler of the Kings of the Earth” who is “shepherding the nations” toward the light of the Gospel. He will do so until the day when they stand before him in “New Jerusalem” as a vast “innumerable multitude” of men purchased from “every nation, people, tribe and tongue”– (Philippians 2:6-11, Revelation 1:4-6, 7:9-17, 12:5-11).

Christ’s death voided the legal claim of Satan over humanity, and his resurrection from the dead broke the iron grip of death that holds us all. This is a radical message of liberation from the tyranny of Sin, Satan, and Death that every man and nation must hear, an act of deliverance for all men that no political ideology, school of philosophy, or manmade religious tradition can ever hope to accomplish – (1 Corinthians 15:1-6, Philippians 2:6-11, Hebrews 2:14-15, Revelation 1:6-8,3:21, 5:5-14).

ONE MESSAGE

God has “spoken” with finality through His Son. He alone “achieved the purification of sin,” therefore, he sits “at the right hand of the Majesty in High places” as the Great High Priest who mediates salvation, hope, and life for his people. He provides salvation and the forgiveness of sins for every man, woman, and child who acknowledges his Lordship and embraces his life-giving offer – (Hebrews 1:1-4).

Because of his Death and Resurrection, anyone may receive the forgiveness of sin and justification before God, whether Jew or Gentile, male or female, rich or poor; namely, “from the faith of Jesus Christ.” Death still occurs, but for his disciples, the sentence of death will be reversed when he raises them from the dead on the last day – (1 Corinthians 15:20-28, 15:50-57).

Considering this gracious offer, the rational response is to place our faith in Jesus and what God has accomplished through his “obedience unto death.” God is forming a new people composed of men and women from every nation redeemed by his blood, the “Assembly,” the “Body of Christ.” Every person who places faith and hope in Jesus becomes a member of this holy community – (Ephesians 2:15).

This is “Good News” for every man, woman, and child. His message transcends all national and cultural boundaries. His disciples proclaim one message for all men, whether “Jew or Gentile, bond or free, male and female, for all are one in Christ Jesus” – (Galatians 3:28).

In the truest sense, this is a universal message and religion. All men have sinned. Everyone needs forgiveness, salvation, and everlasting life. No one deserves any of it, “No, not one,” but God offers it freely to everyone through His Son.

Finally, salvation is provided on the same basis to every man, woman, and child, namely, from the faith of Jesus. His faithful obedience unto death is the basis of our hope and the “hope of the nations.” All we can do is respond in repentance and with faith to the self-sacrificial act of Jesus, the Messiah who “gave his life a ransom for many,” including the nations and even his “enemies.” The choice – life or death - is up to each one of us.

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SEE ALSO:

• The Salvation of the LORD - (Jesus means ‘Yahweh saves.’ In the man from Nazareth, the Salvation promised by the God of Israel has arrived in all its glory)

• Nations and Kings - (The promise to bless all nations in Abraham culminates in the vast multitude of the Redeemed that will inhabit New Jerusalem)

• All Nations, not some - (Is the Gospel of the Kingdom a message for only some nations, or is it Good News for all nations and peoples of the Earth?)