“Good morning, Mr. Phelps. Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to [complete this mission]. As always, should you or any of your IM Force be caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions.”
Many Baby Boomers will remember the character Mr. Phelps, who had a special team that was given seemingly impossible missions. Each mission could result in their capture and/or demise. We watched week after exciting week as this team did the impossible, from rescuing a national leader to deposing a dictatorship that had taken over a foreign country. Each week, the team successfully completed its mission, no matter how dangerous it became.
Mission Impossible
Over 2,000 years ago, God set forth on a mission that seemed impossible to the natural man. It was a mission that forever changed man’s relationship with Him. Galatians 4:4–5 says, “But when the fullness of time come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”
Unlike the fictitious characters who always survived their adventures in the “Mission Impossible” TV series, God’s mission would only be accomplished through His Son’s death. During this mission, His Son gave up His throne in Heaven to become a man. He came into this unwelcoming world as a baby. From the time of His birth, He was surrounded with death threats and plots that would eventually end His life. Difficult as His mission was, it was sustained by the wonderful love of God.
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John show God’s Son as more than a man. He taught like a teacher, healed like a doctor and, to fulfill His mission, He died like a Savior.
Ultimate Love
The “Mission Impossible” series never tells us why Mr. Phelps’ team placed their lives in great danger or what their reward would be. The Apostle John perfectly explains God’s divine objective in sending His Son was to demonstrate His love. This mission is the greatest love story that has ever been told. It was made possible by the grace of God. It was fulfilled as a result of the promise of God in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3:15. It was wrapped in the love of God.
Even though this mission was completed over 2,000 years ago, we still experience the rewards of its success when another soul is saved. Maybe you consider it mission impossible for a holy God to accept someone unholy such as you or me. The cross tells a different story. As Jesus’ arms were stretched wide, He asked for our sins to be forgiven so that if we put our trust in Him, we will receive eternal life.
Now your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to share this love with someone else!
Article by Dr. L.W. Edwards
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