“And now says the LORD, who formed me from the womb to be his Servant to bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel might be gathered to him, He says, ‘It is too small a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and restore the preserved ones of Israel.’  He says, ‘I will also make you a light to the nations so that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’”   Isaiah 49:5, 6

For me, a person who was called to share the Good News in East Africa and in many nations of the world in my several decades of ministry, these words from the Prophet Isaiah ring as clear as bells at Christmas. He had just prophesied, for more than 40 chapters, that God loves Israel with a special covenant love and so will eventually bring the Sons of Jacob back to the promised land once again and establish them as a people who love and serve God. That seemed like a large enough vision. But, listen.

To restore the nation Israel is “too small a thing.”  Really?  It sounds like a huge job to me!  As a matter of fact, God tells us that it is too small a vision because His will is that all people whom he has created will receive the salvation blessing.  The purpose of Israel must ultimately express the will of God – that Israel shall be the light for all nations.  The purpose for their existence is to share the light of salvation to all nations, all the world.

We are now celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.  It is a good time to remember that He is the savior of the world, the entire world. And I am sure God is especially pleased when His people, now in many nations, share the Good News and invite others to embrace Jesus Christ as he wishes to embrace them.

The peak of Isaiah’s prophecy is that God shapes a people so that they can witness to God’s salvation and blessing among all nations, a truly mission vision. May I fully accept this reality and live in its fulfillment.