Witnessing in the Life of Christ
Luke 19:10; Matthew 4:39; Mark 1:37, 38; 2:17

"The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10) . He came to seek. He came to save. There were other purposes, to be sure, but this was primary.

He came to "seek" the lost. There are two dangerous ideas circulating. One is to let your light shine so people will come to you to ask for the truth. Christ did not rely on this method. He sought men. A second idea is that to "let your light shine" is by itself witnessing. Christ did not witness by His life only but by His lips. His life backed up His lips and ours must also, but He clearly spoke to the lost. Someone has not witnessed until he has told what he knows. If one follows the Savior, His example and command, he will seek the lost.

Some point out that the Savior gathered the Twelve around Him and trained them. But for what did He train them? His invitation was, "Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men" (Mark 1:17). He stated right from the beginning that His ultimate purpose was for them to become fishers of men. Saints must be built up and trained to follow Christ, but for what? Ought it not be at least for the same purpose as that of the Lord Jesus? He said, I'll make you become what I am, a fisher of men. If we are not fishing, we are not following.

When the disciples came to the Lord during His "quiet time" and said, "All men seek for thee," He answered, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also; for therefore came I forth" (Mark 1:37, 38). Of course, He believed in building up believers, but there is an ultimate goal, never to be forgotten, seeking the lost.

Another interesting insight is given when the Pharisees criticized Jesus for eating with sinners. He said, "They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Mark 2:17). Some spend all their time nurturing the "whole" and never reaching the sinner. It should never be either one or the other, but both must be done.