Last Sunday morning I preached on the Zeal of Jesus. In that sermon we noted that our Lord’s zeal came from a love for His Father and a love for His Father’s work. We should follow the example of Jesus (1 Pet. 2:21) and show a burning zeal for God’s honor and the works that God would have us to pursue.

Jesus accomplished a great work in three short years because of His work ethic. At the well near Sychar, Jesus told His disciples, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work” (John 4:34). Before healing the man born blind, Jesus said, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4). At the beginning of His ministry, when crowds began to make demands of His time, Jesus said, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent” (Luke 4:43).

This burning desire drove Jesus to action. He loved His father and wanted to finish His work, but there was another element to His zeal – Jesus had a love for lost souls. Jesus was on a rescue mission. “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Jesus didn’t go from city to city because He was being rejected. Many of these places were begging Him to stay (Luke 4:42). He went to other cities because there were more lost souls that needed to be saved.

Emergency workers and first responders must be on the alert. When a call comes in that a person’s life is in danger, those who respond go into action. Perhaps someone is pinned in a burning car after a terrible wreck. Perhaps a family is trapped in their burning home. Time is of the essence if a life is to be saved.

When Jesus came to this earth, all of mankind was in sin and destined to the eternal fires of Hell. Jesus preached on Hell more than anyone else in the Bible. He knew the danger every soul faced. He preached from town to town, calling upon everyone to “repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15), because souls were in danger of an eternal fire. Time was of the essence.

Jesus is our example to follow in all things. He made the most of His time. He finished the work that His Father had given Him to do, not just because He loved His Father, but also because He loved lost souls. If you and I will spend enough time with Jesus (by reading and meditating upon Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), we will also develop a love for lost souls and join His efforts to seek and to save the lost.

“But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest’” (Matt. 9:36-38).

Souls are still in danger of eternal fire. Time is of the essence.