“What do you think. If any man has 100 sheep and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the 99 on the mountains and go search for the one that is straying? And if he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the 99 which have not gone astray. Thus it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.” (Matt 18:11-14)

This is why Jesus came to Earth, to “seek and to save those who were lost.” (Lk 19:10) And who could be more lost than those who wind up in hell? Remember Jesus’ life verse? When He first began to minister in the “power of the Spirit” (Lk 4:1 & 14) He quoted from Isaiah 61, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are downtrodden, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” (Lk 4:18-19) He stopped there, even though Isaiah goes on to say “…and the day of vengeance of our God.” (Isa 61:2) because it wasn’t time yet for God’s vengeance.

But that day will come, soon, when God’s vengeance and terrifying wrath against sin will cast the wicked into hell to pay the just penalty for every evil deed. (Rev 20:11-13) So, has the mission of Jesus now changed? No. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, yes and forever.” (Heb 13:8) He is still the Savior, the Good Shepherd, out to seek and to save that little lost lamb. He is still the Redeemer, out to open the eyes of the blind and set the captives free. Yes, God’s perfect vengeance of the Law must be satisfied. But when the penalty for every evil deed has been satisfied, you know Jesus will be there reaching out in infinite love, for that is what His perfect hatred does. It cannot let go until all that is harming His beloved is destroyed.

And then, finally, that great prophecy will be fulfilled, when at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, whether those in heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth (in hell), and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. (Phil 2:10-11) Thus they shall be saved, for we know that, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.” (Rom 10:9) Now all the “contradictions” in the Bible are resolved, as love and hate, heaven and hell, justice and mercy are fully revealed in the light of the nature of God Himself, in perfect oneness, a unity beyond our imagining.

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