Have you ever asked that question to yourself?
Why is it that God is wanting us to share the good news about His Son with other people?
Just think about it.
We can’t change hearts.
We have no power to open the spiritually blind eyes of others.
We lack the strength to convince people of their sins.
Evangelism almost feels impossible when it’s left to our own strength.
If God alone converts sinners, brings them from death to life, and transforms them—taking them out from darkness into the kingdom of His beloved Son—then why involve us?
It seems futile, almost unnecessary. Because let’s be honest—evangelism is one of the hardest spiritual disciplines, if not the hardest.
So why does God call us to share His mercy when it’s impossible for us to ensure that those we share it with will receive it?
Zooming Out: A Bigger Picture
To answer that question, we need to zoom out and see the bigger picture. Too often, we zoom in on evangelism and focus on the awkwardness of it.
We see how it’s frustrating.
It’s really a thorn in the flesh.
It’s hard. It’s uncomfortable. It’s challenging.
But unless we step back and see what God is doing through evangelism, we won’t engage in this task.
We need a bigger picture.
Lessons from the Jobsite
I remember when I was working as an electrician. My boss would often say, “Israel, you have to step back. There are tasks that are going to be hard and challenging for you on this project, but in order for you to get past those hard and awkward situations, you’ve got to step back and see the whole picture. You’ve got to see the whole project.”
If not, you’ll get stuck and frustrated by those small parts of the project that bring discomfort.
In the same way, we need to step back and ask: what is God doing in evangelism that He would call us to it?
God’s Purpose in Evangelism: Forming Us
When we zoom out, we see that evangelism plays an essential role in the life of the church. Despite the awkwardness and discouragement, God is doing something in us through evangelism that He wouldn’t do in any other way.
What is He doing?
He is forming us into the image of His Son.
Paul says in Romans 8: “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.”
God, in His electing work, brought us from darkness into light, and now He is transforming us to be like Jesus. And one way He is forming us is through evangelism.
Evangelism Is for Our Sanctification
Evangelism isn’t only about reaching others.
It’s about God reshaping us, sanctifying us, and making us like Christ.
Have you ever considered that evangelism is as much about you as it is about the person you’re trying to evangelize?
When you share the gospel, you imitate Christ’s love—a love that was difficult, costly, painful, and never convenient.
By stepping into the risk evangelism brings, you reflect Christ’s sacrificial love.
The Jonah Problem: Confronting Our Condition
Jonah 4:1–4 confronts us with a challenge.
If God’s purpose is to make us like His Son by sharing His love with others, then we have to face this truth:
We are naturally disposed to hate God and to hate our neighbor.
As Duane read earlier in the law and prayer, he focused on the reality that we hate others—and we do so naturally.
We don’t like to see ourselves that way. We want to think we’re good people. And yes, by God’s grace we do some good. But fundamentally, there is a disposition in our hearts to not love people—and we see that in Jonah’s story.
If we are to be conformed to the image of God’s Son, who freely shared God’s love with others, the first step is recognizing our true condition.
Jonah’s Anger at God’s Mercy
Look at Jonah’s anger.
When you read this story, you almost have to ask, “Am I still reading the Bible?”
Jonah is angry because mercy was extended to people who were going to be judged by God.
This is God’s prophet—not a pagan, not someone unfamiliar with God’s covenantal promises. He’s God’s spokesman.
And he’s angry at God’s mercy.
In Jonah 3:10, we see that God spares Nineveh when they repent.
But Jonah says, “That’s evil.” He calls God’s mercy evil.
The Hebrew emphasizes it: Jonah was exceedingly displeased—he thought it a grave injustice. He called God’s mercy evil.
Modern Parallels and Misplaced Justice
Imagine a modern parallel: Think of terrorist groups that ravage the Middle East, or a man like Larry Nassar, convicted of abusing hundreds of girls.
Now imagine if a judge said, “You’re innocent. I’m going to extend mercy to you.”
That’s how Jonah feels.
And so angry, he can’t think straight.
In Jonah 4:2, he says, “That’s why I fled.”
He believes God’s grace undermines justice.
In a twist, Jonah now plays the role Nineveh used to occupy—he’s the one acting wickedly.
He’s upset that the most successful outreach ministry in history resulted in mercy instead of judgment.
A Twisted View of God’s Character
In verse 2, Jonah prays and quotes Exodus 34—but with a twist.
He says, “I knew you are a gracious God, merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love.”
He’s not a heretic. Theologically, Jonah is sound.
He’s reformed—with a capital “R.”
Yet he finds God’s mercy repulsive.
He leaves something out: God’s justice. That He “will by no means clear the guilty.”
God is both just and merciful.
But Jonah doesn’t want God to be that merciful.
Our Natural Condition: Hate Toward God and Neighbor
This tension is captured in Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 5:
Q: Can we keep God’s law perfectly?
A: No, because we have a natural tendency to hate God and our neighbor.
Until we understand this, we won’t extend mercy.
James 4 says it plainly: “What causes quarrels and fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?”
We think, “I’ve never wanted to kill anyone,” but hate is the right word. Even in marriage, we sometimes despise the ones we love most.
That root is hate.
The Mirror of Jonah
The more I study Jonah, the more I realize I’m more like him than I want to admit.
I’d rather do my own thing. Be comfortable. Ignore society’s problems.
But evangelism forces us to confront our condition.
Jonah would rather die than see Nineveh receive mercy.
How selfish must we be to withhold God’s love?
The Gospel: Jesus, Not Jonah
There are two other prophets who asked for death: Elijah (out of fear) and Moses (from frustration). But Jonah? Jonah sees God’s mercy and wants to die.
Jonah’s problem? He hates God and neighbor.
The remedy?
The gospel.
Jesus is the anti-Jonah.
Jonah would rather die than see someone else receive mercy.
Jesus gladly dies so that we can receive mercy.
Jesus gains nothing—He was already God.
We add nothing to Him.
And yet, in His pure, boundless love, He saves us.
Susanna Wesley: Marvel at Divine Love
Susanna Wesley said it best:
“He is being in itself, infinitely happy in the glorious perfection of His nature. He loved us because He loved us.”
She marveled at the mystery: what could motivate a perfect God, complete in Himself, to redeem humanity?
Only love.
Not obligation.
Not worthiness.
Only love.
Our Response: Be Like Christ
So what’s our response?
We bask in the gospel—this good news that Christ died for sinners like us.
We embrace the mercy He’s shown and extend it to others.
We are not hoarders of grace.
We don’t lose when we give away God’s love.
We reflect our Savior.
God doesn’t hoard mercy. He lavishes it—even on those who mock Him.
Evangelism is how we reflect His mercy.
Evangelism Is Not Just Duty—It’s Transformation
Evangelism isn’t just duty—it’s sanctification.
It’s how we become like Jesus.
Loving God and loving neighbor go hand in hand.
You can’t have one without the other.
So church, let’s zoom out.
Evangelism isn’t just a task.
It’s an invitation to be like Jesus.
By understanding our condition—that we naturally hate God and neighbor—and running to Christ for salvation and transformation, we can embrace evangelism.
Let’s love God.
Let’s love neighbor.
Let’s reflect the boundless love of Christ, who died so we might receive mercy.
Who refused to remain comfortable and instead expended Himself on the cross for our new life.
Let us pray.
