I am reading through Mike Bird‘s published dissertation, Jesus and the Origins of the Gentile Mission, as part of my Graduate Summer Research Mentorship at UCLA. Through that I noticed his 2004 article in Evangelical Quarterly, “Mission as an Apocalyptic Event: Reflections on Luke 10:18 and Mark 13:10.” If you are familiar with my research interests–which you must be as my research fame is currently sweeping the globe–you will notice that the topic of the article relates closely with some of my own research (namely, my upcoming SBL paper presentation). For a moment there, I was worried my research balloon was popped and someone got to my ideas before I had them. But Mike went in somewhat of a different direction than I’m heading–for one, I’m not as interested in whether the Gentile mission originates with Jesus or his followers. And, at present, I have not been too interested in highlighting the restoration of Israel theme, though it is pretty hot stuff. His paper is still quite helpful to my research. As usual, Mike is great with the secondary literature and he also has some excellent observations of his own. Here is his conclusion regarding Luke 10:18 (the verse about Jesus having seen Satan fall from heaven):

Both mission and God’s final intervention at the last day are part of the one salvific event and the one act that orchestrates Satan’s downfall. In this sense any uncertainty about who actually vanquishes Satan is resolved. The act belongs to God alone, but the divine choice of weapons to execute his plan is the witness of the Church. Thus, the Church continues to exist for the purpose of mission which means that it will inevitably he brought into confrontation with the satanic horde. In Lk. 10:18 the entire sending out and return of the disciples highlights, ‘the experience of the mission as the arena of conflict and eschatological engagement with diabolic forces‘ [Joel Green, The Gospel of Luke, 411]. it is upon the globe and not simply in the heavenlies that the battle is fought and won. As the anointed Community who go out with the power of Jesus’ name and authority, it is a campaign that the Church is expected to win. [pg. 125-6, bold type mine]

So, God defeats Satan through the mission of Jesus’ followers [I'm always hesitant to use "Church," particularly with a big C, for this historical period--but I digress...]. This is something for me to chew on. Mike’s concluding thoughts on Mark 13:10 (“the good news must first be proclaimed to all nations”) are highly relevant and directly related to my own research pathway:

In addition, we should not overlook the fact that Mark 13, which in one way or another is an apocalyptic discourse despite the fact that it does not contain every conceivable apocalyptic literary device and motif gives a central place for mission in the divinely determined scheme of salvation. Mission, for Mark and no less Jesus, is part of the eschatological program put into effect in order to achieve that which apocalyptic dreamers hoped for: the revealing of God’s salvation. In this sense, mission does not simply anticipate the final triumph of God, but it actually achieves it in embryonic form. Mission is more than a foretaste of things future and apocalyptic, rather, it is performative apocalyptic. Mission, the proclamation of the gospel, is the pivotal act whereby God begins to repossesses the world for himself. [pg. 132, bold type mine]

That last comment is actually part of the purpose of my presentation this fall. I’m glad to have some more fruit to throw in the blender.