Sent by God: So I Am Sending You

“Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.’” – John 20:21

When Jesus rose from the dead and was about to ascend back to heaven, he said to his disciples, “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” He was saying, in essence, “You know now why the Father sent me. You saw the people to whom I went. You know my message. Now I’m leaving. But just as the Father sent me, I’m sending you as my followers—I’m sending you, pastor; I’m sending you, Christian in the pew. I’m sending all of you, even as the Father sent me.”

What can easily happen in our lives is that we say, “Oh, Jesus, give me this thing; and do that for me, and shower my family with your blessings. Give me… give me… give me…” But how about what he would like from us? We all rejoice that Jesus was sent by the Father, but now he’s saying that in the same way, he is sending us. Do we feel sent? Are we on a mission? Do we have purpose and proper priorities?

It’s no wonder that so many Christians are missing the joy and fulfillment that Jesus had. He said, “I am the light of the world,” but he also said, “You are the light of the world”—a spiritual light derived from our relationship with Christ. We’re to shine our light in dark places to help people who are running into brick walls and hurting themselves. That is our mission, even as it was his.

You may be thinking, “Oh, I can’t get involved.” If so, would you please tell me who else will do it? Who, if not the body of Christ? Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.” Now shine your light, believer. Tell others what Jesus has done for you. You don’t need a sermon. You have a testimony. In this Christmas season and beyond, go to the people who need the Lord. Go to the people nobody else wants. Let’s go to the outcasts and the hurting and tell them about the love of Jesus.