June 2014 - Page 6 of 7 - Daily Thoughts about God

“The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit“. – John 20:20-22

It is the great commission. Picture a general briefing his troops as he sends soldiers into battle.

Reading the above scripture, first note that the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. It gave more than a sense of joy. It gave a sense of power and security. They would not go alone.

Jesus reminds the disciples, who had seen his power and authority that He sends them out with the same power and from the same source from wince He came. He then gave them that same power. What a great send-off.

As Christians, we must always remember that through Christ, we have received that same power and are dispatched on that same mission. “As the Father sent Me, so I send you.” And, all of this from a person who has just walked through a locked door. Wow!

The Great Commission of Christianity is the instruction of the resurrected Jesus Christ to his disciples that they spread his teachings to all the nations of the world.

It is a tenet in Christian theology emphasizing ministry, missionary work, evangelism, and baptism. The Apostles dispersed from Jerusalem and founded the worldwide church.

It was the first missionary outreach and it gives us a model to follow today. We are compelled to go, to witness, to plant churches and to make disciples.

With Jesus beside you and the Holy Spirit within you and guided by the God above you, go and make disciples to the ends of the earth, but one the way remember to stop in your neighborhood, your town and share with those who come your way the Good News and the saving Word of the Risen Lord.

By John Grant
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney