Read: John 20:21; Matthew 28:16-20
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” (John 20:21 NRSV)
Matthew’s Gospel is where we find the Great Commission, Jesus’ charge to his disciples to “go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). However, John’s mission impulse should not be overlooked. The first thing Jesus says to his disciples when he meets them in the house is, “Peace be with you” (John 20:19). But that is quickly followed by, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” The church is and always has been about mission. That we are sent and how we are sent are equally important.
Jesus has it in his heart and mind that we go in both word and deed to proclaim the good news of the gospel: that Jesus Christ is Lord and has been raised from the dead. All of our going must correspond with the way that he came. The way that he came was the way of the incarnation, the way of relationship, the way of self-emptying, sacrifice, obedience, and even the cross.
We are sent in that same way. All of our mission impulses, our gospel going and resurrection proclaiming, must resonate with the way Christ did all of these things. If we proclaim the gospel in a way that does not resonate with the gospel Christ lived, we are not communicating it clearly. —Jon Brown.
As you pray, ask God to help you to go in the way that Christ came.
About the Author
Jon Brown is the lead pastor of Pillar Church in Holland, MI. With his beloved wife, Kristyn, Jon is the proud father of 4 daughters: Lydia, Tabitha, Miriah, and Ava. He has been the keynote speaker at a number of events including, The Nicaraguan Pastors Conference of the Moravian Church, The Cascades Family Bible Camp, and many events at Hope College. He is a regular writer for the Words of Hope devotionals as well. Urging the church forward to participate in the mission of Christ in the world is where Jon finds the deepest joy and greatest sense of purpose.
