John 20:21
"Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you:
as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you."
as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you."
It is most likely that the disciples continued to meet in the upper room where the Last Supper had been held. They knew the bitterness of the Jews, and they were afraid that their turn would come next. So they were meeting in terror, listening fearfully for every step on the stair and for every knock at the door. As they sat there, Jesus was suddenly in their midst. He gave them the normal everyday eastern greeting: "Peace be unto you." Then Jesus gave the disciples the commission which the Church must never forget.
He said that as God had sent Him forth, so He sent them forth: "as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you." It means that Jesus Christ needs the Church which is exactly what Paul meant when he called the Church the body of Christ. "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ," (1Cor 12:12).
Jesus had come with a message for all men and now He was going back to his Father. His message could never be taken to all men, unless the Church took it. The Church is to be a mouth to speak for Jesus, feet to run His errands, and hands to do His work. Therefore, the first thing this means is that Jesus is dependent on his Church.
He said that as God had sent Him forth, so He sent them forth: "as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you." It means that Jesus Christ needs the Church which is exactly what Paul meant when he called the Church the body of Christ. "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ," (1Cor 12:12).
Jesus had come with a message for all men and now He was going back to his Father. His message could never be taken to all men, unless the Church took it. The Church is to be a mouth to speak for Jesus, feet to run His errands, and hands to do His work. Therefore, the first thing this means is that Jesus is dependent on his Church.
It means that the Church needs Jesus. A person who is to be sent out needs someone to send him; he needs a message to take; he needs a power and an authority to back his message; he needs someone to whom he may turn when he is in doubt and in difficulty. Without Jesus, the Church has no message; without Him the Church has no power; without Him the Church has no one to turn to when up against it; without Him the Church has nothing to enlighten her mind, to strengthen her arm, and to encourage her heart. This means that the Church is dependent on Jesus!
The sending out of the Church by Jesus is parallel to the sending out of Jesus by God. But no one can read the story of the Fourth Gospel without seeing that the relationship between Jesus and God was continually dependent on Jesus' perfect obedience and perfect love. Jesus could be God's messenger only because He rendered to God that perfect obedience and love. It follows that the Church is fit to be the messenger and the instrument of Christ only when she perfectly loves Him and perfectly obeys Him. The Church must never change His message. She must never be out to follow man made policies; she must be out to follow the will of Christ. The Church fades whenever she tries to solve some problem in her own wisdom and strength, and leaves out the will and guidance of Jesus Christ.
Amen!!
Reading: (John 20:19-23)
Ref: (HG SB, DSB)
The sending out of the Church by Jesus is parallel to the sending out of Jesus by God. But no one can read the story of the Fourth Gospel without seeing that the relationship between Jesus and God was continually dependent on Jesus' perfect obedience and perfect love. Jesus could be God's messenger only because He rendered to God that perfect obedience and love. It follows that the Church is fit to be the messenger and the instrument of Christ only when she perfectly loves Him and perfectly obeys Him. The Church must never change His message. She must never be out to follow man made policies; she must be out to follow the will of Christ. The Church fades whenever she tries to solve some problem in her own wisdom and strength, and leaves out the will and guidance of Jesus Christ.
Amen!!
Reading: (John 20:19-23)
Ref: (HG SB, DSB)
May God Bless You
And Your Family
Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.
The Cross Life Ministry
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