Happy Easter Mission

Happy Easter! Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20) On this awesome day, we’ll spend time meditating on the cross, the empty grave and all that it has given us. But let’s also meditate on the task this day calls us to “go and make disciples…” The pure gospel that Christ passed on to His disciples was the good news of a grace to be passed on, not just received. Jesus left His disciples equipped to make other disciples, to bear fruit. We can tell it worked because the people that they made disciples of were making disciples too. And so it has been passed on for two thousand years. As Jesus revealed His true identity to His disciples, He taught them a very important truth. This is what we are told to do: to teach people the good news. Jesus’ gospel (or good news) was simple: believe and live. “Repentance and forgiveness should be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning with Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47). Don’t miss this – repentance does not just mean to turn away from sin. That is only part of the truth. Repentance also means turning to Jesus. Forgiveness means that God will not hold His judgment against us for our sin because Jesus has been judged in our place. “Nations” means that there is not one person on earth who does not need to hear about the gospel of salvation through Jesus. We celebrate new life on Easter. We commemorate God going all in and holding nothing back to save us from the depravity that would consume our souls. Telling people who feel the weight, guilt, and shame of their sin about Jesus should be our pleasure. Jesus says that repentance and forgiveness are to be proclaimed because this is the news that people are dying to hear. This is an awesome day. Let’s pray in reflection of that.