Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
On the evening of the first day of the week He stood among His disciples behind shut doors in the upper chamber where they had gathered in fear, showed them His hands and His side and His feet until they were glad, and greeted them with peace and then with peace again as He sent them as the Father had sent Him. That peace is His legacy to His church, the good news that He alone has taken away sin and secured reconciliation, bringing His own presence, protection, rest of heart and strength to endure suffering without fear. As the Father sent Him, so He sends them to continue the work He had begun, making known to all people His life, death and resurrection, the fulfillment of prophecy, and salvation through repentance and His power to save sinners and demonstrate God's love to a fallen world. To be so sent is to represent Him as He represented the Father, working as He worked and living as He lived, revealing God's spotless character, mercy, forgiveness, compassion and love in word and deed and in obedience to God's law. The sending belongs not to the apostles only but in every generation to every son and daughter of God who believes, and it can be fulfilled only under the guidance of the Holy Spirit whom He breathed upon them, without which witness and teaching remain lifeless until made alive and like Him.
Setting and Peace Gift
On the evening of the first day of the week the risen Jesus came to His disciples assembled behind shut doors in the upper chamber in Jerusalem for fear of the Jews, fearing they would share their Teacher's fate. It was the same room where the last supper had been held during Passover week, and His appearing there belongs to the risen appearances in that room, twice revealed. He stood in their midst and showed His hands and His side and His feet, so the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. He told them to remain in Jerusalem for a time before going to Galilee.
After triumphing over death and completing His earthly life, He greeted the assembled disciples with peace and then repeated His peace while sending them as the Father had sent Him. The peace is His legacy left to His church and comfort for that trying hour. It accompanies their commission to make known to all people the truths of His life, death and resurrection, the fulfillment of prophecy, and salvation through repentance and the Saviour's power. It is joined to His breathing on them the Holy Spirit with guidance and authority, teaching and comforting them, under whose guidance alone their position of trust can be fulfilled, for they were not ready to witness, teach truth or represent Christ until they received spiritual life.
The peace is the good news that He alone has taken away sin and secured peace and reconciliation for humanity, turning people from sin, so salvation rests on His work and not human effort, with true faith shown in a holy life and service to others. In united prayer His personal presence speaks peace that does not heal suffering but gives security in suffering, meaning His personal sympathy, love, protection and sustaining grace, with His face clearly manifested and His hands outspread looking on in compassion. It takes away fear even of a dreaded journey, and gives sweet peace pervading the soul, rest of heart in the hope and faith of the gospel, trust without misgiving, grateful rest in perfect security with Christ as hope, Redeemer, life and crown of rejoicing. It gives comfort and strength to endure pain in wakeful night hours by holding His strength and repeating Scripture, with courage found in Him and reliance on His strength.
Those who accept Him by living faith receive power to become sons of God, enter His school as students, and need not be troubled or anxious because He will ratify His promise, will not restrict His word, and will fulfill all His promises. His peace is a real presence that reveals Him, breaks hard hearts, and comes after plain reproof for lovelessness, wounding speech and division. When self, harsh judgment and dictatorial dealing are put away for love, patience, forbearance, meek restoration of the erring, watchful faithfulness and united prayer with hearts pressed together heart to heart, it brings confession of sin to God and to one another, weeping, mutual forgiveness, unity, rejoicing, heavenly light, and fruitful light-bearers sent to persuade others to the truth.
Commission to Continue Mission
As the Father sent Him, He sends them to continue the work He had begun and the mission the Father committed to Him. They are to make known to all people the truths of His life, death and resurrection, the fulfillment of prophecy, and salvation through repentance and the Saviour's power. The object remains the same as the object of His mission, to make known and demonstrate God's love to the fallen world and to save sinners, for He kept prominent throughout His ministry His mission as Redeemer to save sinners, which makes this a sacred work. Though He is invisible to the natural eye, all who believe on Him can still behold Him by faith, and in this work believers become a spectacle to unfallen worlds, to angels, and to men, revealing the Father through the Son.
To be sent as the Father sent Him means to represent Him as He represented the Father and revealed the Father to the world, working as He had worked and living as He lived. Words and actions are to make others' knowledge of God and Christ true by faithfully showing Christ and His truth, presenting His spotless character, precepts and example as the standard for human life. His character was spotless, and any stain or corruption in it would have meant the world was lost. Those sent are pledged, bound and dedicated individually to do for Christ what He did as the Sent of God, bearing His message of mercy, forgiveness, pardon, compassion, goodness, love and character, conveying the life-giving message that He is waiting to receive perishing sinners and pardon their transgressions and sins. They are to tell the poor perishing sinner tenderly, pityingly and compassionately the story of His love and the glad tidings of salvation, expressing unselfish, Godlike love in deeds, in persevering efforts for souls, in unity, and in obedience to God and abiding in His love, giving self without withholding as He gave Himself and endured the cross. This calling requires them to preserve their influence and witness like salt that must retain its savor, to be transformed by grace into people of sympathy, tenderness and love giving evidence of grace and of the Father's sending of His Son, and to live lives shaped by love for God showing through service that they are His representatives.
The sending belongs not only to the apostles but in every generation to every son and daughter of God who believes through their word and claims Him as Redeemer and believes in His name. Those sent are to go forth as He went forth, carrying the truth to those who have not heard it, bearing as definite a testimony to the truth as it is in Jesus as the apostles did, trusting in the efficiency of the Holy Spirit. Every true believer is therefore responsible to share received light and grace and to work willingly for the salvation of souls rather than remain idle. When they do this, darkness will be dispelled from many minds and many voices will testify of the mercy, goodness and love of a crucified and risen Saviour. Loving Him by keeping His commandments and believing His words brings the abiding Comforter and power to do greater works because He went to the Father, and they need His peace and vitality as they carry out this work.
The commission is sealed and empowered by the gift of the Holy Spirit, given when He breathed on them, who teaches and comforts them. It can be fulfilled only under the Spirit's guidance and supervision, never presumptuously but only when the Spirit is evidently upon them, as He worked. The disciples were not ready to witness for Him, to teach truth or to represent Him until they received spiritual life and were made like Him, and without that endowment profession and teaching remain lifeless and the worker is not ready. The first reception was only a small beginning before the fuller outpouring at Pentecost, and as they carried out their entrusted work with growing obedience they would increasingly understand its nature and how His kingdom was to be established. To be sent as the Father sent Him means to go forth in His name and to be qualified for service by His Spirit.
Those sent have no more right to depart from the commission than He had to turn aside from bearing the sins of the world, and His giving His life as a propitiation makes it possible for them to serve in the line of work He entrusted to them. They are to study His character, follow His example, and witness for Him by living in purity, faith and obedience, receiving His spiritual life and being made like Him. They are to serve by standing on the platform of truth rather than joining the world, preserving influence like salt retaining its savor, being courageous, finding peace in Him, and making God their strength. They are to testify to what they saw and heard of His resurrection and repeat His gracious words, and by close association with Him, by studying His life and character and living in close communion with Him and praying in living faith, His servants grow more like Him and become better able to lead others to Him.
Being sent in His name and qualified by His Spirit takes concrete form as teachers working under Him as under-teachers carrying out His commission. It takes form as ministers and shepherds feeding the flock with meat in due season, who even when they feel weak, inefficient and powerless do not labor in vain but do real work sure of success and not deceptive and unreal as God works with them. It takes form as messengers uniting preaching of the gospel with healing the sick and casting out devils in His name, as He did when He sent out the twelve apostles and afterward the seventy. So medical missionary work must be carried on together with the ministry of the word as one work and never independently or as all-absorbing, with this sending bringing the gift of the Holy Ghost to empower that united service. This requires serving in union with Him, receiving spiritual life and power from Him, showing love for those for whom He died and working to save sinners, so that the work corresponds perfectly with the lifework of the greatest Medical Missionary.
On the evening of the first day of the week He stood among His disciples behind shut doors in the upper chamber where they had gathered in fear, showed them His hands and His side and His feet until they were glad, and greeted them with peace and then with peace again as He sent them as the Father had sent Him. That peace is His legacy to His church, the good news that He alone has taken away sin and secured reconciliation, bringing His own presence, protection, rest of heart and strength to endure suffering without fear. As the Father sent Him, so He sends them to continue the work He had begun, making known to all people His life, death and resurrection, the fulfillment of prophecy, and salvation through repentance and His power to save sinners and demonstrate God's love to a fallen world. To be so sent is to represent Him as He represented the Father, working as He worked and living as He lived, revealing God's spotless character, mercy, forgiveness, compassion and love in word and deed and in obedience to God's law. The sending belongs not to the apostles only but in every generation to every son and daughter of God who believes, and it can be fulfilled only under the guidance of the Holy Spirit whom He breathed upon them, without which witness and teaching remain lifeless until made alive and like Him.
Setting and Peace Gift
On the evening of the first day of the week the risen Jesus came to His disciples assembled behind shut doors in the upper chamber in Jerusalem for fear of the Jews, fearing they would share their Teacher's fate. It was the same room where the last supper had been held during Passover week, and His appearing there belongs to the risen appearances in that room, twice revealed. He stood in their midst and showed His hands and His side and His feet, so the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. He told them to remain in Jerusalem for a time before going to Galilee.
After triumphing over death and completing His earthly life, He greeted the assembled disciples with peace and then repeated His peace while sending them as the Father had sent Him. The peace is His legacy left to His church and comfort for that trying hour. It accompanies their commission to make known to all people the truths of His life, death and resurrection, the fulfillment of prophecy, and salvation through repentance and the Saviour's power. It is joined to His breathing on them the Holy Spirit with guidance and authority, teaching and comforting them, under whose guidance alone their position of trust can be fulfilled, for they were not ready to witness, teach truth or represent Christ until they received spiritual life.
The peace is the good news that He alone has taken away sin and secured peace and reconciliation for humanity, turning people from sin, so salvation rests on His work and not human effort, with true faith shown in a holy life and service to others. In united prayer His personal presence speaks peace that does not heal suffering but gives security in suffering, meaning His personal sympathy, love, protection and sustaining grace, with His face clearly manifested and His hands outspread looking on in compassion. It takes away fear even of a dreaded journey, and gives sweet peace pervading the soul, rest of heart in the hope and faith of the gospel, trust without misgiving, grateful rest in perfect security with Christ as hope, Redeemer, life and crown of rejoicing. It gives comfort and strength to endure pain in wakeful night hours by holding His strength and repeating Scripture, with courage found in Him and reliance on His strength.
Those who accept Him by living faith receive power to become sons of God, enter His school as students, and need not be troubled or anxious because He will ratify His promise, will not restrict His word, and will fulfill all His promises. His peace is a real presence that reveals Him, breaks hard hearts, and comes after plain reproof for lovelessness, wounding speech and division. When self, harsh judgment and dictatorial dealing are put away for love, patience, forbearance, meek restoration of the erring, watchful faithfulness and united prayer with hearts pressed together heart to heart, it brings confession of sin to God and to one another, weeping, mutual forgiveness, unity, rejoicing, heavenly light, and fruitful light-bearers sent to persuade others to the truth.
Commission to Continue Mission
As the Father sent Him, He sends them to continue the work He had begun and the mission the Father committed to Him. They are to make known to all people the truths of His life, death and resurrection, the fulfillment of prophecy, and salvation through repentance and the Saviour's power. The object remains the same as the object of His mission, to make known and demonstrate God's love to the fallen world and to save sinners, for He kept prominent throughout His ministry His mission as Redeemer to save sinners, which makes this a sacred work. Though He is invisible to the natural eye, all who believe on Him can still behold Him by faith, and in this work believers become a spectacle to unfallen worlds, to angels, and to men, revealing the Father through the Son.
To be sent as the Father sent Him means to represent Him as He represented the Father and revealed the Father to the world, working as He had worked and living as He lived. Words and actions are to make others' knowledge of God and Christ true by faithfully showing Christ and His truth, presenting His spotless character, precepts and example as the standard for human life. His character was spotless, and any stain or corruption in it would have meant the world was lost. Those sent are pledged, bound and dedicated individually to do for Christ what He did as the Sent of God, bearing His message of mercy, forgiveness, pardon, compassion, goodness, love and character, conveying the life-giving message that He is waiting to receive perishing sinners and pardon their transgressions and sins. They are to tell the poor perishing sinner tenderly, pityingly and compassionately the story of His love and the glad tidings of salvation, expressing unselfish, Godlike love in deeds, in persevering efforts for souls, in unity, and in obedience to God and abiding in His love, giving self without withholding as He gave Himself and endured the cross. This calling requires them to preserve their influence and witness like salt that must retain its savor, to be transformed by grace into people of sympathy, tenderness and love giving evidence of grace and of the Father's sending of His Son, and to live lives shaped by love for God showing through service that they are His representatives.
The sending belongs not only to the apostles but in every generation to every son and daughter of God who believes through their word and claims Him as Redeemer and believes in His name. Those sent are to go forth as He went forth, carrying the truth to those who have not heard it, bearing as definite a testimony to the truth as it is in Jesus as the apostles did, trusting in the efficiency of the Holy Spirit. Every true believer is therefore responsible to share received light and grace and to work willingly for the salvation of souls rather than remain idle. When they do this, darkness will be dispelled from many minds and many voices will testify of the mercy, goodness and love of a crucified and risen Saviour. Loving Him by keeping His commandments and believing His words brings the abiding Comforter and power to do greater works because He went to the Father, and they need His peace and vitality as they carry out this work.
The commission is sealed and empowered by the gift of the Holy Spirit, given when He breathed on them, who teaches and comforts them. It can be fulfilled only under the Spirit's guidance and supervision, never presumptuously but only when the Spirit is evidently upon them, as He worked. The disciples were not ready to witness for Him, to teach truth or to represent Him until they received spiritual life and were made like Him, and without that endowment profession and teaching remain lifeless and the worker is not ready. The first reception was only a small beginning before the fuller outpouring at Pentecost, and as they carried out their entrusted work with growing obedience they would increasingly understand its nature and how His kingdom was to be established. To be sent as the Father sent Him means to go forth in His name and to be qualified for service by His Spirit.
Those sent have no more right to depart from the commission than He had to turn aside from bearing the sins of the world, and His giving His life as a propitiation makes it possible for them to serve in the line of work He entrusted to them. They are to study His character, follow His example, and witness for Him by living in purity, faith and obedience, receiving His spiritual life and being made like Him. They are to serve by standing on the platform of truth rather than joining the world, preserving influence like salt retaining its savor, being courageous, finding peace in Him, and making God their strength. They are to testify to what they saw and heard of His resurrection and repeat His gracious words, and by close association with Him, by studying His life and character and living in close communion with Him and praying in living faith, His servants grow more like Him and become better able to lead others to Him.
Being sent in His name and qualified by His Spirit takes concrete form as teachers working under Him as under-teachers carrying out His commission. It takes form as ministers and shepherds feeding the flock with meat in due season, who even when they feel weak, inefficient and powerless do not labor in vain but do real work sure of success and not deceptive and unreal as God works with them. It takes form as messengers uniting preaching of the gospel with healing the sick and casting out devils in His name, as He did when He sent out the twelve apostles and afterward the seventy. So medical missionary work must be carried on together with the ministry of the word as one work and never independently or as all-absorbing, with this sending bringing the gift of the Holy Ghost to empower that united service. This requires serving in union with Him, receiving spiritual life and power from Him, showing love for those for whom He died and working to save sinners, so that the work corresponds perfectly with the lifework of the greatest Medical Missionary.