Thursday, April 12, 2012
Here
are some more words from Jesus post-resurrection from John 20:21-23
21 Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending
you.” 22 And with that he breathed on
them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven;
if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Let’s
not misunderstand Jesus’ words here. His statement in verse 23 does not give
authority to Christians to forgive sins. Only God has that authority. What
Jesus was saying is that we can declare people are forgiven through His
finished work. As people receive Jesus they are receiving forgiveness from
God. We can also declare that people who
do not receive Jesus are not forgiven.
These
words from Jesus are similar to the words he prayed in John 17:18, “As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the
world.”
How
did God send Jesus into the world? In love – For God so loved the world, he
gave his one and only Son… In grace and truth – Jesus came into the world and
he was full of grace and truth. With a purpose – Jesus came to seek and save
the lost. Likewise, we are being sent in
love and full of grace and truth with the purpose of seeing people get connected
with God through Jesus.
By
what authority to go? The same authority as Jesus - The Father.
With
what power do we go? – The power of the Holy Spirit. It’s not by our own power
or ability, it’s by the power of the Holy Spirit that we minister.
With
what purpose do we go? – So people can experience the forgiveness of God.
Jesus
comes to us and declares that He accepts us – I’m giving you peace.
Jesus
comes to us and gives us a mission – I am sending you to serve.
Jesus
comes to us and equips us – go in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus’
mission is our mission. Are you on a mission with Christ?
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