Sent

Simon Price | 22:14, Thursday, 14 October 2010

It has been awesome to walk through the pages of the gospel knowing that ‘these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.’  But the humbling reality is that those who believe are then sent to proclaim the good news of Jesus in word and action.  ‘As the Father sent me, so I send you,’ Jesus says to the disciples. Quite a job title! And quite a job description! Throughout the gospel Jesus has unpacked what this sending looks like. The sent one;

brings glory and honour to the sender (17.4)
does the sender’s will (4.34) and work (9.4).
speaks the sender’s words (3.34)
bears witness to the sender (5.36)
represents him faithfully (13.20)
exercises delegated authority (5.21–22)
knows the sender intimately (7.29; 8.29)
follows the sender’s example (13/16)

This is the high calling of every disciple of Jesus and it is accomplished only as we abide in Jesus, living for him and through him.