“So Jesus said to them again, “ Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” (John 20:21)

The words of Christ in this verse highlights the missional call for the church. Here Jesus says, “Peace be with you” to His disciples in 20:19. He then shows them His hands and side. Those who spent so much time with Him rejoice at the visible proof that it was indeed the Master.  The wounds in His hands and side are also proof of His love not only for these disciples but also for the world. The Apostle John says in John 3:16 , “For God so love the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (NASB) This love provided a way that sinful humanity could be in right relationship with the Creator. This good news or Gospel is carried to various places and cultures through the means of those who benefit from the good news. (Acts 1:8)

Christ humbled Himself by putting on flesh and coming to live among those who were in constant opposition to the will of the Godhead. In John 20:21, Jesus proclaims “peace” a second time as He gives His disciples a mission.  He instructs them to model His life. He points to His obedience to the Father by coming in flesh declaring freedom from legalism and the loveless lifestyle of men. He waged war against man’s proclivity towards disobedience. He remains victorious over the  power of sin. The action of the Father sending the Son is now passed down to the Son sending His disciples. Centuries later the contemporary Church is the recipient of the same model and mission. We are called to be incarnational and to communicate the good news that frees men and women from the shackles of sin.  We are incarnational when we humble ourselves and identify with those we serve. For example, Jesus was born in a manger, lived among the working class and experienced poverty although He had the option of  a lavished lifestyle. Jesus intentionally spent time with those who realized they need a physician. Incarnational does not mean that we merely emulate those we are serving but instead we mirrors the example of Christ–we empty ourselves of selfish ambition and become obedient to the will of the Godhead. The gospel of Christ translates into better lives, better communities, a better society and not simply bigger heads, bigger bank accounts and bigger press releases. I believe that we are being missional when we identify and love those who are lost and communicate good news in a way that does not exchange it for another message that brings momentary cultural acceptance.

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

The missional call of Christ is often missed by churches who have become focused only on internal matters. Many seek to  keep church goers comfortable so that things remains profitable. The much sought after comfort that the church craves is often at the expense of the missional call. Many have no budget limit for denominational annual gatherings or building projects but when the idea of mission is considered many believe that passing out tracks, screaming through a bull horn or having church outside in the summer months qualifies as being the sent people of God.  While there is nothing inherently wrong with these efforts they are sometimes utilized in isolation and they fails to identify (incarnational) with those who are lost. Many churches will observe that membership is dwindling and so a solution becomes buying more tracks and scheduling more Saturday distribution efforts.  Some will go a step further and purchase prepackaged ministry tools that take no consideration for context; figuring if it worked for someone else it should work for us. Thank God for those churches that at least make an effort–there are many who simply seek to identify with the lost but carry no gospel at all.

We are in dire need of change.