John 20:21 NIV84 Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me.  I am sending you

Jesus appears to his disciples while their world is still in a turmoil.  Jesus died on Friday.  Here it is Sunday evening.  He is reported alive, seen by Mary and he appears to his disciples behind locked doors in the upper room.  “Peace be with you” Oh he had never really left them, he is always with us.  He told them on Thursday “I will never leave you nor forsake you”  But now darkness has given way to life.  Jesus is standing in front of them and says “Peace be with you” v19 and then v20 he shows them his hands and side, probably as they are just standing there with their mouths wide open.  So in v21 again Jesus said “Peace be with you!  As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”  

I’m sure they had been thinking, since Friday, that the story was over for them.  Maybe they were next to die.  Thinking “if we survive this, what now, back to fishing, back to tax collecting, back to find something else about which to be zealous.”

But Jesus says “this is not the end of the story, this is the beginning … I am sending you”

But HOW is he sending us?

1. At Peace

Regardless of the struggle around us … At Peace

Peace where it matters.  Peace from God.  Peace within us

Jesus had said to them Thursday night, “In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world.”

Now they see this statement in the flesh.  Oh listen “trouble” was just starting for them.  The moment we make peace with God, the struggles really begin.  The attacks of the evil one, the struggle of the flesh and our new nature, it is only starting.  Persecution is coming, but peace be with you.  So then we are sent, at peace, as ministers OF peace.

And we are sent 

2. AS the Father Sent

How was Jesus sent?  

He was sent with a clearly defined purpose.  He came humble.  He came emptied of glory.  He came an intentional servant.  He came committted to the plan of the Father.  His purpose was to live in perfection, declare God’s glory, die a sacrificial death, redeeming and reconciling all who would believe.  Then he came to rise victorious over sin and death.

We then are sent to live in his righteousness.  We are to live in humility.  Check James 4:7-10.  We are submissive to his will, victorious over satan, drawing near him, daily dying, dealing with external sin struggles, humble before him, and he will lift us up in due time.  We are sent intentionally to serve.  Jesus had said if I your master have come not to be served but to serve, how much more should you serve.

We have a clear mission.  As you go, (Matthew 28:19-20)make disciples, that is imitating followers, baptizing them in the name of Father, Son, and Spirit.  We go to all (Acts 1:8) nations as witnesses telling them what we have seen and heard.

And so we are 

3. Sent

I don’t men to be redundant, but he is sending us, SENT.  

Again it is about living with purpose.  He doesn’t say “get out of here.”  he doesn’t say “just go, have fun, do as you please.”

No, we are SENT.  We belong to him, so we must go as HIS children, his Ambassadors.  We are SENT.  We are commanded so we can’t just live and minister aimlessly, when we feel like it.  No we are SENT.

Pray: Lord you are always at work.  You have sent me.  So, what are you doing and how can I join you?”

The Greatest Peace we can know is NOT in the ABSENCE of Trouble or Conflict, but in the Presence of Christ, and Our presence in the world, sent by Him.