Yet there’s something crucial we must understand: Jesus sends His people into uncertain environments, often when they feel unprepared and unsupported. But before He sends them, He does three essential things – He secures their salvation, confirms His victory, and establishes His authority.
What Does It Mean to Be Sent by the Risen King?
The church’s mission doesn’t begin with activity – it begins with assurance. Before the disciples were called as witnesses, they were first called forgiven. Before they were commissioned, they were comforted. And before they were sent, victory was secured.
This matters because we are not sent to earn God’s approval. We are sent because Christ has already secured our approval before God. Everything flows from grace, not from our efforts or abilities.
How Did Jesus Secure Victory Before Sending His Disciples?
The Cross Was Completion, Not Collapse
Nothing about the cross or resurrection was accidental, chaotic, or uncertain. The cross represents completion, not collapse. Even in moments when everything seems to be falling apart in our lives, the cross shows us that God is actually bringing everything together according to His plan.
Throughout His crucifixion, Jesus demonstrated that He was not overpowered but was willingly handing Himself over. His words from the cross weren’t panicked or defeated:
- “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”
- “Today you will be with me in paradise”
- “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit”
The Resurrection Confirmed God’s Plan
The resurrection wasn’t a recovery from a mistake – it was confirmation of an eternal plan. The angels asked a pointed question at the empty tomb: “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” In other words, why are you acting as if the story is unresolved?
A key phrase Luke repeats is “it was necessary.” It was necessary for Christ to suffer, necessary for Him to rise again, and necessary according to Scripture. The resurrection didn’t create a new plan; it confirmed an old one.
Why Does Victory Come Before Mission?
We should walk around with a sense that victory is already complete, not defeated by circumstances, storms, or difficult relationships. The church is never sent out to finish salvation – it’s already completed. We are sent out because salvation is finished.
This means:
- We don’t witness from anxiety, but from assurance
- We don’t serve to earn grace, because grace has already been won
- The mission is confident because the victory is secure
If the victory were uncertain, the mission would be fragile. But because we know the outcome is secure, we can move forward with confidence.
What Authority Do We Have as Sent Believers?
Before launching the mission, Jesus revealed His authority by explaining the Scriptures and showing how everything written about Him in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms was fulfilled. He opened their minds to understand that the entire Old Testament story was pointing to Him.
The Message We’re Given to Carry
Jesus gave His disciples a specific message to proclaim:
- Repentance (taking responsibility for our actions and turning to God)
- Forgiveness of sins
- Proclaiming His name
- Going to all nations
The biggest hurdles we face today are often repentance (helping people understand the need to take responsibility for their actions before God) and actually going to all nations.
Wait for Divine Power
Before sending them out, Jesus told His disciples to “stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” The mission isn’t driven by enthusiasm, personality, or preparation – it’s driven by divine authority and power through the Holy Spirit.
Authority and understanding come before activity and obedience. The church doesn’t move because it feels ready; it moves because Christ is reigning with authority.
How Is the Mission Launched Today?
The Book of Acts shows us what happened when the early church responded to the resurrection and the Great Commission. If Acts was written about us today, what would it say about how we’ve responded to Christ’s call to make disciples and share the gospel?
Christ Continues Working Through His People
Acts isn’t really the disciples’ story – it’s the story of Christ at work through them. The book begins by stating that Luke’s Gospel dealt with “all that Jesus began to do and teach.” The word “began” is crucial because it means the gospel story isn’t over. Jesus is still at work today.
The question isn’t whether Jesus is active, but how He will work through us in our current context.
We Are Witnesses, Not Conquerors
When the disciples asked about restoring the kingdom, Jesus redirected them. He didn’t correct their hope but reframed their role. They would be witnesses – people with a testimony who share what they’ve seen, heard, and experienced.
The world is looking to hear about our experiences with God – both the moments when we’ve seen Him work powerfully and the times when we didn’t feel His presence.
What Does It Mean to Be Sent Today?
We are sent:
- Under authority (Christ’s authority)
- With power (the Holy Spirit)
- With purpose (to participate in what Jesus is already doing)
Mission isn’t busy work or more programs – it’s participation in what Jesus is already accomplishing in the world. We’re not sent alone; we have the Holy Spirit and fellow believers to support us.
The risen Christ doesn’t save people and leave them standing still. He saves them, shapes them, and then sends them. Grace isn’t the finish line – it’s the foundation for the work He’s called us to do.
Life Application
The key question isn’t whether we are sent, but where. Where is God sending you? This might be to a foreign mission field, but more likely it’s to someone you already know locally – someone God has already placed in your path.
Consider these questions:
- Who has God already put in my path that needs to hear about His love and forgiveness?
- What would obedience look like right now if I followed Jesus in this moment?
- How can I participate in what Christ is already doing in my community?
Remember, we are saved by grace and sent with purpose. We’re not starting from a position of disadvantage but from a position of victory because of what Christ accomplished on the cross. The mission has already been launched, and His people are sent under His authority and power.
