February 16, 2008
"Again Jesus said, 'Peace be with you! As the Father has sent Me, I am sending you.'" John 20: 21
"Return to Sender." - Jesus, in this text, tells us that He too was about to be returned to the One who had sent Him. His work had been completed...the nail prints were proof of that. The sacrifice was sufficient...the resurrected Savior was proof of that. The job of justification was finished and the atonement of mankind was accomplished. Jesus had paid the price for the forgiveness of all mankind's sins. He would return to heaven to sit upon the throne of God and to prepare a place for each of us.
But now the question arises, "How would mankind find out about the terrible price paid to redeem us?" The crucifixion and the resurrection had taken place in a not very important town to the world of its day. There were no TV cameras to record the scenes for later reports on the evening news. Newspapers and news magazines did not exist. There would be no "blogs" written about the events and the significance of the events. Hundreds knew what had happened in Jerusalem, but most of them didn't believe it to be true. Well over 99% of the people on earth at that time would have no way to discover Jesus Christ, the Savior of mankind. Christianity was on the verge of dying before it could come into existence.
And so it was that Jesus said to the disciples, "Calm down. As impossible as it may seem, My death has completed all that My Father has required of Me. I am now going to return to be with My Father." The death of one perfect man was accomplished. Who would have thought that possible? Knowing that must have been comforting to these disciples, and I think that briefly it must have flashed through their minds that now everything would fall into place and they would be the ones who would hold all the offices and positions. But Jesus had a different idea for He said, "As the Father has sent Me, I am sending you." It didn't take them long to realize that Jesus was sending them as His representatives to all the people of the earth. He wanted all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. It is an impossible task, but remember that Jesus had promised that "...with God, nothing is impossible."
As you read this devotion Jesus is speaking to you, and the message is short but extremely difficult. "I am sending you." Over four billion people on the earth have either not heard of the name of Jesus or they have rejected Him as their Savior. It is to them that you are being sent. And the message you carry is of eternal significance to them. Jesus Christ is the only person who can save them from the sins of their lives. The job is enormous but of course, "...with God, nothing is impossible."
You are being sent out into your families, your neighborhoods, your country, and to the very ends of the earth. We can meet the challenge and reach every soul with the message of salvation by faith in Jesus the Christ. May we "Return to Sender" having labored in the work of God's church. Amen.
Pastor Smith