Easter: New Life and Mission!

Today is the day we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection. It’s Easter Sunday! It’s what keeps us going the fact that Jesus paid the price for our salvation and His blood washes away our sins. However one of the things that we might not equate with Easter is the fact that because of His resurrection, we have been called to live a new life and to do the mission He’s called us to do. We have been commissioned by Jesus!

John 20:19–21 (NIV)

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 

After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. 

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

Peace Not Stress is Our Motivation!

The word peace in the Greek is eirēnē. The use of this word in this passage of means the peace that comes from God and overcomes every stressful thing this life brings. Then Jesus tells them as the Father sent Him, to save the world, He is sending us to bring God’s peace and hope and Good News to the world. We’re have been given the mission to seek and save those that are lost by telling them what Jesus did for them.

John 20:22–23 (NIV)

And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 

If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

The Holy Spirit in Us Gives Us Power!

We have been given the power to be witnesses and representatives of His kingdom. When we pray the prayer of salvation with people we have the opportunity to see the Lord wash their sins away. We are not the ones who forgives their sins but we are the ones who puts them in “contact” with the One who does forgive.

Acts 1:8 (AMP)

But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth.

Our Mission is Being a Witness to the World!

Because of Easter, Jesus’ resurrection, we have become His witnesses to the world! We received the Holy Spirit which makes us His witnesses in our Jerusalem, all of Judea, Samaria and the world. We are His witnesses every where we go!

Matthew 28:19–20 (TPT)

Now go in my authority and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

And teach them to faithfully follow all that I have commanded you. And never forget that I am with you every day, even to the completion of this age.”

We Are God’s Hope for the World!

When Jesus rose from the dead, He gave us the great commission. Go into the world. We are on the offense. Go and make disciples, make followers of Jesus. Now that we are saved we have a responsibility to share what we have. We have been redeemed and now we are looking for others to be redeemed. Easter is not just us celebrating the resurrection, it’s time for us to remind ourselves that we have a new life and a new mission in life. We need to go in God’s peace, with the power of the Holy Spirit and make disciples. That’s our goal because of Easter.