John 20:19-23
Over October and November, we’re walking through a new series exploring both the Story of Mission in the Bible and the (crazy!) invitation Jesus gives to us in John 20.21: “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” That's wild! The gospel is the news of the cosmic redemption of all things in and through Jesus, the Son of God who came to deal with Sin, to restore us to God, and to open the way to the Presence of God now, and eventually forever in a renewed world. And just as the Father sent the Son into the world to accomplish salvation, the Son now sends us (in the power of the Spirit!) to announce his salvation to the world and to call the world to repent and believe, to turn from false gods, empty hopes, and vain promises and to trust in the Son who is the once and future King of the world! We've been commissioned by the King, sent to bring the good news into our neighborhoods and relational networks, to embody, announce, and demonstrate the good news. Each Sunday we’ll unpack the various "missionary" themes of the Bible, seeing how God has been on mission from the beginning of time! And we’ll bring all that down to earth in really simple, practical 'rhythms' for life, because being a Spirit-empowered missionary is the everyday call of ordinary disciples.
COMMUNITY DISCUSSION
1. Read John 20.19-23, Jesus’ first appearance to his disciples after his resurrection. What do you notice about this scene? What are the disciples feeling? What does Jesus tell them?
2. Reflect on the first half of v.21 (‘as the Father has sent me’). What is Jesus referencing? What have we seen in John’s gospel about the ministry and mission of Jesus?
3. Reflect on the second half of v.21 (’even so I am sending you’). What is Jesus telling his disciples? In what ways are we sent like Jesus?
October 11, 2020 - Steve Hart