"Lighting the Fire"
Jotting – Week 29

The fifth mission response of Ablaze! is “Send missionaries to those places where you cannot go yourself to proclaim the Gospel.”

God Sent His Son

When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden, they broke the precious, intimate relationship they had with God. Though God sent them from Eden to an outside, unfriendly environment, they took with them the comforting words of a promised Savior, a Savior who would pay the penalty, take the punishment, suffer the pangs and pains and anguish of hell so that they–and we–could enjoy heaven with God Almighty.

God sent Abraham out from Ur to an unknown land to establish a nation for Himself, a nation that would be the cradle where the Son of God would lay His head–first in a rough manger, then on a rough cross. Abraham took with him the promise of a son–a promise that took 25 years to be fulfilled–and through that son, a mighty nation. He also took the promise of another Son–and through that Son, a mighty Kingdom of all nations. That promise was not fulfilled in Abraham’s lifetime.

God sent His people into Egypt where they were enslaved for 400 years. He delivered them through the man Moses, who led them to the edge of the Promised Land. They took with them the promise of the God-Man Jesus, who died to free all people from the slavery of sin and opened heaven–the real Promised Land–to all who believe, and there will open His arms to welcome all believers in Christ.

God sent judges, priests, kings, prophets and prophetesses, who sometimes led the way, sometimes strayed from the way and needed forgiveness, sometimes found the way back for the whole nation of God, many times pleading with that nation to leave the ways of the world and come back into the loving patient arms of their God. These mighty men and women of God always went, always preached, always longed  with the hope for the promise of the Savior to come.

After a time of silence for 400 years, a mighty voice was heard in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord! Make His paths straight!” (Matthew 3:3). God sent John the Baptist (or Baptizer) to preach repentance, to proclaim that the Kingdom of God was near, that the Savior was on the horizon. The Promise was being fulfilled.

Finally, God sent Jesus, born as a Baby, not housed in a great palace nor even in a comfortable home, but birthed among the beasts of His own creation. Jesus grew up not much known outside of Nazareth. The people in His hometown did not know, or, if knowing, had forgotten that He had been born in Bethlehem–as it had been foretold–and called out of Egypt–as it had been foretold.

Jesus was sent for a purpose. He Himself said, “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:17). And again: “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). We also read:

Then [Jesus] said to him, "A certain man gave a great supper and invited many,  and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’ And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’” Luke 14:16-24

In one of the commentaries I study, a point was made that it wasn’t many servants who went out in this story, but One Servant. Jesus fulfilled His mission, and then He told those He had trained, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:21).

Jesus is no longer physically present on earth, so He chose us–and sends us to go into the streets and lanes, the highways and hedges, the offices and stores, the schools and neighborhoods, to help others see their need of a Savior, to come to that Savior in faith, believing that He can and will forgive their sins and welcome them as His own into heaven when they die.

Where is Jesus sending you these days?

Pray: Thank You, heavenly Father, for sending Jesus, Your Son, Your own dear Son, to be Servant and Sacrifice for us. Oh, forgive us, Father, when we take so little heed of Your desire to send us next door, across the street, and around the corner. Open our hearts to the heart needs and soul needs of those hungry for Your grace, Your love, Your forgiveness. Make our hearts like Yours, O God, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.