It would be presumed that Jesus’ resurrection would have had an extraordinary and striking impact if He had chosen to directly appear to Pilate or the Chief Priests on Easter morning – or even to the crowds in busy streets of Jerusalem where he walked 3 days before with the cross on His back and say: “Here I am – Alive!” Instead, He chose to appear to 3 women!
He trusted these women with His message impressing the importance of vessels that are needed to carry out His Resurrection message to the World..
“Go Quickly and Tell – Go and Tell my brothers.”
Matthew 28:7, 10.
It is quite normal for anyone being cruelly crucified to be vengeful or vindictive after being resurrected to prove one’s power over the wicked world. The Church often is tempted to demonstrate God’s power through spiteful circumstances instead of showing love like Jesus and by preaching the good news of forgiveness and salvation.
The Resurrection Message is given to the Church First!
The Great Commission to ‘Go’ in Matthew 28 preceded by two other Go’s:
“Go quickly and tell his disciples…” implying a ‘Sense of Urgency’ and “Go Tell my brothers…” a ’Sense of Responsibility.’
At the resurrection, while the disciples were still hiding, Jesus gave the message to the Women to tell them its time to GO OUT to Galilee! By their message Jesus affirmed that His earthly ministry is now totally assigned to His followers and their responsibility of reaching the lost world. Yet, this message has not yet been realized by the Church!
An imaginary story is said about how angels had a welcoming party for Jesus when he ascended to heaven and inquired how things went down on earth. Jesus replied, ‘Everything went perfectly as planned, and I have finished my work!” Then one of them asked, “who will continue your mission on earth now?” to which Jesus answered that He left the whole responsibility with His Disciples. Then all the angels were bewildered: “Oh no, not them? We watched the whole drama from here how those 12 guys screwed-up so many times.” Disappointed, they asked Him, ‘What if they fail? Is there a plan B?”
Jesus replied, “I have no other plan – Only them!”
It was with such confidence that He appeared to the women to say “Go quickly and Tell my brothers.“
The Great Omission!
No Easter without the GO Commission.
The Church has celebrated Easter for nearly 2000 Years and still have not taken the full responsibility of the GO Commission. The Resurrection Message of the Women was not taken Seriously!
But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense
Luke 24:11
This ‘seeming of nonsense’ has continued for centuries as Gordon Olson explains the ‘Great Omission’ that: after the Reformation of Martin Luther in 1517, the Protestant Church did not do any missionary work for nearly 200 Years. Some Reformers had the notion that the Great Commission was only given to the Apostles who finished their task during their lifetime. Others said that they must first reach the Jews and unbelievers in Europe before going to heathen lands. One Johann Ursinius argued that the heathen are too depraved to understand the Gospel and therefore there is no necessity to preach to them. Or, others believed in the Calvinistic view of God’s sovereignty that if God wants to save the Heathen, He will do it any way and there is no need for sending missionaries.
Do these views still reflect in the thinking of most Churches in the 21st Century?
This Omission is quite evident by the fact that:
‘80% of Christians in the World have no understanding of the Great Commission’.
80% of the Unreached People in the World will never meet a Christian who can share the Gospel with them.
This year the WAGF is launching the MM33 Initiative to see that Assemblies of God will contribute to completing the Great Commission by the year 2033!
This can only happen if the Church first heed the Easter Message of the Women to the Church, “Come out of hiding inside the 4 walls of the Church – It is time to Go!”
This Easter let us remember the enormous responsibility laid on us to carry out His Mission. He is totally depended on You!
By this gospel you are saved…that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
1 Corinthians 15:2,3,4.