"Even So Send I You..."

John 20:19-23 (Resurrection Sunday Evening) April 20, 2003

A. The first Sunday was a marvelously exciting time. Appearances! Christ! But the disciples? In hiding
B. But to these fearful men, Jesus appears, and commissions them to their one work till He returns.


 "Even So Send I You..."
I. The Calling to Preach
A. Jesus calls the church to proclaim the gospel of peace through forgiveness.
1. This is not surprising. What is striking is that the call is the message of the resurrection.
 
2. Proclaiming this message, the church herself forgives sins: "remitting" and "retaining" sins.
 
3. How she does this is through the official preaching—preaching remits and retains sins.
 
B. This is the calling of the church as church
1. Jesus gave this calling to His disciples, officially sending them to speak on His behalf
 
2. But this does not mean that all the members are not involved in this great work


II. The Ability to Preach
A. Christ gives the church the right to do this work: "As the Father hath sent me, even so send I you"
1. How is it that the Father sends the Son?
 
2. "Even so," Jesus now sends His church
 
B. Christ also enables the church for this work: "He breathed on them and said, Receive ye the Holy Spirit."
1. What an awesome work! How can the church really carry out this weighty calling? By the Holy Spirit giving power from God Himself.
 
2. Applications:



IlI The Glad Results
A. Joy
 
B. Peace
 
C. Desire