by Emily Wooten
After the resurrection, when Jesus appeared to various members of His followers, He explained that He was going to His Father—to His God and our God. What did that mean for us?
John 20:17 — The first person Jesus appeared to after His resurrection was Mary at the tomb. He told her to go and tell His brethren that He was going to the Father.
Matthew 28:7 — The angel of the Lord told the women to go and tell the disciples that He had risen from the dead.
John 20:21–23 — Then Jesus said to them again, “Peace be unto you: as My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.”
Just before Jesus ascended to sit at the Father’s right hand, He made this promise:
Acts 1:8 — “But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
Matthew 28:18–20 — And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
People across the globe celebrate Resurrection Sunday. Even those who have not been to church all year are seen attending. It is up to those of us who have come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior to keep that message alive. Just as if Jesus were standing in our presence today, He is saying: Go! Tell! Teach and baptize!
Acts 2:38–39 — Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”
There is nothing more important than declaring the message that Jesus is alive and saving whoever calls upon His name.
In John 10:10, it is recorded that Jesus said, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”