The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ was a world-changing event that transformed everything man thought he understood about death, salvation and eternity.
After Jesus rose from the grave, people realized that the prophecies of the Old Testament prophets had come true. Jesus then began to focus on encouraging His followers to launch out in taking the Gospel to others. And His command to share this Good News continues today for you and me.
Following His resurrection, Jesus first gave the Great Commission, saying, “As my Father has sent me, even so send I you” (John 20:21, NKJV). This commands us to go into the world, just as Jesus was sent to the world.
A week later, Jesus expounded upon the Great Commission, saying we should go and preach His Word. “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15). Jesus wants us to tell His story to every person on this planet.
No person, no church, no missions group can answer the Lord’s call alone. But we must be about the task of prayerfully attempting to reach as many people as we can … together. We call this disciple-making and it has become the crux of all that we are doing here at Thomas Road Worldwide.
Forty days after dying, Jesus, alive and well, repeated the Great Commission, this time giving us the content for our preaching. In Luke 24:46-48, we read, “Then He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things.’”
Make no mistake, the Good News is that Jesus died for our sins.
A few hours later, Jesus walked outside the city of Jerusalem and before He ascended into heaven, again pronounced the Great Commission, this time including geographical directives. He said, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8).
We have our instructions.
I remember my father telling a story that I would like to recount to you today. Dad had a friend named Billie Kim who told him the story of a Korean man who had murdered 17 people and was sentenced to be executed.
As this man waited to die, a missionary lady went to visit him, but the man refused to meet her. She saw the conditions in the prison and knew the man was cold, so she sent him clothes for warmth. Because they did not feed prisoners well, she sent him food and even some chocolates. Finally, the man asked to see the missionary and she was able to tell him about redemption through the Lord Jesus Christ.
In that jail, the man asked Jesus to save his soul. Amazingly, this murderer became a glowing witness and many guards were born again. On the day of his execution, he was asked if he had any final words. He repeated the Apostle’s Creed, then looked into the faces of his executioners and said, “I long to see each of you accept Christ. If you do, I will see you in heaven. I am praying for each of you.” Then he sang “Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him,” as they took his life.
If this missionary lady had stayed within her comfort zone, the prisoner would have never met Jesus. He would have died a bitter man and spent eternity apart from God. But, thank the Lord, this lady answered Jesus’ call and took the Gospel to this man others had forgotten.
The world is full of people who bear the burden of their sin. Should we not love people who need Jesus just like the Korean missionary lady did? Should we not get out of our own comfort zone and share the redemptive message of Jesus with people who do not know Him?
This ministry is all about getting our hands dirty for the sake of the Gospel. Through new church plants, humanitarian relief, pastoral training programs, the Thomas Road Outpost camp, the Liberty Godparent Home, television and radio outreach, and so many other related ministries, we are reaching out to hurting people so they can come to know the Living Christ.
By partnering with us, you are helping reach thousands each year with the Gospel. I am so grateful that you have a deep longing to touch people’s lives so that we can see them come to know Jesus as their personal Savior.
There is much yet to be done. This month, as we recall what Jesus accomplished through His glorious resurrection, let us remember that He left us with instructions on how we are to be inviting people to meet Him. We cannot live in silence!
May Christ’s resurrection continue to inspire us to answer His call to take His message to those who need Him. Let’s keep working together to reach them.
Your Friend in Christ,
