The First Commission

The words came from Jesus Himself. Jesus said to all gathered in an upper room “as the Father has sent Me, I am sending you” (John 20:21). 

Later Jesus expanded this thought. In the Great Commission, recorded in Matthew 28:19–20, Jesus used his final words on earth to instruct His followers to “make disciples of all nations.” 

Luke’s account of Jesus’ final words (Acts 1:8) has the Lord commissioning the disciples to be witnesses from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.

But the First Commission came on Resurrection Day eve, not at the end of Jesus’ 40 days after being raised from death to life. 

The First Commission came when His followers were afraid and confused. That is part of the reason they gathered behind locked doors. 

Empty tomb

Something had happened to Jesus’ body. That much was clear. The tomb where Jesus was buried on Friday was empty on the first day of the week. The Roman guards accused the disciples of stealing the body during the night and many of the Jews believed that lie.  

The disciples were already afraid after witnessing the arrest, trial and crucifixion of their leader. Now to be called thieves by the Romans practically terrified them. 

Jesus was alive

And there were those amazing reports — reports that Jesus was alive. Mary Magdalene claimed to have seen Jesus that very morning. Two of Jesus’ followers also claimed to have seen Jesus during the day. They said He walked with them on the Emmaus Road.

Perhaps the disciples wanted to learn more about these reports. Perhaps they wanted to talk to one another about whether the rumors of resurrection could be true. Christians gathering to comfort one another, to encourage one another, to learn from one another has always been a positive experience. Perhaps that is why the writer of Hebrews urged believers not to forsake the assembling of themselves together (Heb. 10:25).

As the disciples talked Jesus suddenly appeared in their midst. One might expect the appearance to be confirmation of the resurrection reports from earlier in the day. Not so. Luke reports the disciples thought they were seeing a ghost (Luke 24:37). 

Receiving confirmation

It was not until Jesus “showed them His hands and side” that the disciples believed and were overjoyed. The information about Jesus’ resurrection was confirmed by their own personal experience (John 20:20).

In a brief moment, promises of Jesus were fulfilled in ways no one expected. When Jesus announced His approaching death in John 14, He promised “I will come to you” (v. 18). Now Jesus stood in their midst (John 20:19a). Jesus had promised His peace (John 14:27) and now He said “peace be with you” (John 20:19b). 

Jesus had promised a time when “I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice” (John 16:22) and now the disciples’ joy overflowed when they saw the Lord. 

There could be no doubt

Interestingly John points out the disciples were overjoyed after they saw the marks of the crucifixion on the body of the one standing before them. There could be no doubt. The Jesus to whom they had given their devotion, the Jesus whom they and multitudes of others had seen crucified three days earlier was the same One who stood before them. 

At Caesarea Philippi, Peter had confessed, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Now the disciples realized that fact again as they saw their Lord. 

Jesus’ presence calmed their fears and encouraged their faith. Peace was certainly with them. Perhaps not peace as the world gives but a peace that reaches beyond circumstances to a steadfast assurance that Jesus is Lord of lords and King of kings. 

But the peace Jesus offered was not meant for personal contentment. It was to encourage them to accept the commission coming their way. 

In Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer recorded in John 17, He had prayed, “As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world” (v. 18). Now to the disciples He says, “As the Father has sent Me, I am sending you” (John 20:21).

This commission is not the charge of an uncaring dictator who only cares about the completion of a task. The verb used for “sent” is perfect tense indicating the mission of Jesus continues. All who were gathered in that upper room were to continue the ministry Jesus started but their mission was not in mortal hands alone. It was still a divine mission as the work of Jesus continues.

‘I am sending you’

Matthew expresses the same thought in different words. He quotes Jesus’ final words of the Great Commission: “And surely I am with you always, even unto the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). 

The disciples and others in that room could never be the mediators of reconciliation as Jesus was but they could certainly proclaim what God had done through Jesus. Their mission was not to the Jews alone but to all people everywhere. Their commission to share this message was as much a word from God as that given any Old Testament prophet, for Jesus said, “As the Father has sent Me, I am sending you.” What more authority could be asked? 

John says Jesus then “breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (John 20:22). Just as Jesus received the Holy Spirit at the beginning of his ministry (John 1:32–33) so Jesus provided the Holy Spirit for the work of the Church. It is part of being “with” His people to the end of the age. It is part of the continual “sending” of the Son by the Father. God always equips His people for the tasks to which He calls.

A new creation

One cannot miss the comparison to the first creation where God breathed the breath of life into His creation and man became a living being (Gen. 2:7). Now Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit into His disciples and creates a new humanity. What sinned marred, Jesus redeemed. For the one who trusts in Jesus, he is a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). 

What Jesus said to the disciples that Resurrection Day eve still applies to all Jesus’ followers. He gives us His peace, not for personal contentment but to prepare us to accept the First Commission. As the Father sent Jesus to us, so Jesus sends us to others.