JOHN 1:35-42 – “Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”  The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.  And Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?”  He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they came and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.  One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He found first his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).”

THEME OF THE DAY: BRING THEM TO JESUS.  Did you ever consider why God didn’t save us then immediately take us to heaven?  He could have chosen us in Christ, gave us saving faith, caused us to be born again, and then remove us from this miserable world full of heartache and difficulties of following Christ.  He didn’t.  He left us in this world for a reason, His reason.  He left us in this world for a purpose, His purpose. And what is His reason and purpose?  Jesus told us in the last chapter of Matthew’s gospel and the first chapter in the book of Acts – “And Jesus came and said to them, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20);  “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). We are left in the world to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world and give witness to the reality of Him who is the Gospel.

This mission is what we see from Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, in today’s scripture.  What did he do?  John writes – “One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He found first his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ). He brought him to Jesus”. Our responsibility and privilege are to be Andrew-like and it starts in our homes with our families.

The Gospel and Person of the Gospel, the Lord Jesus, is to perfume our homes with the fragrance of Jesus’ character.  We do so by living aware all our actions, attitudes, conversations, and conduct are to draw our family members to the reality of Christ.  As we do, this spills over into our lives outside our homes – churches and communities.

When we leave our homes, we do so with a sense of mission. We go compelled by Christ’s love, to share Christ’s love in word and deed in our churches, and all the people we encounter in our neighborhoods, social circles and places of employment.  Living daily with a mission-mindset makes the Christian life what it is supposed to be – exciting, adventurous, and with rewarding purpose. It also produces great joy as we partner with God in His work; the greatest work we will ever do – the Gospel and do so in the power of God’s Holy Spirit, Word and Presence of the Lord Jesus.

PRAYER: Father, help me to live out my mission on this earth of showing Jesus to people in word and deed.

REFLECTION:  We are people changed by the Gospel to share the Gospel that others might be changed by it.