It’s been two thousand years and we’re still waiting for Jesus to come back. We know he will, but wouldn’t it be nice to know exactly when? Countless people have tried to calculate the exact year based on what they think is secret biblical evidence. But the years in their predictions keep hilariously rolling by. The truth is, we’re not meant to know, and we’ll never manage to until the day comes.
After Jesus told the disciples he would return, they had no idea whether he meant the next day or another 5000 years. But they sprang into action as if they would see their Lord again tomorrow. This meant sharing the gospel with the entire earth—a daunting task, even with the Holy Spirit’s help and power. But they lost no time! That task became the driving priority of their lives, not just some secondary thought; they forewent their former lives to obey Christ’s last commandment. In fact, the rest of the book of Acts is the story of this commandment being obeyed, first in Jerusalem, then in the surrounding regions, then globally.
The task remains alive today. It is estimated that over 1.6 billion people in the world have never had a chance to hear the gospel, and billions more at least know about it but have never had anyone try to convince them it matters, even in this country. The task of evangelism is by no means complete. We, the successors of those original disciples, are still under that commandment. And Christ is coming back soon, at a time we won’t expect! This is no less critical, or less urgent, than it was 2000 years ago! How could evangelism ever be a secondary task for us? The Holy Spirit is still here empowering us; Christ’s promises still assure us. We are on mission. Go and boldly proclaim the good news!
