Hope in Our Mission—Hope in God—Josiah Kagin

The Apostles were sent ones who had witnessed Christ’s ministry from His baptism through His ascension back to heaven. It seems that Paul witnessed the life and ministry of Christ as a young unbeliever, but was especially moved by the martyring of Stephen (Acts 7:58)  Paul, whose name was still Saul at that time, rejected Christ and persecuted His church until He saw the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus. It is fascinating to read His perspective of the ministry Christ gave to Him and the persecutions He endured with great hope. During the forty days after Christ’s resurrection, every individual who was privileged to see our resurrected Lord, a mission was given—go and tell. In our American mindset, we often imagine this as a glitzy, glamorous opportunity, but must remember that Jesus informed His disciples that we would not be treated different than they treated Him. (John 15:20)  The Apostles’ lives illustrated this reality! Yet they embraced the commission Christ gave with hope in God. May we do the same!