And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.”  Mark 16:15

We would probably have called a press conference. The disciples may have preferred to throw Him a going-away party. Instead, Jesus called His close friends together for a private meeting. It was all over. He’d done what He came to do. He’d preached, healed, demonstrated His divinity to even the harshest critics, and then He’d offered Himself as the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of all who would trust in Him. He knew He was leaving that day, but He didn’t give them any warning. He gathered them together, scolded the doubters, gave them last-minute instructions, and then started up.

Every word Jesus spoke is important, but those last-minute instructions make the Top Ten list. He had poured truth into His twelve disciples and now He expected them to pour it into others. The good news was not theirs to hoard. He warned against an “Us-Four-And-No-More” club. No Jews-only, Men-only, Fishermen-only. His good news was for everyone. And the only way everyone would know about it was if the disciples told them. It seems a little strange that God entrusted the most important message in the universe to a handful of guys who weren’t particularly gifted in public speaking. No education, no internet, no marketing strategies. Just a message that had changed their lives forever. As it turns out, that’s all they needed.

Final Thought:  All you need in order to follow Jesus’ last instructions is a message that has changed your life.

Prayer: Jesus, I’m realizing that the message you gave those twelve men applies to me too. You’ve saved me and called me to become one of your disciples. Give me power and boldness to proclaim the message that changed my life. Amen.