The Importance of the cross-Part VIII

JOHN – RESPONSIBILITY

“When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Dear woman, here is your son,’ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on, this disciple took her into his home” (John 19:26-27 NIV).

The disciple John was given the responsibility to care for Jesus’ mother after his death. As part of his faith, he recognized the duty that needed to be performed and he performed that duty well. We are responsible to love all of Christ. Since we are all members of the Body of Christ we have a responsibility to love one another. This love was made manifest in John’s actions towards Mary. He recognized a need of another member of the Body of Christ and he provided for that need through his love in Christ Jesus. As Christians we also have the obligation to care for the poor and needy of the world whether or not they are part of the Body (Matthew 25:31-46).

Other than the responsibility to care for the needy of the world, we are also given the responsibility to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19 NIV). We are to represent Christ well in this world and proclaim the Gospel message with boldness and accuracy.

Christ demonstrated his responsibility for us by sacrificing himself in order that we might have eternal life. He also continues to show his responsibility to us by being forever present in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our guiding light in this dark world and continually helps us understand the responsibility Christ has laid out for us. Jesus states, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8 NIV).

All in all, the Church has done an incredible job spreading the Good News of Christ to the world, despite some setbacks. It is an encouraging thought that the majority of Christians, like the apostle John, take the responsibility of the faith seriously. Jesus needed his children to be faithful in order for the gospel to spread.

Stafford states, “The movement had focused around one man who could be present at only one place at a time. Amazing as Jesus was, he was limited by culture and language. He spent his entire career in tiny Palestine, exposed to perhaps a few hundreds of thousands of people – mostly Jews. His followers at the end of his life numbered about a hundred twenty (Acts 1:15). Today we are perhaps two billion, from every conceivable culture and nationality. The kingdom can be seen at work in towns and villages all over the world. Jesus very deliberately started a movement. He knew what he was doing when he left us to carry on. He wanted to burst the boundaries of time, space, and culture to transform the world. He is doing exactly that, now, through us” (Stafford 2006, 224).

What responsibilities has God laid on you? Has he called you to lead churches, teach children, provide for the needs of those around you, serve and protect your countrymen? Whatever he has called you to be, your responsibility is to advance the kingdom of God here on earth and glorify the name of Jesus Christ.