Christmas: Celebrating God's First Missionary Moment

When we think about Christmas, we often picture nativity scenes, twinkling lights, and gift-giving traditions. But at its core, Christmas celebrates something far more profound: the greatest missionary moment in human history. The birth of Jesus wasn't just a beautiful story—it was God's deliberate act of sending His Son into the world on a rescue mission for humanity.

A God Who Sends
Our God has always been a sending God. From the very beginning, He showed up in the Garden of Eden, walking and talking with Adam and Eve. When sin shattered that relationship, God didn't abandon His creation. After thousands of years of broken systems and insufficient sacrifices, God the Father made the ultimate move: He sent Jesus.
This pattern of sending continues throughout Scripture. Jesus Himself explained this mission clearly in John 5:21-24, emphasizing not once but twice that He was "sent" by the Father. He came so that anyone who believes in Him could cross over from death to life—moving from condemnation to eternal freedom. That's the heart of the Christmas story: God sending His Son so we could be saved.

But the sending didn't stop there. Before ascending to heaven, Jesus promised to send another—the Holy Spirit, the Advocate who would live within believers forever. In John 14, Jesus explained that it was actually better for Him to leave so the Spirit could come. The Father sent the Son, the Son sent the Spirit, and together they continue sending people into the world with the gospel message.

We Are All Sent Ones
Here's the remarkable truth: every Christian is a sent one. In John 20:21-22, Jesus breathed on His disciples and declared, "Just as the Father has sent me, I also send you." This wasn't just for the original twelve apostles. Throughout the book of Acts, we see the Holy Spirit continuing to identify and send ordinary people.

Acts 13 gives us a powerful example. In the church at Antioch, prophets and teachers were worshiping, fasting, and serving the Lord together. During this time, the Holy Spirit spoke clearly: "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." The church prayed, laid hands on them, and sent them out. This became a model for how churches identify and support those called to missionary work.

But being sent doesn't always mean traveling to distant lands. Some are sent to their families. Others to their workplaces. Some to their neighborhoods or community organizations. The location matters less than the obedience. We are all ambassadors for Christ, sent to represent Him wherever we find ourselves.

The Order Matters: Love, Mend, Train, Send
There's a beautiful progression in how God prepares us for being sent. It follows four essential stages:

Love comes first. Before we can effectively serve others, we must experience God's love for ourselves. We cannot give what we haven't received. People need to feel and know the love of Christ before they can love Him in return or share that love with others.

Mend follows naturally. We're all broken in different ways. Like the Japanese art of kintsugi—where broken pottery is mended with gold, making it more beautiful than before—God takes our brokenness and transforms it into something stronger and more glorious. Often, the very places where we've been wounded become the places where we're most effective in ministry. Our scars become our credentials.

Train is the third essential step. We need to be disciples who make disciples who make disciples. This requires understanding Scripture, growing in knowledge of who God is, and learning how to teach others. Being sent without training is like being deployed without equipment—possible, but unnecessarily difficult.

Send comes last, not because it's least important, but because it requires everything that came before. You cannot be effectively sent until you've been loved, mended, and trained.

Counting the Cost
Jesus was remarkably honest about the challenges of being sent. In Luke 22:35-36, He reminded His disciples of an earlier mission when they lacked nothing. But then He warned them that future missions would be different. He told them to take money, supplies, and even a sword for protection—so important that if they didn't have one, they should sell their cloak to buy it.

This wasn't fear-mongering; it was preparation. Being sent is hard work. It will test you, tax you, and expose your weaknesses. The enemy will look for any vulnerability and exploit it. Some countries won't accept certain missionaries. Some communities will be hostile. There are spiritual, emotional, physical, and financial costs to being sent.

But here's the beautiful paradox: while being sent is costly and challenging, it's also the most fulfilling expression of our faith. We get to partner with God in His redemptive work in the world. What greater privilege exists?

Preparing to Be Sent
So how do we prepare ourselves or others for being sent? We must ensure people are healthy—body, soul, and spirit. We must equip them with what they need: prayer support, financial backing, practical resources, and spiritual weapons. We must send them wisely, with discernment about where and when and how.

For those who remain, there's an equally important calling: to support those who are sent. This means praying faithfully, giving generously, and encouraging consistently. The work of missions isn't divided between those who go and those who stay—it's a partnership where everyone plays a vital role.

Your Missionary Calling
This Christmas, as we celebrate God's first great sending—the birth of Jesus—consider your own calling. Where is God sending you? Maybe it's to a family member who needs to hear about His love. Maybe it's to a coworker struggling with purpose. Maybe it's to serve in your community through a local organization. Or perhaps God is stirring something bigger—a call to go further, to step out in faith toward something that seems impossible.

Every Christian is a sent Christian. The only question is: where is God sending you, and are you willing to go?

The God who sent His Son into the world at Christmas is still sending today. He's sending you.