Sent x 39
John Hopper -
Studying the Bible can be mystifying. Who are all these characters? Is everything I’m reading supposed to be connected? Why all the strange images and stories? And what am I supposed to take away from it all? If this is how you feel, you aren’t alone. Most people struggle in similar ways when they crack open the Bible for the first time.
There is much that can be done to improve our understanding of Scripture, but let me offer one hugely helpful tip for tapping into what God is communicating in any given passage or book: look for repetition. Pay attention to words and phrases that appear again and again. Doing this doesn’t require a seminary degree—just a bit of attentiveness.
Take 1 John, for example. Throughout the letter, one word is repeated dozens of times: love. Its repetition acts like flashing neon lights, signaling the message John is eager to communicate.
Or consider 1 Kings 1. In that chapter alone, one striking phrase is repeated three times: “Is it because there is no God in Israel for you to consult that you have sent messengers to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?” That kind of repetition should make you pause and think, “God must be trying to tell me something.” And He is. He is confronting our tendency to search far and wide for guidance instead of turning to the One who is already in our midst.
This brings me to the Gospel of John. Many words and phrases are repeated there, but the one I want to point out here is the word sent. Most often, it comes from the mouth of Jesus Himself—39 times, in fact. Like a broken record, Jesus tells His listeners that He has been sent by the Father.
I mention the repetition of this word because, after dozens of references to being sent by God, Jesus does something remarkable. He turns to His disciples and says, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21). Consider the implications. Jesus was sent to declare that believing in Him leads to eternal life. Jesus was sent to lay down His life for others in love. Jesus was sent to prepare people for the life-giving work of the Spirit. And now, we, as His disciples, are sent to do the same.
At times, you may ask, “Who am I? What does God want me to be about?” The answer is found in the repetition of John’s Gospel: you are a sent one. As a disciple of Jesus, you are sent to declare the good news of Jesus to the world. You are sent to lay down your life in love and prepare people for the indwelling work of the Spirit. And because this is so, there is never a morning you will wake without God-given purpose. You are commissioned by Jesus Himself to do the greatest work of all!
John Hopper is the Executive Director of REACH, the evangelism training arm of Search Ministries. He served 16 years as a pastor in Houston, Texas, completed his doctoral studies at Biola University, and is the author of Questioning God? and Giving Jesus Away. He loves his wife, tennis, and apple pie at very different levels of magnitude!
