To the End of the Earth

When Jesus left the earth, He commanded the disciples to take the Good News to Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8). Initially, the disciples’ ministry was focused on the Jews (Acts 1-9), but in Acts 10, the ministry to the Gentiles began.

When Peter sees a vision of animals coming down from heaven, he is perplexed as to the meaning. But when he meets with Cornelius’ men, the message becomes clear: Peter should not call any person common or unclean. While it was uncomfortable for Peter to tell the Gentiles about Jesus, he realizes when the Spirit arrives that God was giving the same gift to the Gentiles as He had given to the Jews.

I love Peter’s recognition: “Who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” Thankfully, Peter – and the rest of the early church – recognized what was happening. They realized that God’s gift of His Son, Jesus, was universal. They acknowledged that God had granted the Gentiles repentance that leads to life. And it is because of that gift to the Gentiles that we have heard about Jesus.

But it does not stop there. Our job is to continue this mission of being witnesses for Jesus. We, like Peter, should not see any person as common or unreachable. So let us take this message to the end of the Earth.