The risen Christ commands and sends his disciples for ministry. Before resurrection also he had send his disciples likewise. It is in this commissioning that the Christian community in itself was formed and later enlarged. The words- commission, command and entrust, have been used variously in the Bible (Genesis 26: 4, Exodus 6: 13; 1 Kings 14: 6; Haggai 1: 12; Acts 7: 53; Romans 16: 24; 1 Samuel 15: 1; 2 Samuel 15: 25; Daniel 2: 24; Habakkuk 1: 12; Acts 15: 22). We can see Jesus commissioning his disciples at various stages. We understand this as pre- resurrection and post- resurrection commissioning. Like how the Father sent, the Son has also sent. This is evident in the New Testament church after Jesus’ ascension ( Acts 13: 1-3).

1.Commissioning for Christ-like Character (1 Timothy 4: 6- 16)
St. Paul and Barnabas were commissioned for God’s ministry at the church in Antioch. Later Paul commissioned many people at various places for ministry. Timothy here is commissioned to be a good minister. Advice to him to attain Christ- like character is seen in 1 Timothy 4: 6- 16. It is this character that attracts others to Christ. We are commissioned to be letters from Christ (2 Cor. 3:3). A person, who does not know Kerala, knows Kerala by reading Kerala’s paper. Likewise a person who does not know Christ should know Christ by reading Christ’s paper. Our lifestyle is Christ’s paper. Therefore the risen Christ commissions us to inculcate this Christ- like character.

2.Commissioning to Send ( John 20: 19- 23)
The risen Christ appeared to his disciples. He breathed on them the Holy Spirit and sent them saying “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”(John 20: 22). “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses…”, said Jesus in another occasion(Acts 1: 8). One thing is evident here. According to what John says they are commissioned to forgive everyone’s sins. “If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven” (Acts 20: 23). The world now needs forgiveness. Forgive everybody in other sense giving forgiveness is another form of love. When Christ appeared he showed his hands and side – wound marks (Luke 24: 40, John 20: 27). When God send his son to the world, he received these wounds. We should remember that like how the father sent his son, the same way the son has sent us. In Mathew this is the command- to teach to obey everything that Christ has taught and to make disciples (Mat. 28: 19, 20). In Mark something different is said – preach the good news to all creations (Mark 16: 15). Fulfilling the mission should be an important goal of the church.