A last message always has highest significance for the giver and the receivers as well. It may be the last message between two persons at the time of parting temporarily: going for a jour-ney or on the occasion of permanent separation in which the two do not expect to meet each other in the near future or never at all. In fact, the last message of the dying person to his loved ones and particularly from the parents (mother & father) to their children has special significance. The children would always try to abide by it and try their best to fulfill the last wishes of the dying parents. Special bonding with deep emo-tional commitment does often take place on this particular point of time.

It is well known historical fact that Lord Jesus did about three years of earthly ministry: preaching, teaching and heal-ing. As ordained by the plan of God, he died in the hands of the sinners at the cross on behalf of humanity so that their sins may be forgiven and get reconciled with God, who had created them in His own image to serve the purpose of making God ‘pleased’. On the third day, the Lord rose again in heavenly body form, defeating the power of death and appeared many times to various people including his own disciples. At last, be-fore he was to be taken way from them to heaven, he apart from the promise to return, gave very significant message which is still relevant and critically central to the Christian faith and mission: This message has become a command and com-mission to each and every believer. The importance of this command or message can be gauged from the fact that all writ-ers of the four Gospel recorded it as under:

1. ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, bap-tizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey every-thing I have commanded you’. - Mathew 28:18-20
2. ‘Go into the entire world and preach the good news to all creation. Whosever believes and is baptized will be saved but whosoever does not will be condemned’ -Mark 16:15-16
3. ‘He told them” This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from dead on the third day and repen-tance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. -Luke 24:46-48
4. ‘Again Jesus said,’ peace be with you. As the father sent me,’ I am sending you’. -John 20:21

As soon as a person is convicted of his sins and received forgiveness through power of the Holy Spirit, he gets the assur-ance of salvation of his soul through faith in Christ Jesus. He attains complete and unspeakable peace of mind and experi-ences unspeakable personal happiness. This is further envel-oped immediately by a spiritual burden for the unsaved souls around him. Many believers even received calls of God to dis-tant lands and places and to unknown communities for God’s service. This compelling urge for such enormous sacrifices of believers is nothing but the wish to fulfill the last message or command of Jesus Christ who has become not only his savior but also his Master whose commands he cannot ignore or fail to carry out. Same is the case with the whole church missions. The church carries on the same burden on this point .This is how the faith of Christianity spreads out to nooks and corners of the world till today in spite of the heavy odds and persecu-tions witnessed by history. The more the persecutions, the stronger the winning powers of the Gospel. Every believer is eager to meet the Lord with the promise to bring in more and more saved souls to Him. There is always innate desire to please the Lord by fulfilling his message and instructions like the true and honest servant of the master.

Once there was a handsome young man in a village. He was very good in football. As result he became the captain of the village football team. Unfortunately his father was blind. As such he could not watch his son’s football games. One day his father died. After all the burial rituals of his father were over, this young man changed his dress into football uniform and went to play the games. The villagers were shocked. They asked him why he played football game even on the very day of his father’s death. He replied, ’my father was blind. He could see and enjoy my football playing and be proud of me’ but now he is in heaven’ I want him, at the earliest watch me playing the football’. What a simple but enduring faith’! what a faithful loving son he is! Should we also not try to make our Lord and master happy by carrying out, dutifully with all the sacrifices we can for his last message and command' Going all into the entire world and preach his Gospel?’        

_{[Article by Pu N. Neihsial, IDAS | First published in GOSPEL DAICHIM, Volume 5, Issue No. 5/ May 2012, p. 3 | Reproduced with permission].}