Christ is the greatest missionary! The verb to send or to send out—apostello in Greek—is used seven times by the Lord in His prayer in John 17. In His prayer, the Lord addresses the Father as being righteous, because He always says and does what is right, in contrast to what this world does or believes. “The Father has sent the Son” (1 Jn. 4:14), and in this prayer we learn about the wonderful six-fold results of the Son’s accomplished mission.

1. Christ was sent by the Father that those whom the Father has given Him might know the only true God and Jesus Christ. This knowledge implies a lasting relationship with the Father and the Son, in the enjoyment of eternal life (Jn. 17:3).

2. The disciples who were with Christ during His earthly ministry received the words the Father had given Him, for they recognized that Jesus came from the Father and that the Father had sent the Son (v. 8).

3. It is these whom the Lord Jesus sent out into the world; just as He Himself had been sent by the Father (v. 18).

4. The oneness of the believers is a testimony to the world that the Father sent the Son (v. 21).

5. In the world to come, the oneness of the believers will be displayed to the whole world, as it will recognize that the Father sent the Son and that He loves the believers, as He loves the Son (v. 23).

6. The world has not known the righteous Father, but the Son knew Him. It is the Son who has made known the Father, so that believers could recognize that the Father sent the Son (v. 25).

All these details clearly demonstrate that Christ’s mission was accomplished. Praise Him!