“What if they reject me? What if they ask me a question that I can’t answer?” Telling people about Jesus can be terrifying. But sharing the good news of Jesus can be much simpler than we make it out to be.
In Mark 5, Jesus and his disciples stop off of their boat into a Gentile region, and they are “greeted” by a demon-possessed man who sleeps among the tombs, breaks through every restraint, and cries out at night like a wild dog. This man is the complete opposite of a follower of Jesus, let alone a “missionary.” In fact, when he runs up to Jesus, he cried out that Jesus would leave him alone and refrain from tormenting him (v. 7).
Jesus—the Son of the Most High God and the only one able to subdue unclean spirits—has compassion on this man. In a strange interaction, Jesus commands the demons to leave this man, and casts them into a herd of pigs, all of which plummet into the sea. For the first time in a long time, this man is in his right mind, and the people are afraid. They are likely both scared of the power Jesus demonstrated about, and angry about the financial loss they just incurred, so they beg him to leave.
The healed man, however, begs Jesus to allow him to travel with him. Instead Jesus commissions this man as an evangelist. He said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you” (v. 19). He had no formal training in theology. He didn’t know the answers to all of the questions. But he did know that he was very lost and broken by the power of sin and Satan, and Jesus healed him and set him free. This truth was all he needed to tell his friends and family about the salvation Jesus brings.
You probably don’t have a story quite like this man’s. But if you have trusted in Christ’s death and resurrection for salvation, you still have a story that demonstrates how he has changed your life. Maybe you were a liar, a drunkard, or just a downright selfish person, and Jesus changed your life when he saved you! Maybe you were without hope, and he gave you hope and purpose. Whatever the case, we can share this good news with others. “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” Tell them how trusting in Jesus’ death and resurrection has changed your life. The message is that simple.
