Can you imagine what it must have been like for Jacob as he traveled from his home to Egypt where his beloved son, the son he thought was dead, awaited him? The excitement? The nervousness? The agony of each mile passing by too slowly?

As they drew close, Jacob sent Judah ahead to prepare for their arrival in Goshen. In this simple act, we see a beautiful picture of grace. Judah, the son who had played such a significant role in tearing the two apart was given the opportunity to play a role in bringing them back together. Judah was no longer the agent of their separation; he became the facilitator of their reunion.

We don’t know why Jacob chose Judah for this task. He may have consciously given this to his son as a gift of grace. Or it may have been for another reason. But what we do know is that this is what God affords us, in Christ. We, too, were once estranged from God our Father, in open rebellion against Him and His Son. Yet, in Christ, we have been given the privilege of declaring the Gospel to the nations – to be used by God, because of His grace, to play a role in seeing people reconciled to God. 

• Whom can you share the Gospel with this week?