Matthew part 50
The Great Commission
Today marks the end of our look at the book of Matthew, and I hope you have loved this gospel as much as I have. But as we end, we are left with a mission. Matthew does not leave us with the option of finishing his book and merely moving on with life. Consider the themes of the book we have seen.
Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament.
The Kingdom of Heaven has been opened for all who will receive it, and so the mission of the Jews extends to the Gentiles.
Eternal life and salvation requires doing the will of God.
These theological themes permeate the entire story of Jesus found in Matthew (as well as the other gospels). And so, it seems perfectly fitting for Matthew to complete his work with the Great Commission that includes all three themes.
We will read the last five verses in Matthew today, and then let’s break down the Lord’s Commission to us and its implications for how we do this thing called ‘church’.
The Great Commission | Matthew 28:16-20
Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:16-20
Before we get to Jesus’ command, perhaps it will be encouraging for many of us to note the attitude of the disciples. They all worshiped him, but some doubted. What did they doubt? Perhaps they were still in doubt to Jesus’ resurrection—though he stood in front of them. Or, perhaps they doubted themselves. After all, they had all fallen away to some degree, and now Jesus is welcoming them back and giving them a mission. While we don’t know what Matthew meant exactly, we do know the word we translate “doubt” comes from the same root as the Greek for “duplicate” or “double-edged”. Their ‘doubt’ seems to be wavering in their convictions.
But this wavering will disappear in time. At the Pentecost, the Holy Spirit will enter each of them, and they will go on to preach to thousands, establishing the Christian Church that will reach billions of people for the next 2,000 years—and counting. And so, the encouragement that I have for you is simply this. When you find yourself in seasons of doubt, the Holy Spirit is right there with you to remove those doubts and empower you to fulfill the mission God has given you.
We can fulfill our part of the Great Commission when we lean on the Holy Spirit to give us power.
Next, the Commission itself begins with verse 18 with a phrase we must not overlook, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Our authority to preach, to teach, to evangelize comes from Jesus Himself. No matter what earthly authorities may say, we were given a mission, and we are authorized to fulfill that mission. Likewise, no matter what spiritual enemies we face, our authority to continue is from Jesus who has authority over them as well.
He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
Colossians 2:15
Whether we are talking earthly or spiritual powers, the resurrection of Christ disarms the rulers and authorities triumphing over sin and death.
Our authority to make disciples comes from Christ, and no earthly authority can overcome the Gospel.
Therefore, we are to go and make disciples of all nations. You may recall from the very beginning, Matthew drops hints the kingdom of God is open to even the Gentiles who were far from God. Now, Jesus makes explicit the Gospel message is to go to all nations.
Consider this prophecy fulfilled in John’s Revelation.
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
Revelation 7:9-10
Heaven will consist of believers from all cultures, past, present, and future, languages and nations. Christianity is not a “white man’s religion.” It is the message of salvation for all people. Even more than cross-cultural missions, we must remember the Gospel is for those around us who we call ‘enemy’ or those we believe are less than us, though good Christians know they shouldn’t say things like that.
In order to make disciples from all nations, or from across the street, we must ‘go.’ Many Christians in recent history have tried to soften this ‘go’ noting the Greek is a participle that “should” be translated “going” or “in your going.” I’m not sure who first interpreted the verse this way, but it’s worth noting no ancient witness understood such a thing. Greek is a participle loving language, and so it is no wonder this verse uses the participle of “go,” but that participle is tied to the command “make disciples which means it inherits the thrust of a command. English doesn’t really have means of conveying both a strong participle imperative and linking it to another verb. That is why “as you go” or “in your going” feels weaker when we hear it, and why it is a poor translation choice.
As Christians who claim to follow Jesus as Lord, we are commanded to go and make disciples.
We are given quite a bit of freedom in how we go about reaching people and making disciples, but the fact is, we are still mandated to do just that.
Next, we are told to “baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” This phrase includes an interesting theological point in that ‘name’ is singular, and yet Jesus mentions three persons. The Trinity is testified throughout Scripture, and here is one of the strongest examples. But more importantly for today, let’s consider what it means to baptize a disciple.
Baptism is the ordinance that marks the transition of a person from death to life, from nonbeliever to believer. We know spiritually the person has already been born again. The act of baptism itself does not save, but it signifies and illustrates physically the spiritual reality. It also marks the individual entering the body of believers. That is why we require baptism for church membership. Some traditions follow other beliefs about baptism and church membership, but as baptists we understand baptism is for those who choose to follow Jesus.
The first step of obedience for any new disciple is to be baptized.
It doesn’t happen very often, but I have seen cases where a person proclaims to be a believer but fails to follow in baptism. While I would not presume they are not truly saved, I would argue they will struggle to follow Jesus faithfully, simply because they have not done the first step.
Next, Jesus tells us to “teach them all that [he] has commanded.” The discipleship journey does not stop with baptism. It begins in faith, follows with baptism, and then continues on as the person learns to use their head, heart, and hands in following Jesus.
Sometimes I get asked about discipleship or training new believers. I once saw a poster in an Art Room that said, “Great Art takes head, heart, and hands.” I absolutely agree, and in fact, I believe discipling others is an art form. It isn’t a science where we can logic a person to follow Jesus, or experiment on them until they follow. It isn’t a physical exercise where we can coerce someone to follow. It is an art of teaching, that includes all 3 domains of learning. The fancy words for these domains are cognitive, affective, and psychomotor, but it’s easier to say “head, heart, and hands.”
Disciples are taught the knowledge needed to follow Jesus. What is the gospel? Who is God? What does he desire from us? All of these questions, and more, are found in the Scriptures. The more we study Scripture and the world in which it was written, our head is filled with knowledge of God.
Disciples are impassioned to feel deeply about the things of God. There is a popular song that asks God to “break my heart for what breaks yours.” There is an emotional aspect, the affective domain, about the Gospel that we too often neglect in our society. We are inheritors of theology and ecclesiology from the Greeks and Romans who valued reason over emotion. This attitude has served us well in building great cities and progressing great technologies, but it leaves us emotionally stunted and withdrawn from the heartbreak around us. We love to sing of the “joy of the Lord,” but get very nervous at the idea of lamenting or sharing in the pain of others. True discipleship isn’t afraid to get into the emotional muck of life.
Disciples are empowered to do the ministry of reconciliation and good works. The Holy Spirit does not empower us to think about doing good or proclaiming the Gospel, He empowers us to do those things. James says to be doers of the Word, and not hearers only. We must walk the walk while we talk the talk.
All three of these aspects of discipleship are found in our VBS theme verse for this year—Romans 12:1-2.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:1-2
Paul appeals to us, literally “calls us near to him,” to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. Our physical selves are to be placed on the altar, so to speak. The things we do with our bodies are called to be done for the Lord. Next, we are not to be like this world, but be transformed—how?—by the renewing of our minds. We begin with the mind. We are to align our thoughts with God’s. We know the Lord and what He has done. We cannot do what God commands until we know what God commands. Then, notice once that is done, Paul says we will be able to discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. How can we discern whether our attitudes, feelings, and emotions are in line with what God designs for us? That comes through sacrificing them on the altar, as well.
If you continue reading Romans 12, Paul deals with the affective domain for the most part. In verse 3, we are to keep pride in check. In verse 9, love is to be genuine. Verse 15 tells us, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”
I took this little tangent, because too often when we read “teach them” we forget the “obey” part. Obedience requires head, heart, and hands. The Great Commandment is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.”
If we are to mature as true disciples, we must be willing to put our heads, hearts, and hands on the altar of the Lord as sacrifice.
As we close today, consider the Great Commission and its implications for you, and for those you influence.
First, do we recognize the authority of the Lord as our reason for sharing the Gospel? Have we submitted to Jesus as Lord and not allowed earthly authorities to derail our efforts through threats or fear?
Second, are we ‘going’? Do we seek out the lost in order to reach them. Perhaps this means going to a new location for a mission trip, but maybe Jesus just wants you to look across the office, across the street, or just look up and see the lost around you. If you aren’t sure where to go, just look up and around, and you will find lost people.
Third, are you making disciples? Who will be in heaven because you followed the Lord’s leading to tell them about Jesus? Who is maturing in their walk because you are taking time to teach them, to help them, or simply invest in their well-being?
Fourth, are you obeying the Lord’s commands? It is very difficult to teach someone to do what you are unwilling to do yourself.
Have you surrendered your head to the Lord? Do you take captive your thoughts? Do you study to show yourself approved?
Have you surrendered your heart? Do you weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice? Do you even care that you friends and family that may well spend eternity in hell because they have not surrendered to Christ?
Have you surrendered your hands? Do you walk the walk? Have you ministered to those in need, encouraged the ministry of the church, volunteered your time, or done any of the myriad of tasks involved in church ministry?