Read:
Reflect:
After his resurrection Jesus appeared to his disciples and others on a number of occasions over a period of 40 days. Before he made his final ascent to the heavenly realm (see Acts 1:6-11) he commissioned his followers to carry the good news of his resurrection and saving purposes into the world. Matthew has given us a clear and concise account of that commission (often called the great commission) which we will reflect on in this devotional.
When Jesus told his disciple that: All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me (v 18), he was refering to what Paul described as God’s mighty work when:
20…he raised him (Christ) from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. (Ephesians 1:20-23)
Jesus has indeed been exalted to the Father’s right hand with full authority over all things for the benefit of the church. With this authority in hand he addressed the eleven.
The central command the Lord gave them was to make disciples of all nations. This meant that they were to develop faithful followers of Jesus who would carry on the same mission in turn. In that way this command has also come down to us. Furthermore, they were sent to all nations. Their task was to be carried out in the whole world, not just their Jewish community. This has been the vision of the Christian church through the centuries to our own time. But in order to fulfill the mission people need to go. Disciple-making implies penetration into (not isolation from) the world.
Making disciples involves a balance of evangelism and nurture. Baptizing them points to the outreach of the church in which people are drawn into an exclusive trinitarian commitment to the one God revealed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Christians in all walks of life share in the evangelizing task with the calling, gifting, and abilities God has given them. Along with drawing people into the kingdom of God, they are also to receive nurture. Teaching them to observe indicates that spiritual instruction is equally important as evangelism. Teaching for obedience to Christ can take many forms including personal and group worship, prayer, Bible study, fellowship and various types of service to put faith into practice. It needs to be intentional so that new believers can begin to flourish as disciples and disciple-makers.
Divine guidance is needed to keep disciple-making on course. The guiding light for Jesus’ followers is found in the phrase: all that I have commanded you. The Lord’s instruction for us is first of all found in the Scriptures (the Word of God), so we seek to conduct our lives according to it. The Holy Spirit sent from the Father will assist us in understanding and applying the truth of God’s Word to our various life situations (cf. John 15:26). In fact, Jesus himself promised:
I am with you always to the end of the age. It is quite a marvel that the One with all authority assures us of his unceasing presence and power as we follow him in discipleship. His nearness and help is mediated do us through the Holy Spirit who lives within us. He will not fail us today, whatever happens, nor in the future. When he rose on that first Easter day he defeated death and its power and promised to eventually do the same for all his own. So we follow him gladly.
Responsive Prayer:
20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21)