Words like
“great” and “awesome” have lost a little bit of their punch in our language. We
use them so often and for so many things that they’ve lost a little bit of
their significance. For example, we might eat a really tasty pizza and say,
“Wow! That pizza was awesome!” Or on the Fourth of July, we might rig up some
kind of homemade bomb and when we set it off we say, “That was awesome!”
I think
it’s kind of humorous to put the dictionary definition of “awesome” into those
statements. We’d feel kind of silly saying, “That pizza filled me with an
overwhelming sense of reverence!” The dictionary does also mention an
overwhelming sense of fear, so that might apply to your homemade bomb on the
Fourth of July!
Because of
the way that we use words like “great” and “awesome,” when we talk in church
about the Great Commission, we might wonder what’s great about it. Why do we
call it the “Great” Commission, anyway? I’d like to give you four answers to
that question today as we take a look at the commission that Jesus gave his
disciples in Matthew 28:16-20.
The event
recorded in this passage is taking place after Jesus rose from the grave. The
text says, “Now the 11 disciples went to Galilee [remember that Judas Iscariot
is no longer part of the group!], to the mountain to which Jesus had directed
them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.”
That
statement takes us by surprise in this story. What were the disciples doubting?
Were some of them doubting whether Jesus had really come back to life?
Most
likely, their doubts were about their worship. The Greek term here includes the
act of bowing down to someone, and even though the disciples were coming to
understand that Jesus was God and the Messiah, he was also a human being, and
the thought of bowing down to a human being would have been very foreign to the
minds of these Jewish men.
So most
likely, they were having questions or doubts about what they should do now in
the presence of Jesus. “Does he want us to bow down to him? After all, we
remember him washing our feet and telling us not to act all high and mighty.
What does he want us to do?”
Jesus
doesn’t address any questions of etiquette, but instead he gives them a
mission, or we might say he commissions them for a job. Starting in verse 18,
we begin to see why we refer to this as the “Great” Commission.
1. It comes from a great authority
[READ v.
18] The first part of the Father’s plan for Jesus required him to submit to
various human beings. He submitted to his parents while he was growing up, then
later he submitted to the Jewish and Roman authorities.
But the
days for Jesus to submit to other humans are over. The Father has declared him
to be the Lord of heaven and earth, and if only all men everywhere would
worship him as such! But many people have not heard that Jesus is their Lord
and Savior, or some have heard and they have continued in rebellion against him.
And so, there is a need for the commission Jesus gives his disciples in verses
19 and 20.
2. It has a great goal
[READ v.
19-20] What a lofty and satisfying goal this is, to call people to become
apprentices of Jesus – to call them to embrace Jesus as their Lord and Savior,
then to make that fact known through baptism, then to learn from Jesus’
teachings how to navigate all the ins and outs of life.
This is the
greatest goal to which we could possibly devote our lives. What even compares
to it? Accumulating a fortune that you just have to leave behind anyway? A
fortune that your kids might fight over or even squander? Grasping for your 15
minutes of fame that might be gone even before you are?
No goal
could possibly be greater than this commission, and this commission also serves
as the marching orders for the church. If you’ve ever asked yourself, “What
should our church really be focused on?” there’s really no mystery to the
answer. We are to make disciples of all nations, lead people to be baptized,
and teach them how to live a life that’s based on the commandments of God. Now
sure, some of the details will be different for different churches based on
where they’re located and the resources they have, but our common goal is laid
out right here, and it’s as plain as day.
3. It has a great scope
Notice that
Jesus told them to make disciples of all
nations. Previously, in Matthew 10, Jesus had sent the disciples out on a
short-term preaching tour, and at that time he had told them to stay within the
boundaries of Israel.
But now there
was to be no such restriction. Since Jesus has all authority on earth, all the
inhabitants of Earth need to hear the offer of peace from their crucified and
risen King. The Gospel is not a message for Israel alone, but for all people.
There is also no room for prejudice or racism in our efforts to spread the
Gospel. The offer of salvation is made to all people, and all people need to
hear it.
4. It comes with a great promise
After
giving his disciples this commission, he gives them this promise: “And behold,
I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
In may seem
ironic that after giving this promise, Jesus left the Earth and returned to
heaven just a few days later. But by doing so, he made it possible to be with
all of his disciples all the time – at the same time, no matter where they
might be. Remember that Jesus’ physical body could not be in two places at once
any more than yours or mine can.
But after
returning to heaven, Jesus sent his Spirit upon his disciples on the day of
Pentecost. The Spirit has come to live in every believer since that time. So
Jesus has certainly made good on this promise, and he will continue to do so.
The
Spirit’s presence within us is a wonderful reality of the unity that we enjoy
with Jesus through faith. Baptism is a wonderful picture of that unity as we
symbolize the fact that through faith, we have died, been buried, and have been
raised to new life with Jesus. Let us celebrate with those who choose to take
this important step.
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