Great Commission

This mornings text is easily one of the most well known passages of Scripture.

Over the past few weeks we have looked at baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Following Easter I wanted to draw out the idea of how we need to be obedient to what the Lord Jesus has commanded us. This also means that we ought to follow his commands in the way that he has instructed us to.

The college that Vanessa and I attended, had a pretty significant program for short term missions projects. They would send students all over the world. One summer I went to Rwanda another summer I went to Belgium. One summer we worked with university students teaching English, another summer I worked with churches, helped missionaries, handed out Bibles. Vanessa also was able to go on two such trips. The University had a solid program to spend a whole semester preparing students for their trips meeting their teams, and being prepared for culture shock, and learning about their country. The college did a very good job of the Go part of the great commission.

I had a friend whose dad made the comment (not to me) that in many cases these sort of mission trips are not actually missions work but vacations for Jesus. For this reason their family were not going to give to mine (or others) trips. It wasn’t personal - though I took it that way - it was a lack of faith in programs and projects like these.

But my thought in response when I heard it was “that’s not true, we’re doing the work of ministry.” And to some extent we were, but in another extent he wasn’t entirely wrong.

And though we focused on the great commission, I think that we missed some significant parts of it.

The Commander

Generally when we think of the great commission, we regulate it to just verse 19. We may not admit that, but almost every sermon I have heard on the great commission focuses on Go. And if you ask someone to summarize what the great commission means they likely might tell you that we should tell people about Jesus, and we should baptize those who confess faith in Jesus. And while that isn’t necessarily wrong, the Lord has commanded us to do more than that.

First I want to look at the introductory verses to the great commission.

They disciples head to the mountain that Jesus directed them to go to. The text does not identify for us which mountain, though tradition has said Mount Arbel. Jesus ascends from the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, but for this narrative they are in Galilee. So while this is what Matthew concludes his gospel with - this is not where Jesus ascends.

They listen to Jesus, and go on top of a mountain. Mountains are significant in the Bible. It is on Mount Moriah where Abraham is called to sacrifice his son, it is on a mountain where God speaks to Moses in a burning bush, on Mount Sinai the Law is given to Moses after God delivers Israel from slavery in Egypt. Mount Moriah is not only the temple with Abraham and Isaac but also the location for the temple. On Mount Carmel, Elijah opposes the prophets of Baal and God reveals himself as the only True God. God often speaks from, and reveals himself on mountains.

We see significant aspects of Jesus’ ministry The Sermon on the Mount, on Mount Tabor Jesus is transfigured, on the mount of olives Jesus is arrested - but that is also where he ascends into heaven. And here on this mountain Jesus gives his great commission to his disciples.

Those who are present respond by worshipping him. But some doubted.

Now many focus on the doubting part. And to some degree it makes sense, if your loved one who died later appeared to you alive you would have doubts as well. However, Jesus also told them ahead of time about this. However, I do not think the most significant part is the doubt - but rather that these men respond by worshipping him. These are Jewish men, who believe that there is one God, and that God alone is worthy of worship. And they respond with worshipping Jesus. They are confessing that Jesus is God.

Which is further reinforced by the next significant statement.

In verse 18 Jesus begins to speak.

Matthew 28:18 ESV

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Jesus can speak these things, from this place, with this authority because ALL authority on heaven and earth has been given to him.

All Authority

The language here seems to draw us back to an Old Testament text. The preferred title that Jesus uses for himself in the book of Matthew is the Son of Man. The Son of Man is a title that is used in the book of Daniel.

In Daniel 7, the prophet is given a vision of the Ancient of Days, God, then in verses 13-14 Daniel’s vision continues - let’s read that…

Daniel 7:13–14 ESV

13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

When Jesus states that he has been given all authority, he is at least in part referring back to this. Jesus did not receive that authority in the three days he was in the grave, or at the resurrection. Jesus has had that authority. He shows it in the way he teaches (Mt 7:29) he show it in the calming of the storm (Mt 8:26), he shows it when he demonstrates that the son of Man has authority upon the earth to forgive sins (Matt. 9:6), he shows it through his miracles and his casting out of demons, and he removes all doubt over the question of his authority when he raises from the dead.

So Daniel 7 shows us that the Son of Man has had that authority in eternity past - given to him by the father.

Jesus is The Son of Man, and the King who has an everlasting dominion. His kingdom will not be destroyed. No other king, or president, or ruler, can make that claim.

This commission is the command of a king. An everlasting king. And to him belongs all glory and. dominion. all power. all authority.

In heaven and on earth further emphasizes the extend to Jesus’ authority.

Abraham Kuyper “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!”

Jesus reigns over all.

If Jesus is the eternal king who has all authority on heaven and earth. What does that say about the rest of this passage?

What does that say about your excuses to not do what he has commanded of us?

What does that say about your disobedience?

Phil 2:9-10 tells us Jesus has the name that is above every other name. And at his name every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

As we move into what the Lord Jesus has commissioned his disciples to do, we cannot remove it from the authority of the one who has commissioned it.

The Commission

Go Therefore

Matthew 28:19–20 ESV

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Go…

This is often when the focus turns when it comes to this text. As it is common text for missionaries to turn to. But the go in this text, does not only refer to leaving your home country. And while I’m thankful that we have missionaries, to make this text only about international missions misses the commission.

Go, sometimes will mean, across the world, other times it just means across the street. Jesus does not give parameters to go here.

However, a similar account in Acts 1:8 does seem to give a qualification to go.

Acts 1:8 ESV

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Here Jesus’ command starts where they are in Jerusalem, then it spreads to all Judea, and then Samaria and to the end of the earth. Jesus is just as concerned with domestic missions as he is international missions.

But of course, the command is not only to go. Jesus’ isn’t telling us to go take vacations in his name. There is a purpose by which the disciples of Jesus are told to go.

And within that purpose, there are three plans of action. To Make disciples, to baptize those disciples, and to teach them to be obedient to Jesus’ commands.

Make Disciples

(of all nations, including your own. Of all nations including the ones you don’t like, or are not safe.)

This is one reason that I am so thankful for our missionaries. We have missionaries that we support in Phoenix, in Mexico, others that visit and train ministers in Africa and Asia.

Disciples means learners, followers.

How do we make disciples?

Well first, we don’t make believers the holy Spirit does. But Jesus tells us to make disciples.

Making disciples isn’t just getting someone to repeat after you while they meanwhile have no idea what you are saying. And unfortunately, I have heard of “missionaries” doing this. They go to another country, find people who speak just enough english to repeat after them - but do not actually understand it. They convince them to repeat a prayer - and then they mark that up as a conversion. Even though there is no follow up, no baptism, no connection to a church. That sort of idea is not what Jesus meant by make disciples. Getting people to repeat after you with 0 understanding of what they are saying is not making disciples.

Evangelism is also not just drive by telling someone God loves them - without any sort of indication for who God is, or what love means. And frankly, many instances in which someone says that without qualification they are not being biblical. If this person is still dead in their trespasses and sins then it is not loving at all to tell someone that God loves them - you are giving them the impression that they are perfectly right with God, and thus have no need for a savior.

The beginning of making disciples is telling others them Jesus. That we are all sinners who have deeply offended a righteous and holy God - that our sins deserve his wrath. But God has given us his son Jesus, to save us from those sins. Jesus lived a life of perfect sinless obedience to God’s will so that k That while he was on the cross, Jesus took our sins upon himself, and for those who believe in him - they will be not only forgiven of their sins - but given Jesus’ righteousness. The great exchange - that our sins are laid upon him, and his righteousness is laid upon us - but not by our works, but instead by faith.

Jesus’ great commission is an expansion of the first command to be fruitful and multiply. And while Jesus’ commission does not assume procreation, it also does not exclude that.

When parents make babies, they are making little disciples. And the Bible makes it clear that parents are the ones responsible for the religious instruction of their children.

Mothers are responsible for the great commission. Fathers are responsible for the great commission.

Parents are blessed with the opportunity to bring children into the world, and then proceed to teach them what the Lord has done and how he has shown his love for us by giving us his son Jesus.

And the church should be glad to help in that. We are glad, and blessed to be able to offer a Bible Club, but we also know that we cannot do this on our own. Bible Club ought to be a partnership with parents, not a place for parents to outsource their children’s religious education.

Let me add on that, the command to raise our children in the faith and to pray for them, to disciple them, to raise them with a Christian worldview may begin when they are in diapers but it doesn’t magically end when they turn 18 or when they move out.

Don’t give up on your non-believing kids, grandkids, or great grandkids. Keep praying. Keep sharing. Keep being faithful to the great commission.

The next plan of action of the great commission is

Baptizing them

I already covered baptism two weeks ago. So my comments here will be brief - but if you missed that sermon you can find it on our website. It is in this text where Jesus gives us the trinitarian formula for baptism. Many of the instances in the book of Acts state that believers were baptized in the name of Jesus, which seems to be shorthand for trinitarian baptism.

I do wish to reiterate that the New Testament knows nothing of a non-baptized Christian. Someone who believes in Christ, has been born again of the Holy and wishes to be obedient to Christ should pursue baptism.

However, Jesus doesn’t simply desire that we get people to call themselves Christians and then get them wet. I’ve seen ministries that will evangelize people, convert them, baptize them, and then dump them. This can be common with revivals and outreach events. They ramp up emotions to get a decision, they dunk them and dump them.

That isn’t being obedient to the great commission. Unfortunately, baptism numbers have become a metric that churches boast over, and thus in many cases, We are to be obedient to all that Jesus has commanded us.

The theme of the last few weeks as we have looked at Baptism and the Lord’s Supper and the Commission today is obedience. What does it look like to be obedient to what Jesus has commanded us.

And this part of Jesus’ command is what sticks out to me as what gets most ignored in the Great Commission

Catechism

And this is a significant part of what the church has long observed as catechism. Teaching believes the Bible. Teaching them what is necessary for a Christian.

So what has Jesus commanded us to do?

Forgive those who have wronged you.

Repent and believe the gospel.

Be perfect, as your heavenly father is perfect.

Seek first the Kingdom of God.

Be on guard - for false teachers.

In this passage we’ve addressed several

There are many others… but in short they can all be summed up to:

Love God. Love neighbor.

Them being summed up does not make them easier - but rather it ought to teach us to see how easily we fail to love God and love neighbor the way that we ought to.

There is one specific command that I want to highlight:

Luke 9:23 ESV

23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

If anyone wishes to come after Jesus, if anyone wishes to be his disciple as the NIV translates it - they must crucify themselves.

Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you

A significant aspect to making disciples is to teach them to be obedient to what Jesus commanded. This means being obedient to:

Being baptized, taking the Lord’s Supper, telling others about the good news that comes only from him, loving our neighbor as ourselves,

How do we teach others these things? Bible Club, Sunday School, Bible Studies, Wednesday nights, catechism…

For this reason, I would encourage each of you to be involved in one of these things. We all ought to continue in grow in Christ and in obedience to him.

So through one of our two women’s Bible studies, through our monthly men’s study and breakfast, through our Wednesday night prayer meeting, Sunday School, Bible Club, etc. While I would say that the Sunday morning Lord’s Day Gathering is more important than all of those - the additional programs we host should all aim to help you to be a better and more obedient disciple of Jesus - and to aid you in helping others in the same.

Jesus does not give us these seemingly difficult task only but he also gives us comfort in how we can accomplish the task.

The Comfort

I am with you always.

God has given us his Holy Spirit

Several times as the New testament refers to the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Christ. Jesus is with us through the presence of the Holy Spirit. Who has been given to all those who are born again in Christ Jesus. This is an incredible comfort for us. When Jesus went away he sent us his spirit - who makes us born again, gives us a new heart, grants us the gift of faith and causes us to believe. He sanctifies us. He gifts us.

The Great Commission can be carried out because God has given us his Spirit to enable us to carried it out.

We’ve been given a great task by a mighty King, and then to make it even better we’ve been given what we need to carry out that task.

One of most important questions that each of us need to ask in response to this passage today is Am I being obedient to Jesus’ commands? If not, what is stopping you from being obedient to God’s commands?

Have you been convicted over the past few weeks that you ought to be baptized as a believer in the context of the local church?

Have you been convicted that you should not take of the Lord’s Supper again until you are baptized? Or until you repent? Until you are born again and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and God raised him from the dead?

Have you been convicted of these things but have no plan to do anything about them?

That’s disobedience.

Intentional disobedience to a King who has all authority on heaven and earth… the King of Kings and Lord of Lord is quite a bold way to live your life.

Jesus himself says in John 14:15

John 14:15 ESV

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

If you have 0 interest in keeping Jesus’ commands then you are not a lover of God. You are an enemy of God, and you need to repent. Jesus isn’t just a good moral teacher - he is God who has taken on human flesh, offered himself up as a ransom for sinners. He is the only mediator between God and Man. Jesus is our only hope.