Expectation Matthew 28:18-20

Geraldo Rivera's most infamous TV special, "The Mystery of Al Capone's Vault," culminated in the disappointing discovery of nothing but dirt and a few empty bottles inside the vault. The publicity leading up to the live reveal had generated immense hype, with viewers expecting to find hidden treasures or even remains of Capone's enemies. Despite the lack of sensational finds, the broadcast was a ratings success, drawing an estimated 30 million viewers. 

The Al Capone vault was located in the basement of the old Lexington Hotel in Chicago, which had once served as Capone's headquarters. The show, produced by Westgate Productions in association with Tribune Entertainment, was broadcast live on April 21, 1986. The hype surrounding the event led viewers to anticipate a sensational reveal, with the expectation of finding bootleg liquor, Capone's belongings, or even the remains of his rivals. The IRS was even present due to the potential for hidden assets, according to WGN-TV. However, the vault yielded only dirt, a few empty bottles, and an old stop sign. 

-Jesus expects His disciples to make more disciples

I. We Recognize His Authority v. 18

In our passage this morning, we are going to hear some of Jesus’s last words to His disciples as He prepared to ascend to the Father

These words are important: In some ways, they are the most critical instructions that we receive

They define His intention for His people in the wake of His death, burial, and resurrection: They are how we live in light of the Gospel

He begins with a statement of authority

All authority has been given to Him, including the authority to direct His people

When Jesus gives us an instruction, it is a command; it carries all of His authority with it

We cannot call Him Lord if we do not intend to do what He says!

All of this authority has been given to Him by God the Father, because He is the Messiah who has fulfilled His role in God’s saving mission

Philippians 2:8–11

[8] And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. [9] Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, [10] so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (ESV)

All of us are able to walk in HIs authority as we participate in His mission

This is why we call it the great commission

When we do what Jesus tells us to do, we carry all of the authority of Christ with us and we can trust Him to bring His authority over all things to bear on our lives; we can trust Him!

General Jonathan Wainwright was captured by the Japanese, he was held prisoner in a concentration camp. Cruelly treated, he became "a broken, crushed, hopeless, and starving man." Finally, the Japanese surrendered and the war ended. A United States army colonel was sent to the camp to announce personally to the general that Japan had been defeated and that he was free and in command.

After Wainwright heard the news, he returned to his quarters and was confronted by some guards who began to mistreat him as they had done in the past. Wainwright, however, with the news of the allied victory still fresh in his mind, declared with authority, "No, I am in command here! These are my orders." From that moment on, General Wainwright was in control.

II. We Respect His Instruction vv. 19-20a

Next, we see the specifics of the instruction

There are two verbs here:

Go:

This is assumed; we will all be going

If we are serious about the commission described, we will be going with intent!

Make disciples:

Some translations use a slightly different word here, teach.

I believe make disciples is a much better descriptor of what Jesus is describing here

Just as we are disciples of Jesus, we are training others to walk with Jesus

How do we make disciples?

We baptize them and the formula matters!

The names of God reflects the authority of God in salvation; this is His work

The act of immersion reflects the new reality; we are buried with Christ in baptism and are raised to new life

The presence of a baptizer speaks to a community of faith; we are being joined to a Church

The triune formula shows the work of all three persons of the trinity in salvation.

The Father sought us and we are His children

The Son bought us and we are His adoptive brothers and sisters

The Spirit called us and we are indwelled by Him

We teach them to observe all thing:

We are not simply seeking to provide information, but are inviting them to share in a way of life

We should expect them to conform to the example of Jesus

They should share His character

They should share His mission!

There were 128 runners in the field for the cross country race at the 1993 NCAA Division II Track and Field Championships. As they set out on the 6.2 mile run, they were following a course that had been marked for them by the race officials. Toward the end of the course, one of the runners in the middle of the group realized something was wrong. Mike Delcavo of Western State College in Colorado saw that the main pack had missed the turn. “I was waving for them to follow me and yelling ‘This is the right way,’” he told an interviewer after the race.

Delcavo was right—but only four other runners followed him. The rest continued on the shortcut, which allowed them to run a shorter distance and finish the race sooner. In a widely-criticized decision, race officials allowed the abbreviated route to stand as the “official course” and Delcavo officially finished 123rd.

The world does not always reward staying on track—literally or figuratively. But the path we follow is important to God. One day, those of us who have already trusted Christ for our salvation will appear before the Lord for an evaluation of our service. Our entrance to Heaven is sure—that was settled when we received Christ. But rewards—or the loss of them—for how we spent our lives are not so sure. When we stand before the Lord, no shortcuts will be recognized, and only those who have run the race by His guidebook will be honored.

III. We Remember His Promise v. 20b

Finally, we need to “behold” and pay careful attention to His promise

He will always be with us; He is present

How do we experience the presence of the Lord?

In the instruction of the Word

In the strength of the Body

In the indwelling, empowering, Holy Spirit

Not only will He be with us, but He will be returning to us

This age will have an end

We must be found faithful to His work until He returns!

Do our expectations match up with Jesus’s expectations for us?

On April 1, 2023, Lamont Butler buried the miracle buzzer-beater that advanced San Diego State to the NCAA national championship game. Later on, he said it was a moment he’d always dreamed of.

On the other hand, after Bubba Watson’s miracle win in a playoff at the 2012 Masters Golf Tournament, he was asked if it was a dream come true for him. He said, “I never had a dream go this far.”