The Road to Mission

1. Opening: The Final Road After the Resurrection (2–3 min)

Briefly anchor the series:

We’ve walked different roads over the past many weeks. The roads to the cross, as Jesus engaged in his ministry and prepared for his crucifixion. And the roads from the tomb, following the resurrection, where everything was changed.

It is our hope that as we have been on the roads that you have been invited into the story, because this is your story too. Just as the song says “when death was arrested, and MY life was changed!”.

All of those moments were deeply personal—but they were never meant to stay private.

Key idea:

The resurrection doesn’t just comfort us—it commissions us.

And so as we look at this text today, we are concluding a series and looking at the final instalment of the Easter story. But while this is the final installment in the narrative retelling, this story is far from over. While we have walked many roads, and today we declare this the final road we will look at, make no mistake, the journey for these disciples is just beginning. We will pick up this story in the book of Acts when Chesney and I return in a few weeks.

This final scene isn’t just another appearance. It’s a turning point:

From encounter → assignment

From following → being sent

2. The Context: Meeting Jesus in Galilee (v.16–17) (4–5 min)

Matthew 28:16–17 ESV

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.

a. Why Galilee?

This is not random—Jesus told them to go there.

Where they were first called It’s the place where Jesus first found them—on the shores, in their workplaces, in the middle of their ordinary routines. Before they understood anything about the cross or resurrection, before they had titles or clarity, they simply heard a voice that said, “Follow me.” Galilee represents the beginning of discipleship—the raw, unpolished “yes” that starts the journey. It’s a reminder that calling doesn’t begin in perfection or full understanding, but in response. This is a capstone moment for the disciples, being returned to that place where their hearts were stirred and their lives began to be transformed. Its so fitting that this is the place that Jesus chooses to launch them into their new beginning, their commission.

Where ordinary life happens Galilee isn’t Jerusalem. It’s not the center of religious activity or prestige. It’s fishing boats, family tables, dusty roads, and daily responsibilities. This is where people work, struggle, laugh, and live. And it’s precisely there that Jesus chose to reveal Himself, teach, heal, and form His followers. Galilee tells us that the sacred is not confined to special spaces—God meets us in the rhythms we might otherwise overlook.

Far from religious power centers Galilee sits at a distance from the Temple, from the institutions, from the places where authority is recognized and controlled. It’s on the margins—geographically, culturally, even spiritually in the eyes of some. Yet this is where the resurrected Jesus sends His disciples. Not back to the systems that rejected Him, but into the wide, open spaces where mission can take root. Galilee becomes a symbol of a kingdom that moves outward, beyond walls, beyond hierarchy, beyond expectation.

And so Galilee becomes more than a place It is the intersection of calling, formation, and mission. It is where Jesus meets us first—and where He sends us again.

Develop this idea: Jesus doesn’t gather them in the temple courts or before crowds. He meets them in a place that feels… normal.

Application:

We often think mission happens “out there” or “someday.”

But Jesus begins in the familiar.

Your mission field is not somewhere else—it’s where your life already is.

b. Worship and doubt together

“They worshiped him, but some doubted.”

Let that tension sit for a moment.

These are not outsiders or skeptics at a distance. These are the ones who walked with Him—who heard His teaching, saw His miracles, watched Him die, and now stand before Him alive again. If anyone should be certain, it’s them. And yet, in the same breath as worship, there is hesitation.

Worship and doubt—held together.

That’s important, because it disrupts the idea that faith must be clean, settled, and unquestioning in order to be real. What we see here is something far more honest: a group of people responding to Jesus as best they can, even while they’re still trying to make sense of what they’re seeing.

So let’s clarify what this doubt is—and what it isn’t.

This isn’t rejection. This isn’t turning away. This isn’t disbelief in the sense of “I refuse to accept this.”

The word carries more the sense of wavering, of being torn between certainty and uncertainty. It’s the internal tension of, “I see Him… I believe… but I don’t fully know what this means yet.” It’s the feeling of standing on the edge of something overwhelming and not quite knowing how to step forward.

It’s not hardened skepticism—it’s disorientation.

They’re not doubting that Jesus is there as much as they’re struggling with what to do with the reality of the risen Christ standing in front of them.

And that matters, because it means doubt is not the opposite of worship here—it’s happening within it.

They still bow. They still respond. They still move toward Him.

Which suggests that faith isn’t the absence of questions—it’s the willingness to bring those questions into the presence of Jesus.

And maybe that’s where this lands for us.

Because many people assume that doubt disqualifies them—that uncertainty puts them on the outside. But this moment tells a different story: you can be in the presence of Jesus, responding in worship, and still be working through your questions.

Doubt doesn’t remove you from the moment. It doesn’t cancel your response. It doesn’t push Jesus away.

If anything, it becomes the very place where deeper trust can begin.

Because the invitation of this passage isn’t: “Come back when you’re certain.” It’s: “Come as you are—and stay.”

Application:

Many people disqualify themselves from mission:

“I don’t know enough”

“My faith isn’t strong enough”

But Jesus sends these people.

The presence of doubt does not disqualify you from the call of God.

3. The Authority of Jesus (v.18) (3–4 min)

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

a. This is the turning point of the passage

Everything that follows depends on this statement.

Not partial authority Not regional authority

All authority

This includes:

Nations

History

Spiritual realities

Your circumstances

b. Why it matters for mission

We often read the Great Commission as a heavy burden.

But Jesus starts with authority to shift the weight:

You are not responsible for the outcome—you are responsible for obedience.

Application:

When you feel:

Inadequate → His authority covers you

Afraid → His authority goes before you

Powerless → His authority is at work beyond you

4. The Mission Defined (v.19–20a) (6–7 min)

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.

a. Clarify the main command The central command here is not “go”—it’s make disciples. “Go” carries the sense of as you are going—in the flow of your everyday life. But the focus, the weight of the command, is on intentional spiritual formation.

Jesus is not simply sending them out to spread a message—He is sending them out to form people.

b. What this really means A disciple is: Someone who follows Jesus, Is being changed by Jesus, And is committed to the mission of Jesus.

And that middle piece matters.

Because discipleship goes beyond just conversion. It’s not just about a moment of decision—it’s about a life of transformation.

These disciples knew that firsthand. For three years, they walked with Jesus. They watched Him proclaim the Kingdom, heal the sick, teach with authority, and move toward the poor and the marginalized. They didn’t just hear His message—they were shaped by His life.

So when Jesus says, “make disciples,” He’s not saying, “Go get people to sign on.” He’s saying, “Help people become the kind of people you’ve been becoming.”

This is about holiness. About lives being reoriented. About real, ongoing transformation.

c. The process: baptizing and teaching Jesus gives two key movements: baptizing and teaching.

Baptizing speaks to identity—belonging to Jesus, being brought into His family. Teaching speaks to transformation—but notice, it’s not just teaching information. It’s teaching obedience.

This is about learning to live differently. To actually embody the way of Jesus in everyday life.

So again—this is not: Just getting people to believe something Just increasing attendance

It is: Helping people reorient their entire lives around Jesus And step into the kind of life He modeled

Because the goal isn’t just converts—it’s people who live, love, and serve the way Jesus did.

d. Application (make this concrete) Mission can feel abstract, so bring it down to where we live.

This looks like: Having intentional conversations about faith Walking with someone through their questions and struggles Modeling what it looks like to follow Jesus in real life Investing time—not just sharing words

It means inviting people not just into belief, but into a way of life. A life that reflects Jesus—His compassion, His priorities, His heart for others.

You don’t need a platform—you need proximity.

e. “Of all nations”

This mission is global in scope. And for the disciples, that would have landed with real weight.

Because their whole story had been shaped by the understanding that they were God’s chosen people. Israel had received the covenant, the law, the promises. There was a deeply ingrained sense that God’s blessing and provision were centered on a particular people, a particular identity.

Even though there were always hints in Scripture that God’s plan was bigger—that through Israel, all nations would be blessed—by the time of Jesus, many had come to see the boundaries more narrowly.

And then Jesus says: “of all nations.”

Not just Israel. Not just those who look like you, think like you, or share your background. But everyone.

This is an expansion of breathtaking scale.

The good news is not being guarded—it’s being sent. The blessing of God is not being contained—it’s being extended.

And that includes people the disciples may not have expected… and it includes us.

We are part of the “all nations” they could never have fully imagined in that moment.

But while the scope is global, the practice is still deeply personal.

Because they aren’t being sent to an idea—they’re being sent to people.

And that brings it right into our lives.

Yes, the mission is worldwide. But it is lived out in everyday, local faithfulness.

In the conversations we have. In the relationships we build. In the way we cross boundaries—cultural, social, even personal—to reflect the heart of Jesus.

So the vision is big—bigger than they expected. And the invitation is clear:

To participate in a mission that reaches farther than we can see… by loving the person right in front of us.

Application:

Who is already in your life?

Friend

Coworker

Neighbor

Family member

The mission of God is not interrupting your life—it is your life.

5. The Presence of Jesus (v.20b) (3–4 min)

“And surely I am with you always…”

a. The promise

This is not symbolic—it’s relational.

Not “good luck”

Not “try your best”

But:

“I am with you.”

b. Tie to the whole Gospel

Matthew begins: Emmanuel — God with us

Ends: I am with you always

This is the thread holding everything together.

c. Application

We often think:

“If I step into mission, I’m on my own”

But the reality is the opposite:

When you step into mission, you step more deeply into the presence of Jesus.

6. The Turning Point: From Encounter to Surrender (2–3 min)

Bring the focus inward.

The disciples now face a decision:

They’ve seen Jesus

Heard His authority

Received His mission

But none of that matters without surrender.

Make it personal:

Many people:

Believe in the resurrection

Appreciate Jesus

Even worship occasionally

But haven’t fully said:

“My life is yours. Send me.”

7. Invitation

Today we are going to have a but of an extended reflection time, and this reflection time is going to happen in two movements…

a. First movement: “To Be Like Jesus”

To be like Jesus This hope possesses me In every thought and deed This is my aim, my creed To be like Jesus This hope possesses me The Spirit helping me Like Him, I'll be

Before we go into the world, something has to happen within us. We need to be aligned, shaped and transformed by the character of Jesus. We need to commit to becoming the hands and feet of Christ in the world around us.

Questions to pose:

Where is Jesus shaping your character right now?

What attitudes, habits, or priorities don’t reflect Him?

Mission begins with becoming like Jesus.

b. Second movement: “I Surrender All”

Shift from formation to surrender.

Be direct here:

Partial surrender produces partial obedience

And partial obedience resists the mission of God

Questions:

What are you holding onto?

Control?

Comfort?

Fear?

Reputation?

You cannot walk the road to mission while clinging to control. Today we are invited into a moment of surrender. Anything that is holding us back from living out the mission of Christ in our daily living, from becoming intentionally involved in the work of the Kingdom here on earth, needs to be surrendered.

9. Closing Vision (1–2 min)

The tomb is empty

Jesus is alive

And now—He sends His people

Final idea:

The road from the tomb was never meant to end at the empty grave—it leads into the world.

Transition to Response Time

And so today church, I want to invite you to respond to this Great Commission. A commission first given to the disciples we see in the story, but continues to be lived out by you and I. Will you come this morning? Will you come and make the commitment to be like Jesus in the world around you? To proclaim the kingdom, to teach, to bring healing to the brokenness around us, to minister to the poor and the vulnerable?

Will you come, to surrender? To release the things that have been holding you back? To release the things that stand between you and the mission of Christ?

These are big questions, but they are questions we cannot ignore. The voice of God is calling, his spirit is moving. So will you come and give your answer at the mercy seat this morning? Will you come wrestle with whatever doubt you may still hold and ask God to help you move towards a “Yes Lord!”?

The invitation is open, and the world needs us to respond. So as you feel led, please come.

Simple prayer prompts:

“Jesus, make me like you.”

“Jesus, I surrender all.”

“Jesus, send me.”