The Great Commission: The King Directs His Followers
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Scripture Reading
Opening Prayer
Introduction
Matthew conclusion/ illness
Planning an event
Starting an organization
Introduce structure of sermon
Exposition
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.
Now is de (but)
This word does not just simply translate as a time reference but sets a contrast to the story that had been spread.
The 11...
Obeyed Jesus’ instructions
32 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”
They met Him at a mountain. My resources are split as to whether or not a specific mountain is meant. The phrase is literally translated as in the ESV but is also a phrase the means “into the hills.” I don’t know that there is any real importance in which it is but I favor the understanding that Jesus’ instructions to His disciples was specific.
Either way…they met Jesus as planned.
Remember that in verse 10 of this chapter we talked about the importance of Jesus’ mission being delivered in Galilee.
Let’s talk about “who” is here and gathered in Galilee.
A surface reading without regard to context seems to indicate only the 11 are present.
The bigger question is, “are there disciples other than the 11 present?”
Let me make a confession, I have preached this passage before and taken a different position than I am about to .
Matthew 28:10
10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
“my brothers”
every time this is used in Matthew, it refers to all of Jesus disciples.
I believe that this means that this is a large gathering of Jesus disciples, that begins once the 11 arrive.
1 Corinthians 15:6
Jesus was seen by “500 brethren at once”
Harmonizing Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances can be difficult\
Matthew, Mark, and John have Jesus saying the disciples are to rendezvous with him in Galilee, northern Israel, about three days journey away. In contradiction to this, Luke’s two books—The Gospel of Luke and The Book of Acts, have Jesus planning to rendezvous in Jerusalem….
In the real world, people cannot be in two places at the same time, and to claim otherwise is to be caught up in a contradiction…. The Bible, like the cheating husband, has been caught in a contradiction, exposed as a liar, and therefore can’t be trusted to tell the truth (Smith, 1995).
But it is not impossible
No one Gospel contains all the appearances Jesus made and certainly, there was more that happened than was recorded at all.
Jesus’ 40 days basically go like this
Jesus is raised> He appears to the women and the disciples in Jerusalem without Thomas as well as the Emmaus road encounter> He appears to the disciples with Thomas, still in Jerusalem> He meets with 7 of the disciples near the sea of Galilee> He meets the 500 at the mountain> He travels back to Jerusalem/Bethany for final appearances before ascending.
17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.
The response to the resurrected Jesus is worship.
“but some doubted”
Who are the some?
Two options
some of the 11
some of the others
Argument in favor of some of the others
“but some” is an unnatural was of rendering “some of them”
more natural would be “but some of them” or “but they”
The point of the text, however, does not rest of who the “some” are but rather that there was doubt, not in the resurrection per say, but something else.
Remember the message of Matthew...
It shook the disciples realizing that Jesus was not the type of Messiah they expected.
The word translated doubt does “not mean intellectual disbelief but hesitation” (Carson, 663)
There are several possible interpretations of the exact meaning of the doubt.
Talk about doubt...
Jesus’ response
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Jesus is the one through whom all of the Father’s authority is exercised
This is much more explicit teaching of Jesus’ authority than had been given before the ressurection, not because His authority is now different but because His position has now been proven by conquering death.
Daniel 7:13-14
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.
Strategy meeting
Jesus’ Command… (commission)
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,
Therefore…based on this newly proven authority
Go…not a verb but a participle (same as baptizing and teaching)
Not imperative
“make disciples”… one word…imperative verb
The command is not “to go” but rather it is the assumption.
You could say it as “having gone”
This does not mean we are not to “go” to fulfill the mission but rather it is assumed a necessary condition inorder to fulfill the mission.
Baptize
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Teach
Behold - Another imperative, an interjection
The Big Idea: King Jesus empowers and commissions His church to make disciples.
The Big Idea: King Jesus empowers and commissions His church to make disciples.
One objection to the idea that this is a command for the church is that this is only a command to the 11.
If this is an address to more than the 11 then this is wrong on its face
Even if this is just a command given in the presence of the 11, it does not make logical sense to be a command to just the 11
They are to teach them to “observe all things” that Jesus had commanded, which would include this command
Why would Matthew have used this as the capstone to His gospel if it was not for others?
The promise of presence until the end of the age would make no sense unless the mission continued until the end.
Observations
This is given to the church
This is not just a command to evangelize, but to disciple
This is NOT the purpose of the church
This IS the mission of the church
Observations
This is given to the church
This means we all contribute to the task but it does not mean we all have to personally fulfill every part (ex. baptism, teaching)
This is not just a command to evangelize, but to disciple
Explain the difference
This is NOT the purpose of the church
What is the “church”?
Assembly
Fellowship
Why an assembly/fellowship?
To edify
To encourage
to help
to confront/correct
to be led/fed (to be a sheep)
To work together in mission
This IS the mission of the church