New Circumstances. Same Mission.
Notes
Transcript
Background
Background
Author - Matthew (Levi), an apostle & tax collector (Matthew 9:9)
Date - AD 55-65
Audience - Jewish Christians
Occassion - To help Jewish Christians interpret Jesus as the fulfillment of the Scriptures.
Book Theme - In His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus fulfilled the prophecies about the Jewish Messiah and the coming Kingdom of God. Although Jesus took the message of the kingdom only to Jews during His lifetime, His last act in this Gospel was to commission His followers to go to all nations as well.
Christ in Matthew - Matthew presents Jesus as King and Israel’s Messiah. More than any other Gospel writer, He quotes from the OT to make his case.
Immediate Context - This is post-resurrection. Jesus had already shown Himself to a few of the disciples and told them to tell the others to meet Him in Galilee on the mountain where Jesus had indicated.
Jesus was beginning their mission off and there was no budget, programs, or building campaign
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
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.”
Commentary notes
Verse 18
Who is Jesus? Jesus is the Son of God; the Messiah; the Teacher of the disciples for the past few years of their lives
Where did He come from? From being resurrected
Matthew 28:1-15
Why was He speaking to them? Giving them His finals departing words
What does all authority mean? All Power; Rule; Control
This authority was Given by whom? The Father
The Father is the giver all things (James 1:17)
Only God can give authority (Romans 13)
Why was this authority given? Because He was the Son of God and He was pleasing in the sight of the Father
This authority shows Jesus distinction from us. Although we are called to be like Christ, there is a clear distinction between the Son of God and His adopted family. Jesus is not only equal to God. He not only reflects God, but He also reveals God to us.
Jesus came from heaven but we came from the dust. We sin all the time but He was completely holy. He is God!
Colossians 1:15-20
“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!” - Abraham Kuyper
What is meant by “in heaven and on earth”? Where God lives & where humanity lives; the things we can and can’t see
If this verse isn’t true, then verse 19-20 are meaningless
Interpretation: Jesus was giving the disciples confidence for the mission He was commanding them.
The marching orders didn’t come from Rome or the religious leaders
Human authority is always tainted with sin
Judges 21:25 - During the time of the judges, the people of Isarel experienced trouble because everyone became their own authority and acted on their own opinions of right and wrong (Our world is no different)
Illustration:
Jesus was not swayed by Roman or His own people. He was constantly aware of the authority that stewarded His life. He was constantly aware that He was to stay on mission to do the will of His Father
John 6:38
Wanting to play for Duke for coach K
Application:
Since Jesus is our commander in chief and has all authority, that means we march to the beat of His drum, and not the world. No one holds the type of authority that He does.
Social media and the things we constantly talk about are easy ways to hear and see the true desires of our sinful hearts. We can see the drum that a person marches to.
Are you marching to the drum of the Gospel?
Is Jesus your commander in chief?
Our authority is not found in the CDC, the school system, or who currently lives at 1600 Pennsylvania.
No matter where He leads us, no matter what circumstances we face, He is in control.
Verse 19
What does Jesus mean by Go? Go where? Go - As you’re going out and moving from place to place into the world that Jesus was sending them. In other words, while you’re going, make disciples of all nations
John 17:18
What does “therefore” mean? Because Jesus had all authority, He was now authorizing for them to complete the work that He started
Matthew 28:18
What does it actually mean to “make disciples”? Why is “all nations” significant?
A process of training someone in some discipline or way of life
We all have disciples in some way or form. The question is what are you discipling them to?
All nations is referring to everyone you encounter
Revelation 7:9 - View of heaven
This has always been God’s plan
Genesis 1:27 - There’s no specific ethnicity or type of person identified
Genesis 17:4-5 - Father of many nations
We are to call sinners to repent and to turn to Christ
What does baptize mean?
To immerse a new Christian as an outward expression from an inward transformation.
To identify this person with Jesus and His kingdom.
To identify and confirmation of this person with the rest of the community.
Baptism unites believers with Jesus in their death to sin and resurrection to new life. Showing they have submitted to Christ and identifies them with God’s covenant people.
Baptism doesn’t save
Why do they need to be baptized in the Father, Son, and Spirit?
Matthew: A Mentor Commentary 3. The Twofold Explanation (28:19b–20a)
His use of the singular onoma implies that the three persons here named are one God, and that the Father and the Spirit, no less than the Son, will grant their presence and power to disciples of every generation.
Interpretation:
Jesus commands His disciples to complete the work He began. His ministry was confined to walls of Israel, but they would take God’s message to the world. Their mission was to bring people into the Kingdom of God. Baptizing them and teaching them the Word of God.
Acts 1:8
Mark 16:15
Illustration:
Someone who is serious about getting in shape is usually going to have someone train them who has a body type that they admire.
My wife went through a phase of bikini body building. It consumed her because she loved it (flesh out the story to show that if we love God we should have the same type of tenacity towards making disciples)
If God had painted a yellow stripe up the backs of the elect, I'd go through London lifting up coats and preaching only to them. As it is, He has not, so I preach the Gospel to all, and God brings his sheep. - Charles Spurgeon
Application:
You can’t adequately disciple someone if you yourself aren’t being discipled. Our chief teacher is God. You learn more how to make disciples through what we read about Christ, He sets the ultimate example. But God in His kindness has also given us people to look to physically walk with us to teach us so that we can then teach others.
Everywhere you go, how are you looking to engage people with the Person of Jesus?
Making disciples spans the distance of your next door neighbor all the way to the other parts of the world
Does the environment have to be just right? I don’t think there’s a better time to engage people about God than a time where people are uncertain about life and have no hope.
We don’t know who God’s people are. Do I believe in the election of God. Yes, the Bible is very clear on that matter. But we aren’t omniscient, we don’t know all things. Therefore, we make disciples of all people and do what God has commissioned and ordered us to do. (see Charles Spurgeon quote)
Verse 20a
Teach them what? Everything they learned from Jesus.
Jesus made it very clear that we can’t just teach people what we want.
What we teach actually matters to the mission of God
Teaching is the means by which disciples are transformed into becoming more like Jesus
We are to teach the full counsel of God
2 Timoth 3:16-17
Acts 20:26
What does this word observe mean? To keep and obey
What did Jesus command them? To love God and to love people. As Jesus said to the teacher of the Law. All of God’s commands come back to these two.
Matthew 22:36-40
Verse 20b
How is Jesus with us? By the Holy Spirit
There is freedom, confidence, and joy in the word “always”
We carry out the mission of Jesus with both the power and presence of Jesus
Interpretation: As these disciples were gearing up to be away from their teacher, Jesus was leaving them with a comforting promise for their mission.
Illustration:
We make promises all the time that we don’t keep. All it takes is for the weather to turn bad or for us to have a bad day.
My son loves crawling down steps but always looks back to see if I’m there because he trusts that daddy will be there.
Application:
We can have joy in our mission because we rest in the promises of God. God has proved that promise by raising His Son from the dead.
Knowing that God is with you takes all of the burden we put on ourselves such as do I know enough to talk about Jesus? What if they’re offended by the Gospel? Resting in Christ takes all of those concerns and gives back to a God who can and is willing to save. And we know His track record.
People are not rejecting you but me verse
These marching orders are for you individually. Not just for the pastor of the church. Our job isn’t just to invite people to church in hopes that the pastor will preach some fire message that will save them. No, God has called you to go and do that as well.
Intro: Everything we do has a mission and goal
Outline:
Jesus is Commander in Chief
His Marching Orders are Simple
Enjoy the Mission
Closing: