“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has
been given to Me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations baptizing
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and
teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with
you always, even to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:18 – 20
Jesus’ parting words to his disciples, referred to as the great commission, is
more often than not the foundation for many of the evangelical efforts
throughout all of Christendom. Which, of course, makes sense given that
Jesus is literally telling his disciples to go out and make disciples. Praise be to
God that this was a great success! The church has since
carried on this command from our Lord throughout the generations seeking to continue to make disciples and
spread the Gospels to all people, lands, and nations. However, if this is our bedrock for evangelism and outreach,
we should take the time to really reflect on Jesus’ words and sit with them for a time in order that the Spirit teach
us to be wise.
For example, let us consider the very beginning of Jesus’ statement. “All authority in heaven and on earth has
been given to Me.” Jesus is telling us exactly why we should concern ourselves with going out and evangelizing
to people. All people, places, and things are under the authority of Jesus and to put it simply, they should know
that. But this is different from our normal understanding of spreading the news of someone’s reign or claim of
authority. There is no armed vanguard commanded to march across the land, there is no immediate death or
subjugation threat that follows, there is no demand of lavish offerings to appease the conquering host. Look at the
words of Jesus. It is a far cry from our understanding of what it means to conquer.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, the authority Jesus has is absolute but merciful. He has commanded us to make
disciples by Baptism and teaching. These things take time, patience, diligence, and grace. Praise be to God Jesus
uses His authority in this way! As we set ourselves to the task let us then remember what Jesus has decided to do
with the authority given to Him and follow Him in the way He has set out for us.
Your Brother in Christ,
Pastor Tommy