MATTHEW 28: 16 “Meanwhile, the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain Jesus had designated. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him, but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 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, 20 and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Jesus had completed His mission. The Messiah had come into Jerusalem, had died, shedding innocent blood, had risen from the dead, and had showed Himself to His followers. Now it was time for Jesus’ final act on earth: His ascension into heaven.
The location of the ascension is in dispute. Some sources say Bethany, just outside Jerusalem. Matthew describes a mountain in Galilee. Actually, it’s not the physical location that matters; it’s what Jesus told His disciples just before He left.
1.” All authority (all power) in heaven and on earth has been given to me” As the risen glorified Lord, Jesus could speak from a position of ultimate authority.
2. “Go and make disciples of all nations” Jesus’s disciples are to train others in the ways of the kingdom, just as Jesus trained them.
3. Baptizing them (the new disciples) in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit Here Jesus reinforces the concept of the Holy Trinity and orders the disciples to continue the practice of baptism as a symbol of dying to sin and resurrecting to new life
4. “and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you.” The disciples were to be very careful to pass on the teachings of Jesus and not something else or something more.
Dallas Willard in his book “The Great Omission” makes the point that today very few Christians are actually making disciples. Willard writes, “We have lost discipleship largely because, in the evangelical tradition, we have lost Christ as Teacher. The idea of Christ as Teacher no longer means much, if anything at all, to evangelicals. Willard emphasizes that three things are necessary: “conviction of sin, conversion to a godly life of faith, and testimony to the saving work of God in the soul.” Without these elements, it is impossible to make disciples. Sadly, many people who attend churches today are not disciples but merely members. Membership cannot lead to a life ablaze with the glory of God.
PRAYER: Father God, forgive us! We have tried to make following Jesus easy when it is not. We have settled for substitutes. Lord, open our eyes. Enlighten our hearts. And help us to truly love You and truly follow You all the days of our lives. In the mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.
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