INTRODUCTION (SECURE ATTENTION) & BACKGROUND OF THE PASSAGE:
PRAY before starting the sermon.
Discouragement, disappointment, depression, and dismay are part and parcel of ministry.
All of us go through doubts and fears at some point of the time or the other.
Sometimes, we feel like giving up our ministry.
At other times, we can go into a pity-party and feel bad for ourselves.
We may think that we have sacrificed everything to follow the Lord and to serve Him.
QUOTE: The great missionary to Africa, David Livingstone corrects our notion when he says that, “If a commission by an earthly king is considered a honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?” – David Livingstone
Today’s text talks about this commission given by the risen King.
Would you take God’s Word and turn your Bibles with me to MATTHEW 28:18-20 (READ)?
I have entitled today’s sermon as: “THE POWER AND PRESENCE OF THE RISEN KING.”
After Jesus’ resurrection, He tells His eleven disciples to meet Him on a mountain in Galilee.
The mountain (v. Matthew 28:16) recalls the other sites of revelation in the Gospel (Matthew 5:1; Matthew 17:1—mount of transfiguration).
Jesus is the new Moses who gives new commandments.
On this mountain, Jesus gave few instructions to His disciples which is generally referred to as “The Great Commission.”
CENTRAL PROPOSITION OF THE TEXT: Today’s text tells us that the Risen King’s commission to His disciples to make disciples of all nations is based on His universal authority/power and fulfilled with His permanent presence.
THE PURPOSE BRIDGE: To encourage the graduating students and the CGLD Community to obey the Great Commission.
FALLEN CONDITION FOCUS: Already dealt with above.
CENTRAL PROPOSITION OF THE SERMON: We must obey the Great Commission of the Risen King on the basis of His power and His presence.
Our text can be divided into 3 parts.
I. THE RISEN KING COMMISSIONS US TO MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS.
Read verses 19-20a.
“‘All’ dominates Matthew 28:18-20 and ties these verses together: all authority, all nations, all things, all the days [ESV: always].” (Carson)
Make disciples of all nations, not just the Jewish people.
The theme of all nations (or all peoples) coming to Christ is brought to a climax; however, this theme runs throughout the gospel of Matthew (cf. Mt. 2:1-2 [Magi]; 8:5-13 [Centurion’s servant]; Mt. 15:22-28 [Canaanite woman’s daughter]).
With the words "all nations," Matthew's gospel returns to the theme introduced in the very first verse (refer 1:1)—that the blessings promised to Abraham and through him to all the peoples on earth (refer Ge 12:3) are now to be fulfilled in Jesus the Messiah.
Jesus’ universal Lordship (cf. v. 18) demands a universal mission.
Disciples of rabbis normally made disciples of their own when they became rabbis, but Jesus is more than a normal rabbi (Matthew 28:19) and summons us to make disciples for him alone and not for ourselves (Matthew 23:8-10).
The imperative (make disciples) is the central focus of the Great Commission and the Greek participles (go, baptizing, and teaching) describe how discipling is done.
A. Go.
Making disciples involves going.
We need to go across the street or to another village, city, state, or nation where Christ is not known.
And the Book of Acts shows that the disciples did go to the ends of the earth and preached the gospel.
B. Baptizing in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Jews used baptism while converting the Gentiles to Judaism.
Here, Jesus is commanding His disciples to make disciples of all nations by baptizing them.
We need to lead people to Christ in such a way that their salvation is genuine and they have the courage to affirm that they are disciples of Christ.
Making disciples involves baptizing them in the ‘name’ of the Father and of the Son and of the Spirit.
For the Jews, the Holy Spirit or God’s Spirit was divine, though they did not see God’s Spirit as a person.
By including Himself in the list of the Father and God’s Spirit, Jesus implies that He is divine.
C. Teaching them to observe all that He has commanded.
The focus is on Jesus' commands, not OT law.
Jesus' words, like the words of Scripture, are more enduring than heaven and earth (24:35); and the peculiar expression "everything I have commanded you" is reminiscent of the authority of Yahweh in the Old Testament (Ex 29:35; Dt 1:3, 41; 7:11; 12:11, 14).
Disciples are not developed by merely baptizing people.
They need to be taught all that Christ has commanded.
Every time, we stand on the pulpit or sit in a small group and teach God’s Word to people, we are fulfilling the mandate of Jesus described in these verses.
Observe means obey. We don’t merely inform the minds of the people, but we persuade them to obey the words of Jesus.
Jesus commands us to go to all the nations of this pluralistic world and make them disciples of Christ.
We must not leave out any ethnic group or language group in our task of making disciples.
Graduating students, the King of kings is giving you the commission to preach the gospel in this dying world.
That’s our mandate.
The 2nd part in our text tells us that . . .
II. THE RISEN KING CLAIMS ALL AUTHORITY.
Read verse 18.
And. Some were still doubting Jesus (refer to v. 17).
So, Jesus came to them and made this pronouncement.
Came. Jesus came to the mountain that He had directed them (cf. v. 16).
Here, on this mountain, He declares himself as the King.
A. In heaven
Jesus has all authority in heaven.
B. On earth
Jesus has all authority on earth
Jesus’ authority is all-encompassing.
Jesus has universal authority.
The author emphasizes the authority of Jesus throughout the gospel of Matthew.
For instance, Matthew 9:6 (refer) says: “but that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”
Given to me. Passive voice. The Father restricted Jesus' authority before His resurrection because of His role as the Suffering Servant.
Following His resurrection, God broadened the sphere in which Jesus exercised authority.
He became the One through whom God now mediates all authority (cf. Phil. 2:5-11).
Read Php 2:9-11: 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
In verse 18, Jesus is alluding to Daniel 7:13-14 (read):
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.
Read Isa. 9:6-7:
[6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end,] on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Jesus has authority over the whole universe.
There is no power in us, but Jesus has all the power and authority.
He gives His Great Commission based on His supreme authority.
We are servants of a Master who has authority in heaven and on earth.
He has authority over our PM, over the present government, over the people who persecute you, over those who falsely malign you.
There are places in our country and in the world, which are hostile to the gospel.
Jesus says that we need to make disciples of these peoples too because He has all the authority over them.
Graduating students, as you step out of this college, go out and minister with the authority of Christ.
The 3rd part in our text tells us that . . .
III. THE RISEN KING PROMISES HIS PERMANENT PRESENCE.
Read verse 20b.
Behold. Comes from the Greek word idou, which means “pay careful attention to what follows! This is important!”
This promise is for those who are serious about Christ’s mission.
QUOTE: {Commenting on this verse, William Barclay says, “It must have been a staggering thing for eleven humble Galileans to be sent forth to the conquest of the world. Even as they heard it, their hearts must have failed them. But, no sooner was the command given, than the promise followed. They were sent out--as we are--on the greatest task in history, but with them there was the greatest presence in the world.”}
Christ assures us His presence through the Spirit to the end of the age.
He is Emmanuel, God who is with us (refer Mt. 1:23).
Some people think of Jesus sitting on His heavenly throne and directing His earthly servants from afar.
But after commissioning His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations, He assured them, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (v. 20).
QUOTE: British scholar F. F. Bruce puts it this way: “He accompanies His agents. He does not energize them by remote control; He is present with them by His Spirit. They work for Him, but He works in them.”
Jewish literature only called God omnipresent; Jesus' claim that he would always be with them, coupled with his being named alongside the Father in baptism (Jewish people did not baptize in the names of people), constitutes a proclamation of his deity.
Apostle Paul experienced Jesus’ special and permanent presence even as He went from place to place and preached the gospel.
In his last epistle, as Paul gave personal instructions to Timothy, he says, “The Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.” (2 Tim. 4:17)
Jesus will not just be with us till the end (to the end of the age), but He will always be with us.
There will never be a second when Jesus will not be with you as you obey His glorious commission.
Some of you are wondering as to where you’ll minister, who will take care of you, what’s in store for the future.
All that you need to know is that as you serve Christ, His presence is always with you, to the end of the age.
CONCLUSION (INCLUDING THE PROPOSITION, REVIEWING THE MAIN POINTS [OPTIONAL], AND ACTION STATEMENTS):
CENTRAL PROPOSITION OF THE SERMON: We must obey the Great Commission of the Risen King on the basis of His power and His presence.
ILLUSTRATION: {Share my testimony here: how the Lord’s presence was with me when I lost my parents in 2006.
I was wondering how I’ll survive and how I’ll serve God. I thought of going back to my job in an MNC.
But the Lord made me fruitful in ministry, even beyond my wildest imaginations.}
Let us not allow discouragement or persecutions or trials from stopping us from fulfilling the Great Commission of the Risen King!
Graduating students, go and proclaim the good news of Jesus.
You have His authority and His presence backing you!
