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Matthew 28:16–19 NIV
Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 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,
I. Introduction
a. Jesus had come to the end of His earthly ministry
b. He had walked with these men for more than three years.
c. But He still had more to teach them even after His resurrection.
d. The discipleship process had not finished at the cross.
e. Jesus had appeared after the resurrection and still had more to teach them.
f. In order to fulfill the great commandment, they had to spend time with Jesus for over three years.
g. In those three years they had learned to be with Jesus.
h. Their preparation to be Jesus’ apostles was first to be his disciples.
i. They spent time with Jesus – they didn’t sit and listen to Jesus speak about Himself or a strategy that they were going to implement in 3 years.
II. Two more commands
a. Go to Galilee on a certain mountain
i. Matthew 26:32 – But after I am raised, I will go before you to Galilee”
ii. Matthew 28:7 – “Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.”
1. Why did Jesus tell them to meet him on a mountain in Galilee?
2. Why couldn’t He just give them the commission wherever they were when they met?
3. He didn’t want them to meet Him where He wasn’t but where He was.
4. Jesus didn’t want the disciples looking for Jesus in an empty tomb, but to look for Jesus where He did ministry.
5. Many times we are looking for Jesus in the wrong places.
6. He is waiting for us in Galilee, on the mountain where He called us.
7. Some went to the tomb, but found it empty.
8. Maybe he didn’t want them to focus on the place of His burial.
iii. Jesus met them along the way and they worshiped Him (vs. 9).
iv. The major part of Jesus’ ministry, which is described in the Gospels, took place in Galilee. The first miracle occurred in Cana of Galilee. The call of the first disciples (Matt. 4:12–25; Mark 1:16–20), the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5–7), and the feeding of the five thousand (John 6:1–15) took place near the Sea of Galilee. Jesus predicted that after his resurrection he would precede his disciples to Galilee (Matt. 26:32), and the Great Commission was given on a mountain in Galilee (28:16–20).[1]
v. Jesus usually has a thing about taking people back to a familiar place in teach something important to people. So he takes his disciples to Galilee where they began and now He’s going to send them off in the same place.
1. As they went up that mountain they had time to talk to each other about Jesus and what would happen now.
2. When they saw him they worshiped him (again).
a. After the resurrection the disciple’s response when they meet Jesus is to worship.
b. Usually that meant that they knelt in front of Him because they knew He was divine.
3. During the first three years of hanging out with Jesus they spend lot of time with Jesus but it doesn’t mention that they “worshiped” him only after the resurrection.
4. The magi worshiped, the healed leper, the disciples after calmed the storm, usually as recognition of Jesus’ divinity.
vi. Among the disciples some worshiped and some doubted.
1. I wonder what they doubted?
2. Many of us fluctuate between worship and doubt
3. Not that we don’t believe in Jesus, but we wonder sometimes about our relationship, we doubt in ourselves, we doubt that what Jesus promised is truly going to happen, we doubt many times in different things, yet we still worship.
4. Never stop worship just because there may be some doubt.
vii. Jesus never addressed the “doubt” of some. He simply went on to assure that He has the authority to do what is about to tell them to do.
1. Maybe they doubted if they ought to continue doing this?
b. Go make disciples
i. Before the command to “go make disciples” comes the command “Go to Galilee… to the mountain.”
1. Before going to face the Pharaoh, Moses met God on a mountain
2. Many times we take the command to make disciples without paying attention to the command to go to the mountain with Jesus to worship.
3. We are very good in waiting for commands to go and do something, but we are not as good as just meeting God on the mountain and just worshiping.
4. Having a close relationship with Christ is the foundation that allows to “make disciples”, but here’s something interesting.
ii. As you go make disciples
1. “The Savior’s commission to the disciples included all the believers. It includes all believers in Christ to the end of time. It is a fatal mistake to suppose that the work of saving souls depends alone on the ordained minister. All to whom the heavenly inspiration has come are put in trust with the gospel. All who receive the life of Christ are ordained to work for the salvation of their fellow men. For this work the church was established, and all who take upon themselves its sacred vows are thereby pledged to be co-workers with Christ.”[2]
2. The word “go” is not an imperative – it’s a part of the speech that is a verb but is also an adjective. It’s describing the action.
3. The description is of “go” – as you go
4. This is important because Jesus’ command to make disciples should be understood “as you go, make disciples”
5. The command to “Go” is to tell the disciples that Jesus has resurrected and “as you go…” “make” (imperative).
6. In other words, “going” and making disciples is not something that you can decide to begin to do at some point in the future.
7. Making disciples is something that we do whether we know it or not.
8. Jesus’ command was that “as you go” make disciples of Jesus.
9. When I realized this I understood that I cannot decide to start being a disciple sometime into the future.
10. Because as I go I am discipling telling and “teaching” others
11. As Christians we become disciples and so as we go we make disciples.
[1] Myers, A. C. (1987). In The Eerdmans Bible dictionary. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
[2] White, E. G. (1898). The Desire of Ages; Conflict of the Ages Series; Desire of Ages (Vol. 3, p. 822). Pacific Press Publishing Association.
