Text: Matthew 28:18-20
Theme: Great Commission
Introduction:
Commission and commissioner are very familiar words to our modern society. Two thousand and twenty years ago, Jesus Christ has shared this power with his disciples and gave them order, it was a mandate for followers of Christ. For centuries we call it a great commission. The great commission of our Lord Jesus Christ is evergreen and ever demanding. Often we want to achieve our goals. But God calls us to Chase the best and run the race set before us and make great feat for him.
The great commission recorded in Mathew 28:18-20 gives three features, such as, God has All authority, He is the God of All nations and He is always present, omnipresent.
It also reminds us of the new power of the disciples, through which they had new perspectives in their lives and led them to establish Church through new presentations.
1. New Power
2. New Perspectives and
3. New presentations
First, let us mediate the first point in this passage:
1. New Power (Mathew 28:18)
The words Dunamis and Exousia are interchangeably used by the Gospel writers to communicate the power and authority of Jesus Christ. The first word DUNAMIS means, "strength, ability, power; inherent power, power residing in a thing under its nature." The second word EXOUSIA means "power of choice, liberty of doing as one pleases; leave or permission." The first is "personal strength or ability," the second is "the right or privilege bestowed on one." (E.M. Zerr)
Christ refers the authority as absolute power, “all authority in heaven and on earth”, it’s not the power on the rotating earth or the inhabited globe but marvellous celestial beings, power over all milk ways and creations of God (1 Corinthians 15:27-28, Psalm 8:6). A cosmic dominion has come to Christ, powers over all the authorities, over all the powers of the darkness, overall the spiritual forces of evil, overall the heavenly realms(Ephesians 6:12).
Here in Mathew 28:18, Jesus talks about that great authority has been given to him. All authority vested with Christ. He gives victory over everything in our lives. Satan was trying to cheat Christ, he was trying to induce with short-cut method to earn authority and luxuries.
Luke 4:5-7 reads, ‘the devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendour, for it has given to me, I can give to anyone I want to”. Jesus did not believe the liar and he was completely trusted in God the Father and took the righteous path. He received this authority through prayer, holy life and obedience and sacrifice.
St. Paul desired to know that power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and to participate in it. “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10-11).
Jesus Christ had a Vision Statement which is found in Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost”. His Mission Statement is the great commission and how to implement it. Implementation is possible because has given us that authority in Luke 10:19 “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you” You are not alone God is always with you in this great work.
Jesus told his disciples “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
Power of God was always understood with the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Every successful person of the Bible, say it, prophet, judge, priest or king in the Bible was possessed with this power whenever they went for war or meet people. YHWH was with them through his spirit. The absence of power was understood as the absence of the Spirit of God. God never sent anybody without his Spirit and authority for his mission and ministry.
Moses was sent with the power to perform miracles and announce the plagues. He was sent to bring changes in the status and lives of the Israelite (Exodus 3:10). Gideon was sent with his possessed strength to subdue the Philistines (Judges. 6:14). David urged God not to take away the Holy Spirit from him (Psalm 51:11).
In Ezekiel 11:19 God says “I will put a new spirit in them”, in 2 Corinthians 5:17 God says ‘if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The Old has gone and new has come!’. The new spirit leads to singing new songs (Psalm 33:3, 40:3, 144:9, 149:1, Isaiah 42:10, Revelation 14:3). The new song is all about the Lamb of God, great and marvellous deeds of the redeemer Jesus Christ and the new paths he has set for all of us to run and enjoy in Christ. The modern society composes many new songs.
Disciples were sent with new power. The Great commission reminds us that we have given such a new Power over snakes, scorpions, deadly poisons (Mark 16:15-18). God’s authority was confirmed by their new performances in their ministry of preaching and establishing the Church at various places, the Church is not a building but people (Mark 16:20) with new perspectives.
2. New Perspectives (Mathew 28:19)
The resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ and his appearances on their closed rooms and houses made them slowly to regain strength. It Helped them to change rapidly on their outlook, standpoints of life and enable them to move forward for a new understanding of creations and nations. Their fear of death, fear of authorities, fear of punishment, and fear of crucifixion has vanished quickly from their mind. Even in Prisons, they slept well. They worshipped God with cuffs in prison cells, and they were praising God without fear. They became bold and powerful to share the Gospel.
Their perspectives brought genuineness in presentation and realism in belief, faithfulness in deeds, there was no place for hypocrisy, their lives were open books. They lived an authentic life-like replica of Jesus Christ with complete transparency. Jesus received everything from the father and he took the message to the people. They did not count living on earth as more worthy than preaching the Gospel.
Apostles, seven deacons, disciples and everyone who believed in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour became mission workers. They became people who turned the world upside down.
The new job of the Apostles was to make disciples means make followers of Christ learn, practice and continue in this new way with a lifetime commitment. "Go and Make disciples" is imperative a command, an order. An unknown missionary statesman said, "A missionary is God's man, in God's place, doing God' work, in God's way, for God's glory"(Abide in Christ.com).
Saul who was also known as Paul took the great commission very seriously and evangelised as per the vision and mission of God. He was a man of blind zeal before he met Jesus on the way to Damascus but his encounter with the power of God changed his determination and direction. Paul had a vision of Christ (Acts 9:3-6 & 26:13-15). He did not consult anyone when he had the call, he went and shared the Gospel (Galatians 1:13-17). Later he says in my life in the light of the Gospel everything else is dust and dung, I want to lose material blessings to get the spiritual life (Philippians 3:7-9). He was a great philosopher studied under Gamaliel. He shed tears day and night for the conversion of his people and their continuation of faith life (Acts 20:31).
We all must use the opportunities given to us to present the Gospel through new life presentations.
3. New Presentations (Mathew 28:20)
Coffman comments: “The surpassing magnificence of this grand conclusion to Matthew's gospel, called as Great Commission by saints of all ages, constituted great unorganised soldiers marching from that day to all eternity”. Millions of followers of Christ took this Commission, lived the commission and died for commission.
The last part of the great commission urges the disciples to demonstrate and exhibit the power of God through their changed lives. They were charged with new power and they were stuffed with new perspectives and now given new prospects and projections to change the world. They became a witnessing community. Wherever they were scattered they became a living temple and with their new lifestyle. They were commissioned to present Christ and his love in action. We are called for 24 X 7 presentation of the Gospel in office, house, a neighbourhood in all contexts, and conditions.
Disciples were no more mere simple people but became powerful with Power of the Holy Spirit. Their new perspectives became their asset. Their spiritual gifts were instrumental for God to reach the Greece-roman world. Their new job is not only to make disciples but also to teach them to observe in their lives whatever Christ taught and did.
The new presentations are not only the outward signs as mentioned in Mark 16:15-20 but also by their inward life or personal life. The Spanish proverbs:” open your mouth only if what you are going to say is more beautiful than the silence”.
We are called to teach this in our Sunday services, cell groups, cottage meetings, and in all our fellowship groups. The clarion call is obedience to the love of God.
Obedience is not taught but performed, or shown in life. James Hastings says: “A creed that is not wrought out in actions is empty; conduct that is not informed, penetrated, regulated by creed is unworthy of a man”.
Jesus taught obedience through his personal life as mentioned in Philippians 2:5-8 and in Hebrews 5:7-10 (Please Read). Both the authors Philippians and Hebrews record very clearly the word OBEDIENCE in action.
The Gospel is presented beautifully, convincingly, eloquently and powerfully through words but failed by the lives of the presenter, the profession is found but practicality is missing. “Many times men have not been as faithful in maintaining the integrity of the gospel with which we have been entrusted. A faithful preacher does always obey the Lord in everything”(Jon w Quinn).
Bobby Harrington and Bill Hull state that “The great omission in the Great Commission is the absence of accountability. When we work accountability into our lives, we begin to cultivate order and effectiveness”.
I understand is that Accountability has two ways both trainer and trainee are accountable to one another. Saints must be equipped with accountability and godless must be encouraged to come to obedience to this savior.
Isaiah the great Prophet was noble. Friend of King Uzziah, Enjoyed special status. He never bothered about people. He was a professional prophet. But the special encounter with the living God in Isaiah 6:1-11, has changed his understanding about himself, about people. He confessed that he had unholy lips, unholy conversations and unholy alliances. God met him and cleansed him and gave him new power to reach people. His presentation began with his personal conviction and conversion.
The history of Methodism reminds how “Whitefield and John Wesley were going like twin seraphim, burning everywhere with the Divine flame, and carrying everywhere the Divine life”(W. Michell).
The full gospel was passed on from Jesus Christ to Apostles and Disciples, but when it travelled through various nations, and when it reached the utmost part of the earth and its citizens when it reached the Asian, African and Western countries it took various dimensions and paradigm shift. The cultural ethos was added to it, Indigenisation diluted the Gospel and lost its. The presenter mixed up the Gospel with his personal interest rather than the interest of the Gospel.
Conclusion:
The promise of God to be with us “always” means ‘the whole of the day’(David Guzik). It's a very wonderful word to ponder upon. I will be with you all the days of your life. God’s availability is our availability.
Bible has many exemplary lives who experienced the presence of God. Jacob experienced the continuing presence of God(Genesis 28:15). Joseph story explains the very astonishing way the presence of God(Genesis 39:23). Moses pleaded that God’s presence must go before him. Moses enjoyed the presence of God which was going before him (Exodus 33;14). Moses summoned Joshua and assured him that God will be with him and he will go before him(Deuteronomy 31:7-8) Gideon was given promise that God will be with him to strike the Midianites (Judges 6:15-18). David was successful in all his endeavours because the Lord was with him (1 Samuel 18:14, 28).
Disciples were successful because God was with them. Let’s get the new power of resurrected Lord by waiting for him, let’s change our perspectives on life and its worthiness, let’s present the Gospel to all through our lives than our words.
