Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped 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, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’
Matthew 28:16-20 NIVUK
Scotland is known as the home of golf, as well as the ‘sick man of Europe’ abd a place where it’s possible to experience four (wet) seasons in one day.
The country has a lot of golf courses – including two owned by ex-US President and part-time right-wing populist insurrectionist Donald Trump (much to our shame). I’m not a fan of golf. It appears to me to be a very expensive and cerebral way to take a walk in the countryside. I’m not convinced about the fitness aspect either. Or the weird clothing.
But I don’t mind crazy golf or putting greens. They are more my style.
When I was a boy, we used to take caravan holidays (mainly because it was ridiculously cheap) on the Scottish coast – either on the east side in Fife or the west side in Ayrshire. A small Ayrshire town we visited on several occasions was the town of Girvan.
There is nothing much there: a small Baptist Church, a few restaurants and take-aways, a small arcade with electronic games, a small fishing port and a putting green.
Normally, it would take around 30-45 minutes to finish its nine holes, despite its very hilly nature. However, in the evening it took much longer. Not because of the failing light, but more because of the sunset behind the nearby nature reserve island of Ailsa Craig, and the incoming fishing boats. More often than not, we would take our shots and then gaze out to sea wistfully at the scene unfolding before our eyes.
We were distracted.
It appears to me that the church is often distracted. We have forgotten why we exist.
We don’t exist for coffee mornings.
We don't exist for craft evenings.
We don't exist for fashion parades.
We don’t exist for golf outings.
We don't exist for shopping trips.
We don't exist for games nights.
We don't even exist for concerts, recitals or anything like that.
We exist for one purpose: to make disciples.
If all the above activities are not done with the expressed aim of making disciples, then we should stop doing them immediately.
The church – at least in the west – has lost her way. These verses challenge us to get back to who we are and what we should be.
It’s time to heed that challenge.
I see five individual truths in these verses.
Firstly, we see the object – the thing that Jesus is trying to move. And that object is, of course, the disciples:
Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted.
Matthew 28:16-17 NIVUK
We have an incredibly high standard that full-time Christian workers, pastors and missionaries are expected to meet. We think of them as being one rung lower than angels. We assume they are highly qualified experts in their field.
I’ve got news for you: the first disciples were not. Far from it.
They consisted of fishermen, tax collectors and a political radical. Most were Jewish. At least one was a black African. None were highly educated. None were Pharisees or Sadducees. None were Roman. None were Greek.
They were ordinary.
In fact, in some ways, they were less than ordinary.
They might have been with Jesus for three years, but they still didn’t really understand who He was (Mark 4:1; c.f. Luke 24:17-27).
They squabbled like schoolchildren over position, even at the most inappropriate times (Luke 22:24).
And later – within a matter of days – they had endured trauma the likes of which few of us will ever have the misfortune to endure.
One of their number had betrayed their leader into the hands of those who hated him (Luke 22:1-6, 47-48), and later committed suicide (Matthew 27:5) Another of their number had denied Him and plunged into deep sorrow (Luke 22:54-62). Their leader had died the most horrible death in the known world, being crucified like the lowest of criminals (Luke 23:33).
The Bible is plain and honest: these men had spent weeks cowering in fear for their lives (John 20:19).
So we have a bunch of under-qualified, under-matured, emotionally-unstable men, all of whom fled when their leader needed them the most (Matthew 26:56). Men who, even when presented time and again with convincing proof that Jesus has risen from the dead, still don’t get it – even after He appeared to more than five hundred people at the same time (1 Corinthians 15:6).
Would you call even one of these men to be your pastor?
Yet Jesus hand-picked each of these men to serve Him!
This tells me something critically important right away. The call to serve through Lord is open to all. No-one is excluded. We all have our place and pur part to play. Qualifications and experience might help, but what matters most of all is being willing to obey.
After the object, we now look at the force:
Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Matthew 28:18 NIVUK
The Greek word for ‘authority’ is very telling here. It means ‘the ability to do precisely what we want’, ‘the power of of authority (influence) or of right (privilege)’, ‘the power of rule or government’.
We know that these disciples were cowering in fear of two dictatorial human authorities and powers: that of the Romans and the Jews. The Jews hated them because they believed that Jesus was the Messiah, and at this particular time, at least as far as the leaders were concerned, they didn’t really want a Messiah to come. The local population might have thought differently. They longed for a Messiah to free them from tyranny. But not the Jewish leaders. They did quite well our of Roman rule.
And then there were the Romans. Any Messiah, any attempt at a Jewish uprising, any form of rioting at all, and the central powers in Rome would come down hard. The Pax Romana had to be enforced at all costs, even at a cost to human life.
So the disciples were afraid, and rightly so.
But do you see the power and the force of Jesus’ words here?
Jesus is saying that ‘all’ authority has been given to Him: that is, complete authority, full authority, every kind of authority. That makes Him greater than the Roman Emperor; greater than that High Priest; greater than the religious and civil authorities of the day.
This is echoed in the closing verses of the wondrous hymn in Philippians 2:
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9-11
And the ‘therefore’ indicates why it was given to Jesus: because He was willing to humble Himself, to become a man, to die the death of the worst of sinners on the cross.
Jesus is saying, clearly and unmistakably, that He occupies a higher place than every one of the authorities that make them afraid, and have led to them skulking in fear in locked rooms in fear of their lives. Jesus is greater than them all.
Who or what causes us to fear right now? Who or what stands in the way of us obeying Jesus, serving Him, following Him?
Let me tell you the truth this short sentence teaches:
Jesus is greater than them all, because He, and only He, has all authority in heaven and on earth.
So we see the object and the force that sets out to move it. We also see it’s direction:
Therefore go...
Matthew 28:19 NIVUK
The direction is always outward, never inward; always forward, never backward; always further, never less far. A true follower of Jesus Christ is permanently reaching for the next horizon, and is never safe nor secure where they are. As Paul stated:
It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.
Romans 15:20 NIVUK
Let me tell you something startling about this command to ‘go’. This word is linked to the sentence before it: We go because Jesus has been given all authority.
But because Jesus has been given all authority, we must go. This word, you see, is also a command to follow, to obey, to be a disciple of someone.
In other words, a true follow of Jesus goes. A fake follower does not.
It also means ‘to lead or order one’s life’. In other words, the alternative to going and following Jesus is disorder.
But what is Jesus sending us out to do? 2 Corinthians tells us:
We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: be reconciled to God.
2 Corinthians 5:20 NIVUK
In the Great Commission, Jesus is commissioning His disciples to be His ambassadors – to represent Him on earth. And that is a truly awesome thing, especially given who these disciples were and what they had been through.
And where were they to go?
But 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 NIVUK
What a transformation! Men who snuck around and locked themselves in secret rooms out of fear of the Jewish authorities were now being commissioned to go to the ends of the earth!
And yet... they didn’t. Not yet anyway. They didn’t after they received this call. They didn't after Pentecost. In fact, it took persecution to move them from Jerusalem (Acts 8:1-4).
Every Christian is called to follow. Every Christian is called to obey this command.
But what about you? What will it take for you to obey the command to go?
After the object, the force and the direction, we also see the action:
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’
Matthew 28:19-20 NIVUK
Jesus very neatly gives them three simple commands to follow: disciple – that is, to bring people to faith and mentor them like a master mentors their apprentice; baptise – that is, have people declare their allegiance to Jesus Christ both publicly and symbolically using an ancient Jewish rite reserved for those who are mature enough to take the decision for themselves; and teach – teach them the meaning and purpose of obedience.
Let’s dig a little deeper.
When I was a teenager, one of my uncles noticed that our electric company was so desperate to prove nuclear power was safe that they had set up free tours of our local nuclear power plant. Thinking that this was a fun thing to do, he decided that all of our family should go.
So there we were, in a bus, and then in this hugely scientific and strictly controlled environment, learning how nuclear power works, while only a few yards away, reactions many times the size of the bombs that exploded over Hiroshima and Nagasaki were powering TVs and toasters and lights.
Much more surreal than a visit to a theme park, right?
Centuries before the atom was split, Jesus is looking for a kind of happy ‘nuclear’ reaction from the disciples.
You see, when an atom is split, its two halves bump into other atoms at high speed, which then split, which then split other atoms, and so on and so forth. The reaction is fast, powerful and generates a serious amount of heat, which we then use to generate steam from water, which powers turbines, which generate electricity.
But the reaction is very dangerous. That’s why nuclear reactors are encased in lead, are cooled with water and are controlled with lead control rods. If they weren't, then whole towns could be razed to the ground.
Jesus wants His disciples to make disciples who make disciples who make disciples, much like a nuclear reaction. That’s how the Gospel spreads.
But in the church, there are people who view this ‘happy reaction’ as dangerous and try to control it. They are like the lead encasement of a reactor – they try to contain it in the church. They are afraid of ‘discharging’ it outside of the church because they are afraid of losing control, of what might happen if ‘undesirable’ people choose to become believers and want to join ‘their’ church.
They try to cool the enthusiastic warmth of the ‘happy reaction’. They say discouraging things like ‘no-one wants to listen to our message anyway’ or ‘if they want to follow Jesus, they will, without our help’.
They try to control the ‘happy reaction’ by impeding it and blocking it whenever it happens. They vote against discipleship groups and Bible studies and such like. In fact, if it doesn’t happen exactly how they want it, they are not interested.
I have encountered all three types of people – sometimes even in the same church. And I have a message for them:
You are trying your best to stop people from your church or organisation from obeying Jesus Christ. You are tempting them into disobedience. You are trying to make them accept a ‘lesser’ Christianity that is no Christianity at all.
You are trying to make your brother or sister stumble. This is what Jesus says about you:
Jesus said to his disciples:‘Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied round their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.
Luke 17:1-2 NIVUK
So stop. Stop now. For the good of the church.
Jesus is calling all of us to be part of the same ‘happy reaction’ that caused the Gospel to reach us. It’s time to play our part and be on the right side of history.
Apart from the object, the force, the direction and the action, last of all we see is the association. Jesus leaves His disciples with the most wonderful of promises:
And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’
Matthew 28:20 NIVU
This promise is an echo back to a similar promise, given to Moses on Mount Sinai:
The Lord replied, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’
Exodus 33:14 NIVUK
But we need to bear in mind the context of this sacred promise. Moses has been on the mountain for forty days and forty nights. The Israelites have become impatient. Moses was already an aged man. Anything could have happened to him on the mountain. So Aaron casts them a new god to worship – a golden calf, just like all the other pagan peoples – and the Israelites bow down to it. Worse, they combine the worship of the hateful pagan god with worship of the One True God, as if they were trying to have their cake, eat it and still lose the calories.
Of course it doesn't work. The result is one of the most painful incidents in all of Scripture: Moses’ wrath, the massacre of three thousand idolaters and the drinking of the idol, ground to dust, by the people.
And then, as if their wound was not already raw, God, in His anger, threatened to abandon them (Exodus 33:3).
It’s as a result of Moses’ plea for God to go with them that God promises His presence to them.
Now look at the promise Jesus gives to His disciples. We often have the misplaced idea that the disciples were perfect and wandered around the country with their feet barely touching the ground, while polishing their halos every night. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The Bible is shockingly and disarmingly honest in its portrayal of them (and remember: these are the future leaders of the church) as a divided bunch who jostled for power and position and even right until after His resurrection were still not entirely sure who Jesus was. Matthew even tells us in verse 18 that they were watching Jesus ascending to heaven, yet still some doubted!
We could perfectly understand it if Jesus dismissed them as wasters and sent them away. Yet here, as with the idolatrous Jews in the Sinai Desert, Jesus promises that He will always be with them, even to the end of the age.
What an absolutely incredible act of amazing grace!
Jumping back to Moses’ appeal to God, his grounds for appeal is somewhat startling:
Then Moses said to him, ‘If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?’
Exodus 33:15-16 NIVUK
Do you see it?
Moses appeals on the basis that if the Lord is not with them, then the Israelites will be just like everyone else. There will be nothing distinctive or special about them. They will be ordinary. It’s God’s presence that makes them extraordinary.
Now jump far forward to see what the Jewish leaders say about the disciples after Pentecost:
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realised that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
Acts 4:13 NIVUK
What makes them extraordinary is that they had been with Jesus – they had been in His presence.
So why was Jesus promising them His presence? Was it just as a spiritual comfort blanket? Was it just to make them feel good?
No. It was to make them extraordinary. It was to make them stand out. It was for Him to be glorified through them.
The presence of Jesus with us is promised to us too. But why should we want it?
We should want it so that our message comes with power and authority. We should want it so that we can be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16).
We should want it so that we are extraordinary.
There was a time when my job situation was very unstable. I went to interview after interview for good jobs. Each of these jobs had something in common. They had a job description.
Everything is simple when you have a clear job description: if you fulfil it, then you're doing well; if you don't, then you’re likely to get fired.
These verses are our job description, both as individuals and as a church. This is what God has placed us here to do.
Like the disciples, it’s quite possible that we’re far from perfect and have let God down on far too many occasions. But God doesn't call perfect people.
Like the disciples, we may not be so sure of ourselves and be a little overwhelmed at all that’s happening. But God doesn’t always call people whose heads are in the right place.
Like the disciples, we might struggle with our call to disciple, baptise and teach. We might suffer from imposter syndrome and wonder why God would call people like us. But God doesn't always call the confident people who know exactly what to do and say in every situation:
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no-one may boast before him.
1 Corinthians 1:27-29 NIVUK
When we are weak, confused and overwhelmed, these are the times when we lean on God’s presence all the more.
And these are the times when He is glorified all the more.
In heaven, no-one will measure you by diplomas or high scores in Bible quizzes or your knowledge of certain ways of presenting the Gospel or apologetics or philosophy or hermeneutics. These things won’t matter.
What will matter is whether or not you obeyed the Word of God.
What will matter is whether or not you followed Jesus.
What will matter is whether or not you went.
Of course, not all of us can abandon everything and serve God overseas. However, it has never been easier to get involved in missions... · By praying – Operation World, Joshua Project and PrayerCast are three of the top websites with daily international prayer points
· By giving – there are a whole plethora of Christian mission agencies. Look for one that ministers in a way and to a people that are important to you.
· By going – modern means of transport make it possible to be on the other side of the world in a day. You can serve for a while overseas, either for a short time or a longer one.
Questions
Did you ever think of the disciples as being ‘ordinary’? Why? How does this encourage you to serve God?
How can you play your part to fulfil the command to disciples, baptised and teach?
How does the assurance of Jesus’ presence help you as you seek to obey this command?
I think one of the biggest problems in the church today is churches only want leaders, ie pastors who have a degree. Have been through bible college and are fully trained in the running and organisation of the church. Yet Jesus chose 12 men. All working class individuals and yet they turned the world upside down in preaching Jesus. We need to look at the heart of the person being called and make space for the Holy Spirit to lead them into all truth.