Matthew 28:18-20

NASB	NLT	VOICE
18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.	18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.	18 Jesus came forward and addressed His beloved disciples. JESUS: I am here speaking with all the authority of God, who has commanded Me to give you this commission.
19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,	19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.	19 Go out and make disciples in all the nations. Ceremonially wash them through baptism in the name of the triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
20 teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”	20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”	20 Then disciple them. From them in the practices and postures that I have taught you, and show them how to follow the commands I have laid down for you. And I will be with you, day after day, to the end of the age.

Guess Who’s Back! Back Again!

Jesus returning to His disciples is very crucial in this cultural context. This meeting is happening after His resurrection. He returned to them in Galilee, which was where he told his disciples to meet Him (see Matt 28:10). All this connects to the promise of Christ to rise again and meet them face to face. It’s a fulfillment of his words and the truth that resides in them. He shows that He is truly the Good Shepherd who seeks out HIs sheep. 

Back With Authority

Jesus has the authority of both the spiritual and physical realms. It’s now fully realized at this point and is best manifested through his resurrection. This authority is the foundation of where we get the command of the “Great Commission.” God has given him this authority. God has lifted the name of Jesus above all names. Jesus is the true mediator between God and humanity as the head of the Church. 

churches struggling with Church authority (typo intentional)

The church is united under the authority of Christ. This sounds like it shouldn’t be stated, but it does. Some churches have truly deviated away from the teachings of Christ, doing what was right in their own eyes. They are adopting many of the Old Testament laws and standards. They enforce them as rights of life in their community. Jesus is the fulfillment of that law. It doesn’t mean that these laws aren’t examples of what it means to live a godly life. Still, they’re not the command that we are taught to live by. The teachings of the Old Testament law was to show that Israel was to be set apart. Israel was to stand apart from the rest of the pagan nations. This was for YHWH to shine brighter than the false gods that were tempting them. For us in the United States, we are a Gentile nation historically. We are historically one of the pagan nations being referred to. We are not the nation of Israel, and we often forget that when it comes to biblical teachings. For us, we must understand this common phrase. “The Bible was not written to us. But it was written for us.” When we think about the Old Testament laws, we must view it through the lens of Jesus. For me, it’s often: “How do these laws love God and love neighbor?” This has revealed a heavier impact of the Old Testament for me overall in my studies. 

Get Up and Go

Jesus is now calling us to go – to act and move. To actively engage in the teachings of the Gospel. To go and make disciples. This isn’t just about making people a Christian. It’s about sharing, teaching, and helping grow believers in their faith. It’s not just some simple: “Have you invited Jesus into your life” and that’s it. It’s having that conversation, but also building a relationship with that person. It’s about getting to know someone’s background and doing life together. It’s about sharing the highs and lows. It’s also about understanding the impact of what Christ has done for you. The message of the Gospel was to break the cultural and ethnic barriers. Therefore, Jesus calls us to go and make disciples of all nations. For the culture, this was for the Jewish and Gentile populations. For us, it includes our different communities. These are our indigenous siblings, our Asian siblings, our Black siblings, our Pacific Islander siblings. It also includes everyone else in between. These are our marginalized and underrepresented communities. They include our LGBTQ+ siblings. They also include our impoverished, homeless, orphaned, widowed, and elderly siblings. There are many more.

Baptizing in Mystery by Faith

We are called to baptize them. Now – does that truly mean dunking them in water? No. Baptism is the public declaration of faith and the initiation into Christ’s community. It doesn’t HAVE to be something we do for them, but it is something that we can join them on. We do have the ability. See the story of Acts 8:26-40. Yet, in the West, baptisms are usually done by a pastor, elder, or church leader. Baptism is meant to represent our new, purified life. It signifies coming through the waters of the womb again as a child of God. To be baptized in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit connects us to the Trinity. It unites us with God as one. Understanding the Trinity can be very confusing. I have been called a false teacher for attempting to explain it. The Trinity is something that we are called to believe by faith. It’s a mystery central to our Christian belief structure.

Teach as Jesus Taught You

The command to teach comes from the Jewish tradition of rabbinical instruction. In this tradition, a rabbi would impart not just knowledge but a way of life to the disciples. Jesus commands His followers (us) to pass on His teachings. This includes everything from the Sermon on the Mount. It also encompasses the teachings to love God and Neighbor. Jesus wants us to cover all the moral, ethical, and spiritual dimensions. It’s being diligent about it. These two things: teaching and baptizing are what we’re called to do. We are to guide people in the moral and ethical route of the Gospel teachings. Our mission is to invite believers to be re-born in a new relationship with Christ. This is the beginning of building the Kingdom of God. 

Jesus Will Never Leave You

Jesus offers profound assurance to his disciples that He will always be with them. It’s a consistent theme shown all throughout scripture. See Exodus 3:14 for the story of Moses. Joshua 1:9 reflects the story of Joshua. For the disciples at that time, it’s comforting to hear this from Jesus. Pursuing YHWH would have been an offense punishable by death. They walk away knowing that they are never alone in their mission. For us, being a Christian often would never lead us to our death. Yet we will find different areas that can make us feel persecuted. Maybe your significant other doesn’t believe in God like you do. Maybe your workplace frowns upon public expressions of faith. Make your friends abandon you because you are now a Christian and are “no fun.” It’s not life or death, but it can be death to different relationships, situations, and opportunities. No matter what challenges we face as Christians, our Creator will never leave us. We are old or new, but we are never abandoned by our Creator. Our Savior and our guide are always with us. 

Reflection Questions:

1. Have you ever experienced a church contradicting your understanding of Scripture? How did you approach it? What was the issue? Was there any discussion or resolution?
2. Have you ever baptized anyone? What was the experience like for you? 
3. What does it mean to you that Jesus will never leave you? How do you feel knowing this, even during all the persecuting moments of your life? 

Call to Action:

Follow the Great Commission today. Go out and share your testimony with someone. Be open to a discussion about your testimony. Build a relationship to add one more to the Kingdom of God.

Next slice of manna: Manna for the Mind #269