“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, 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 28:18-20
We celebrated Easter thirteen days ago and back in the day a few centuries ago, our Risen Savior was still walking on the face of this earth with His disciples and others. If you recall from the messages you heard on past Easter mornings, Jesus didn’t just come back to life and then go straight to heaven. After the resurrection, He spent 40 days traveling in Jerusalem and talking to people; face to face, small groups and one time to a group of 500 people! Because He appeared to so many, the Gospel spread rapidly over the Roman Empire.
Right before He went back to heaven, Jesus gave the above instructions to His followers. These commands, known as the Great Commission, are not just meant for priests, pastors, ministers or missionaries. They apply to everyone who follows Jesus…even these young Haitian children.
This is the assignment for everybody in God’s family. We are to pass on the Good News to the world, near and far. Why? There are three reasons: first,
God wants a big family. If you’re in God’s family, then He wants you to bring others into His family. He wants you to tell people about the Gospel.
Second, only God can offer you salvation and hope. This is the greatest news in the world! Keeping it a secret would be criminal. And lastly; the Great Commission is the hinge point of history. The timing of Jesus Christ’s return is dependent upon our obedience to His instructions. God is waiting for us to finish the task of telling the world about Jesus.
The Bible tells us in 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” God will not force anyone to love him, but he wants everybody to have the chance to say “yes” or “no” to his love.
Finishing the task of the Great Commission is inevitable. Will it be finished in our lifetime or will the next generation will have the privilege of doing it? Each of us need to stay on track and complete the task that has been set before us along our journey.
Dear Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you,
Jay