Matthew Lessons 14-28 Matthew Lesson 1 - 16:13-20 Matthew Lesson 2 - 17:1-9 Matthew Lesson 3 - 20:1-16 Matthew Lesson 4 - 21:1-11 Matthew Lesson 5 - 21:33-45 Matthew Lesson 6 - 22:1-14 Matthew Lesson 7 - 24:36-51 Matthew Lesson 8 - 26:17-30 Matthew Lesson 9 - 26:36-46 Matthew Lesson 10 - 26:63-75 Matthew Lesson 11 - 27:41-52 Matthew Lesson 12 - 28:1-15 Matthew Lesson 13 - 28:16-20 Extra - Transfiguration Extra - Matthew 2:1-2, 11

Matthew Lesson 13 - 28:16-20

Lesson 13 - Matt. 28:16-20 - THE GREAT COMMISSION

INTRODUCTION: Last week, in Matt. 28:1-15, we covered the resurrection of Jesus from Matthew's perspective. When Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to Jesus' tomb, they experienced an earthquake and found a luminescent angel sitting on the stone rolled away from the tomb who announced, "He is not here, for He has risen," and invited them to come and see (vv. 5-6), then the angel commanded them to report the resurrection to Jesus' disciples and tell them Jesus would meet them in Galilee. After confirming the empty tomb, the women departed and the resurrected Jesus met them en route, where they took hold of his feet and worshiped Him. Jesus then commanded them to tell "My brethren" to leave for Galilee, where they would see Him (vv. 9-10). We learned the by using women as the first witnesses to (1) the empty tomb and (2) the Good News of the resurrected Christ, Jesus completely ignored the Jewish idea that women could not be reliable witnesses. This proved that the empty tomb and the resurrection were true facts in history, insofar as the Jewish disciples would never have used women witnesses to fabricate a false story. The three underlying truths we took from that lesson are (1) that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation of our faith; (2) Because Christ triumphed over sin and death by being physically resurrected, all who trust in Him are raised to new life in this world and to eternal life in the world to come; and (3) the resurrection stands as the God's vindication of the truth of all Jesus' claims about Himself.
This week, in Matt. 28:16-20, we will examine the Great Commission which the resurrected Jesus gave to His disciples when He met with them in Galilee. While all the gospel accounts and even Acts, report various aspects of the Commission, Mathew's gospel places great emphasis on Jesus teaching His disciples the basics of Christian ministry: going, baptizing, making disciples, and teaching. This text has had a major influence on the church since the beginning, so that in the Book of Acts we later see the church take-on an evangelical, missionary-oriented character that is very different from what we have seen from these disciples so far. The short explanation is that (1) they have seen the risen Christ and (2) are acting in response to His Great Commission.

Read Matt. 28:16 - THE ELEVEN DISCIPLES PROCEEDED TO GALILEE

16 But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated."

v. 1a1: "But the eleven. - "Eleven," an imperfect number, reminds us of Judas' treachery. The original number of apostles corresponded to the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 sons of Judah. One commentator observed that: "The number eleven 'limps,' like the church that Jesus sends into the world-fallible and imperfect. Yet, Jesus exactly uses such a church to do His perfect work. Jesus takes an imperfect number and gives it a perfect vocation (Bruner)." This should encourage us, too, because we sometimes struggle and stumble in our Christian work, but Christ who began a good work with eleven imperfect disciples is continuing it through us up to this present day.
v. 1a2: "proceeded to Galilee," - Jesus was born in the shadow of Jerusalem, but Joseph and Mary took Him to Galilee after returning from Egypt because of their fear of Archelaus, son of Herod, who ruled Judea. Thus, Jesus grew up in a remote area, far removed from the Temple. Judeans referred to it as "Galilee of the Gentiles" (4:15) because it was home to many Gentiles. Most of Jesus' earthly ministry took place in Galilee, and He returns there after His resurrection to commission His disciples.
v. 1b: "to the mountain which Jesus had designated." - In this gospel important events take place on mountains: The Sermon on the Mount, the Last Temptation, and the Transfiguration. We don't know the name of this mountain, but its location is irrelevant; its significance is theological rather than geographical-in the commissioning of the eleven that takes place there.

We need to remember the role of woman as witnesses to the resurrection. Because of Jewish law and customs, the male disciples might have been tempted to doubt the women's testimony. So, just as the women deserve commendation for carrying out their orders, it was a worthy leap of faith for these men to embark on their journey to Galilee.

Read Matt. 28:17 - THEY WORSHIPED HIM; BUT SOME WERE DOUBTFUL

17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful.

v. 17a: "When they saw Him, they worshiped Him;" - This is the first time we find the disciples all gathered together since Jesus was arrested, and they deserted Him (25:56). We can only imagine the disciples' state of mind as they proceeded toward this mountain. When they arrived and "saw Him," they all apparently fell on their faces in an attitude of worship. The text doesn't reveal any details.

v. 17b: "but some were doubtful." - We shouldn't be surprised at either reaction. The word used here for doubt (Gk. distazo) can also mean to hesitate. Nothing in their experience has prepared them for what they are seeing-a conflict between a rational mind and a seemingly impossible reality. Notice that Jesus doesn't rebuke His disciples. He understands their doubt, but speaks to their faith. He understands their human frailties but calls them to carry-on His work. Because Jesus chose to do His work through these original, less-then-perfect disciples, we can be confident that He can accomplish the same through us.

As we know from the Book of Acts, these disciples will grow into the role that Jesus gives them. They will press ahead in the face of great opposition and will sow seeds that will take root, multiply, and cross oceans.

Read Matt. 28:18 - ALL AUTHORITY IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH

18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

v. 18a: "And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying" - Most commonly a servant approaches the one in authority rather than the other way around. Here, Jesus reverses the roles to overcome their doubts or hesitation and by doing so, demonstrates His own openness. He models the kind of 'reaching out' to people that He expects His disciples to carry out in the Great Commission.

v. 18b: "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." - The concept of authority is a common theme in Matthew's gospel. Earlier Jesus announced that, "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father," (11:27) and now He declares, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." The model for this statement comes from Daniel 7:14: "And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed.

God has given Jesus "all authority" which is not merely the power or might that a great conqueror (like Alexander) might claim, but authority that spans both heaven and earth (i.e., the entire universe), and there is no time or place where it cannot be applied; therefore, Jesus exercises His authority over everything everywhere right now, as well as in the final judgment to come.
A thread that runs throughout this gospel from beginning to end has been Jesus' 'kingship.' His genealogy establishes him as descended from King David (1:6) and the Magi came from the East seeking "he who is born king of the Jews" (2:2). But now his kingship comes to full fruition, with His authority extending not only over the earth but also over the heavens.

Read Matt. 28:19 - MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL THE NATIONS

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,

v. 19a1: "Go therefore and make disciples" - In the Greek, "make disciples" (Gk. mathéteuó [math-ayt-yoo'-o]) is the only imperative verb. Going and baptizing are participles, which are subordinate to "make disciples." The prime mission is to "make disciples," and in order to accomplish that mission, the disciples must go, baptize, and teach, so that there is an imperative attribute to each of them.

At its base, a disciple is a learner, a student and follower who has committed himself/herself to learn what the teacher has to teach. In Matthew's day, a young man aspiring to be a rabbi (teacher) would ask a practicing rabbi to accept him as a disciple. A modern parallel would be an apprentice who studies and works under the supervision of a master in a trade or profession.
The disciple is not only expected to learn what the teacher teaches, but also to practice what the teacher teaches about real life. In other words, the idea is not simply learning, but living-out what has been learned. Thus, "teaching them to observe all that I commanded you" (v. 20a) is a natural and logical component of Jesus' Great Commission.
It's important here to see what Jesus does not include in this commissioning: He doesn't command his disciples to preach, to evangelize, or win the world. He charges them with the responsibility of replicating their own kind by creating new disciples-new people of faith.

v. 19a2: "make disciples of all the nations." - The word used for "nations" (Gk. ethne) could translate to include all people everywhere, regardless of race, nationality, color, gender, etc.
In short, discipleship recognizes no barriers between the people of this world. In the early chapters of Acts, the Christian Jews initially would only accept Gentiles who became Jewish proselytes, but after much debate and the dramatic intervention of God in Acts 10, they began to admit Gentiles to the church. In some quarters today, Christians have backed-off form making disciples of all ethne, so as not to encroach on indigenous cultures and religions. This is a mistake-those people will go to hell without Jesus. We must try our best to find the right way to reach them-a complex challenge.

v. 19b: "baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit," - This gospel reports Jesus' baptism (3:13-17), but He has not commanded the disciples to be baptized, and there is no record of them having ever been baptized. In the Great Commission, however, He commands his disciples to baptize as if this were an established ritual with which they are familiar. In any case, by the time this gospel was written, baptism had become an established practice within the church.

Being baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit indicates a new relationship, a rebirth, and an adoption into the family of God and includes all three facets of the Holy Trinity.

Read Matthew 28:20 - LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS

20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

v. 20a: "teaching them to observe all that I commanded you;" - Throughout Matthew's gospel Jesus has conducted a significant teaching ministry, and with this commission, He now enlists His disciples to continue it. It reminds us that our responsibility doesn't end with leading people to make an initial decision to accept Christ as their Savior. We must continue the process of making disciples by not only teaching them what Jesus taught, but equally important, teaching them how to live in obedience to those teachings.

Notice that Jesus' commandment is to teach what He taught rather than our personal opinions or perspectives. It's important that we carefully distinguish between what Jesus taught, which is authoritative, and our own personal ideas and opinions, which are not.
In this Gospel, Jesus began His ministry with teaching the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7) and concludes His ministry by commissioning His disciples to "teach all the nations" (v. 19a). This placement of emphasis on teaching isn't accidental, but underscores the importance of teaching in Matthew's perception of discipleship.
We must not miss the significance of the word "observe." It means that our teaching must do more than simply convey information; our teaching must be designed to persuade the nations to trust and obey Jesus. Nor should we miss the importance of the phrase, "all that I have commanded you." It clearly means that we can't pick and choose what we will believe, obey, or teach.
Our duty to teach "all the nations" remains as an overwhelming task. And it is coupled with the reality that the world today has grown even more complex, more dangerous, and more hostile to Jesus Christ. Statistically, more Christians died of persecution in the 20th Century than any other, and the 21st is already on track to set a new record. And yet, even in the midst of this, the worship of Christ continues to grow in places where it had been persecuted for the best part of a century. And we need not lose faith, because our work is Christ and Holy Spirit-powered.

v. 20b: "and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." - This gospel began with the prophecy: "Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel" [i.e., God with us] (Isa. 7:14); and it closes with the promise that Jesus will be with us always. Thus, from beginning to end, the promise is that we live under the umbrella of Jesus' presence with us. The promise to be with us means right now, in the future, and into that time when the whole idea of time becomes meaningless-into eternity.

Nearly 20 centuries later, Christ's words have the same coherence, the same relevance, the same application; and the task is still uncompleted.

APPLICATION-Doing what Jesus tells us to do:

1. Doing What Jesus tells us to do doesn't require us to have a perfect past. Obedient to the women's command, the disciples have gathered. The phrase "the eleven disciples" (28:16) instead of the customary "Twelve," reminds the reader of Judas' betrayal, Peter's denials, and the fact that all of them were scattered and scandalized by Jesus' death (26:30-35). It is to these less than perfect disciples that Jesus gives the responsibility and authority to "make disciples of all nations." (28:19a). Therefore, we don't have to have perfect pasts to take Jesus' message into others' futures.

2. Doing what Jesus tells us to doesn't require having no doubts. "When they saw him, they worshiped him but some doubted" (28:17). It would seem that those who worshiped Jesus had some hesitation mixed with their worship. Nevertheless, Jesus entrusts authority to make disciples to these hesitant disciples. If Jesus could use these imperfect men, it follows that Jesus can also use us.

3. Doing what Jesus tells us to means taking action right here, right now. Clearly, we are to do what Jesus tells us to do. The goal of the Jesus' Church is to make disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the entire world. The message of this closing scene in Matthew is that any and everybody are called to make disciples everywhere in this world. There are no excuses, no postponements, and no obstacles that God can't empower us overcome.