The Lord’s commission for us

The Lord’s commission for us

SCRIPTURE:

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

OBSERVATION:

Different aspects of the Lord’s commission are interestingly given in each of Matthew, Mark and Acts. Matthew’s account begins with the basis of the commission, gives four explicit instructions and ends with a beautiful promise.

The basis first of all is the Lord’s authority that has been given to us who are His disciples. The Greek Word for authority here actually means authority manifested in power. Therefore, the basis of our ministry is the Lord’s power. In Luke’s account of the commission, the disciples were asked to wait for “power from on high” referring to the baptism of the Holy Spirit which happened at Pentecost. Therefore in obeying Christ, we do so in the power and authority of the Holy Spirit whom Christ has given us. We are not to go forth in our own human intellect or power but in reliance on the Holy Spirit.

Henceforth, we have four explicitly tasks. Firstly, is to go. It is an active word, meaning that we are to be proactive, to actively go to do what Jesus asks. True Christianity is never passive, but always on the go, always searching and praying for ways to spread the gospel to the nations. Secondly, we are to make disciples of all nations. No human being is to be precluded from the chance to hear the gospel regardless of race or religion or social status. We are to seek to bring the salvation to as many as we can.

Thirdly, we are to baptize them in water, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, our magnificent triune God. There should be no delay but baptism should be an urgent event for every new Christian.

Finally, ongoing training in the ways of Jesus Christ, is fundamental. New Christians need to be quickly brought under training so that they will learn the basics, and grow strong in the Lord.

And in conclusion, in all that we do for the Lord, our great comfort and joy is that Jesus Christ is with us always, to the end of the age.

APPLICATION:

Every Christian believer has the authority and power of Jesus Christ given to us. The call then is for us to use what we have. If we have it but do not use it, it is useless to us, but if we apply the authority and power that the Lord has given, we become effective for Him. The manifestation of this authority and power is by faith. We cannot see it physically, but if we trust in God and move out in faith, we will begin to see miracles in our lives.

In this world, there are many distractions that draw us from our calling. We need to pray to God to be passionate and active to do His will, to empower us and give us wisdom in ways to reach out to others. At the same time, we also need to do what we can to teach and encourage those we can to grow in the Lord. Also, needless be said, those of us who have yet to be baptized need to do so soonest!

PRAYER:

You gave us Your power and authority, Lord,

You called us to go, to be active and seek the lost,

To bring as many to the kingdom, and to teach them Your ways,

Ignite that deep passion to serve You, Lord,

And lead us to touch many for Your sake!

In Jesus name, Amen.