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Welcome to today’s Daily Scripture Reading and Meditation covering Matthew 28:18-20 wherein we hear a final charge from the risen Lord.
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.”
These final words of Matthew’s account of the gospel leave us with what is commonly known as the great commission from our Lord. Just as Jesus shared what was the great commandment, the command to love the Lord our God with our everything and then also love others, here He delivers to us a mission for displaying the loves He spoke of. He began by reminding His disciples of His superiority and charge over all that is. Such a reminder would serve to help them and all disciples following to know first of all that it is not up to man to design his own mission as this is the job of our Savior and Head. Secondly, His words assure us that the people we will carry His message to are under His control and not ours. In other words, whether or not people ultimately become disciples will be up to our God and not to us; all authority has been given to Jesus.
He then helps us to understand what the elements of discipleship are. It stands to reason that in making disciples we first carry the gospel message to all the nations of the world, calling them to be disciples or followers of Him. But then we observe that they are to undergo baptism in the name of the one God in His three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Baptism is all too often a much delayed step today, but there is really every reason to think that it should be given quickly following confession and repentance. This step of discipleship is meant to serve as an immediate witness of the new life of devotion that has begun. We should urge such in our churches if it has been in any way lacking.
Then there is the discipleship specification of teaching new followers to set their minds and hands to all that Jesus has commanded. Whereas baptism is done in a moment, this is meant to be a lifetime practice toward full maturity. Such is where we learn holiness through obedience and the Lord’s discipline, where Christians sharpen one another, always seeking to turn the attention of the other to our glorious King. In this way, the message of Christianity is never to change. For though we can and should learn much from saints of the past, our commands always come from the headquarters of heaven through the manual that is the Word.
Finally, for our encouragement that He is always near and for the reminder that He is present for the evaluation of all our conduct, we have the sweet, reassuring words, behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. He is at hand for the believer even now, dear friend. Be about the work of making disciples and growing as one today.
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