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May 3, 2008
"Disciple the World"
Scripture
Setting: Matthew 28:16–20 NRSV
In today’s scripture lesson we
find the final verses of Matthew’s Gospel where Jesus Christ
meets with his apostles for the first time since his
resurrection. They have gathered to a mountain or place of
divine revelation as previously directed by Jesus.
Their reaction as Christ comes
to them is mixed. They have come out of obedience and worship
him, while at the same time some of them are uncertain (v. 17).
While they now witness of the risen Christ firsthand, their
response is more faith than fact based, thus the doubt.
Jesus proclaims the beginning
of his divine rule with all authority given to him by God. In
this context the disciples are given a four-part
commandment/commission:
- Disciple all people. Their
earlier mission specifically sent them to the people of
Israel and not to the Gentiles or Samaritans (vv. 5a–6).
This is now withdrawn in favor of a mission to all people.
- Baptize them. Matthew
shares no account of the apostles being engaged previously
in a baptizing ministry. Baptism is the means by which new
disciples live out their relationship with Christ in the
community of believers.
- Teach them. Up to this
point, Jesus had done the teaching with the apostles being
the students. Now it is their mission to teach what Jesus
had taught them and bring people to a new life of obedience.
- Remember. Jesus instructs
those present to remember him. The focus is not on his
ascension but on the fact that he will always be with them.
It was vital that their response to their commission was
that they remember the Lord. These divine insights into the
commission of the disciple are basic to contemporary
followers of Christ as well. Today is a day to extend the
invitation to seekers to make their personal response to
Christ’s message to them: to be baptized, to learn, and to
remember that Christ is with them always. It is also an
opportunity to invite disciples to recommit their lives in
response to the Great Commission.
From Worship Helps 5/18/2008
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