In Matthew 28:18-20 we read, 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. (ESV).
Some Questions
A few questions comes to mind as I look at this passage. Why does he begin by telling the disciples that he has been given all authority both in heaven and on earth?
I think a logical explanation would be that Jesus is giving the disciples present and us later the power to continue his kingdom by making disciples. Making disciples is key to Jesus' kingdom.
How else can his kingdom on earth survive and grow if the followers of Jesus do not make disciples? Of course it goes without saying, if you make disciples and expand the earthly kingdom, you expand the heavenly kingdom as well.
Going, Baptising, Teaching
Another question that arises for me is this, why did he choose the verbs he uses in this passage? Why go, baptise and teach?
The three Greek verbs that Jesus uses are similar to our present participle verbs, the "ing" ending of our verbs. Jesus is saying, As you are going about your daily life, be baptizing disciples. Then after you are baptizing disciples, begin teaching them the things that I have commended you.
He taught us several great commandments. We learn these from the four gospels of our New Testament. However, the disciple that he loved most according to scripture gives us two commandments that Jesus gave for us to follow.
A New Commandment
The Apostle, John, Jesus' most beloved disciple, sums Jesus commandments for us in 1 John 3:23. Hear John writes, And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ and love as he (Jesus) has commanded us. (ESV)
Two commandments given by God, 1. Believe in Jesus, and 2. love others as Jesus gave commandment.
Seems simple enough on the surface, doesn't it? Believing in Jesus is easy for us believers. What about how he commanded us to love?
In John 13:34, Jesus says, A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. (ESV).
Different to Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself
O.K. Another question. How is this new commandment different from the old love commandment that says to love thy neighbor as thy self?
I guess we have to ask ourselves yet another question? How did Jesus love us? Jesus gave up everything. He didn't merely love us as he loved himself. First he gave up any thought of a career on earth.
Jesus Gave Up His Entire Life
He gave up getting married and knowing the pleasures of a woman and of being a father on earth.
Then the ultimate sacrifice, he gave up his life so that you and I could be rid of the Adamic Nature or the old self, Romans 6:6. And he poured out his blood, his very life so that our acts of sin would be covered forever.
How Can You Love As He Did
That's how you are to love others. What do you give up to show your love to your family, your spouse, your church and your neighbor?
Might I suggest that whenever you use the gifts and talents God gives you for others, you are giving your very life's blood--pouring it right into others so they too can see the abundance of the kingdom.
Use Your Gifts and Personality
I believe that Jesus wants to work through your gifts and your personality to help others become better in his kingdom. As you do, you follow his commandment to love others as he loved you.
Might I also suggest. If you keep the two commandments that Jesus gives you, you cannot break any of the Ten Commandments.
Jesus lived his life by these two commandments. He is the only person who ever walked this planet who never broke even one of the Ten Commandments.
Hope you learned a bit from this teaching. I'm here to help, so if you have questions or comments, let me know.
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