40 Days: The Great Commission
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This sermon focuses in on Jesus' appearance to His 11 remaining disciples on a mountain in Galilee. It begins with some background on Galilee today and in Jesus' day and then looks at the Great Commission itself. We specifically explore the reluctance of Jesus' disciples to go and make disciples of all nations and consider our reluctance both to go and to make disciples.
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40 Days: The Great Commission
- 3. Mitzpe Hayamim Hotel Rosh Pina
- 4. Villa Vitrage Day Spa Beit Hillel
- 9. Matthew 28 16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.
- 10. Matthew 28 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.
- 11. Matthew 28 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
- 12. Matthew 28 19 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,
- 13. Matthew 28 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
- 14. First Point The Reluctance of Jesus’ Disciples.
- 15. They are reluctant to believe… Mt. 28:17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.
- 16. διστάζω (dēstadzō) • δίς (dēs) = twice; two •ἵστημι (histāmē) = stand Definition: doubt or waiver. Literally to stand on two sides.
- 17. They are reluctant to go and make disciples… 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…
- 18. This reluctance is evident in their attitudes.
- 19. Attitude toward the Samaritans Luke 9:54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”
- 20. Attitude toward the Canaanites Matthew 15:22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.”
- 21. Attitude toward the Canaanites 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.”
- 22. This reluctance is evident in Jesus’ need for repetition.
- 23. Emphasis in English •In our language, we use adverb intensifiers in order to add emphasis. Very, deeply, fully, positively, really, sincerely, strongly, totally, utterly…
- 24. Emphasis in Hebrew •Hebrew and Jewish Greek speakers use repetition in order to add emphasis.
- 25. We see this throughout the Gospels •Jesus precedes important statements by truly, truly…
- 26. We see this throughout the Gospels •Jesus precedes important statements by truly, truly… •Jesus predicts His death and resurrection three times.
- 27. We see this throughout the Gospels • Jesus precedes important statements by truly, truly… •Jesus predicts His death and resurrection 3 times. •Jesus calls for Peter to reaffirm his love 3 times.
- 28. We see this throughout the Gospels • Jesus precedes important statements by truly, truly… • Jesus predicts His death and resurrection 3 times. • Jesus calls for Peter to reaffirm his love 3 times. •Jesus repeats the Great Commission 3 times.
- 29. Matthew 28 •Place: A mountain in Galilee. •Time: Shortly after the resurrection.
- 30. Luke 24 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,
- 31. Luke 24 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.
- 32. Luke 24 •Place: Jerusalem •Time: Shortly after the resurrection.
- 33. Acts 1 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
- 34. Acts 1 •Place: Mount of Olives •Time: At the end of Jesus’ 40 days, just prior to the resurrection.
- 35. Second Point The Determination of Jesus that we make disciples.
- 36. What is the primary imperative of the Great Commission?
- 37. Matthew 28 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…
- 38. No Gospel Access Access to Gospel 53.7% 44.3% Working with those with Access to Gospel 99.9995%
- 39. Matthew 28 19 As you are going, therefore make disciples of all nations…
- 40. Warning!!!
- 41. Matthew 28 19 Go, therefore make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
- 42. Matthew 28 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Editor's Notes
- Today is day 34 in our 40 day journey through the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus.
- Does anyone need a vacation? Cindy and I are in that stage of life where we send professionals and their families on vacations. Erik and Deanna got braces… Dr. Pazulski’s family went on a lovely vacation. Erik had his wisdom teeth extracted, and another family went on vacation. Maybe you’re there now. How does this look? Here is a picture of the Mitzpe Hayamim Hotel. Rosh Pina is a new settlement near the biblical city of Hazor, in what would have been the tribal allotment of Napthtali. This is where God delivered Deborah and Barak from the Canaanites. In the time of King David, Hazor was twenty times the size of Jerusalem. Today, nearby Rosh Pina is an artist colony filled with luxury hotels and spas.
- Or maybe you’re in the mood for a luxury hotel near the lake. Here is the view from Lake Kinneret. Mountains… a lake and palm trees. Sounds like a vacation to me.
- Or maybe you’re in the mood for a luxury hotel near the lake. Here is the view from Lake Kinneret. Mountains… a lake and palm trees. Sounds like a vacation to me.
- Or for the golf lover, how about a lush golf course with perfectly manicured greens and 365 days of sunshine? Sounds pretty good this weekend with our cool rainy days.
- If you’re like me, water and a beautiful sunrise or sunset are essential ingredients in a relaxing vacation. What do all of these images have in common? They are all from Galilee. I did conceal this a little when I used the modern name, Lake Kinneret to describe what we all know as the Sea of Galilee, here depicted. Galilee is now one of the most trendy luxury tourist attractions for international travelers. It is filled with luxury hotes, spas, boutique wineries, fine restaurants and idyllic historic and nature tours. That Galilee is today is totally unlike the Galilee in which Jesus ministered.
- Now, let’s jump a little closer to the biblical Galilee. Here is the oldest photograph we have of Galilee, taken in 1860. This is a more suitable backdrop for a description of the Galilee of Jesus’ day. We picture Galilee as rural and serene. It was actually a place filled with political and social unrest… a place filled with bandits and rebels. There were many tax revolts in this region. The Jews there spoke with a distinctive accent and were looked down upon by the southern Judeans. It is important that we incorporate the reputation of this region into our understanding of Jesus. There were many reasons that Jesus found great resistance in Jerusalem amongst the religious elites. At the end of the day, he was Jesus of Nazareth, the leader of a group of rough-neck Galileans. After Jesus is killed in Jerusalem and rises from the dead, he tells his Galilean followers to return to Galilee and that he will appear to them. We saw last week that 7 of them did so, and had breakfast with Jesus following another miraculous catch of fish. This week, we find that all eleven disciples have arrived in Galilee. Turn with me in your bibles to Matthew 28, starting in verse 16:
- 16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.
- 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.
- 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
- 19 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,
- 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
- They are reluctant to believe… Mt. 28:17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.
- The word translated doubt in this verse is διστάζω (dēstadzō) It is a compound verb formed from two parts. δίς (dēs) = twice; two ἵστημι (histāmē) = stand Definition: doubt or waiver. Literally to stand on two sides. This is not the word you would use to describe settled unbelief. It indicates a certain being torn between two strong impulses. It would be that moment in which some of the disciples would be saying… this can’t be Jesus, but it is. They are afraid to let their guard down and believe what they are seeing, but they cannot deny the evidence before them.
- They are reluctant to go and make disciples… 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…
- This reluctance is evident in their attitudes.
- Attitude toward the Samaritans Luke 9:54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”
- Attitude toward the Canaanites Matthew 15:22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.”
- 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.”
- This reluctance is evident in Jesus’ need for repetition.
- In our language, we use adverb intensifiers in order to add emphasis. Very, deeply, fully, positively, really, sincerely, strongly, totally, utterly…
- Hebrew and Jewish Greek speakers use repetition in order to add emphasis.
- We see this throughout the Gospels Jesus precedes important statements by truly, truly…
- Jesus predicts His death and resurrection three times.
- Jesus calls for Peter to reaffirm his love 3 times.
- Jesus repeats the Great Commission 3 times.
- Matthew 28 Place: A mountain in Galilee. Time: Shortly after the resurrection.
- Luke 24 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,
- 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.
- Luke 24 Place: Jerusalem Time: Shortly after the resurrection.
- Acts 1 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
- Acts 1 Place: Mount of Olives Time: At the end of Jesus’ 40 days, just prior to the resurrection.
- Second Point The Determination of Jesus that we make disciples.
- What is the primary imperative of the Great Commission?
- 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations… In our language, this sentence has Go in the first position. It receives the emphasis and becomes the main point. Let’s not underestimate the importance of the word go. We are called to go. Jesus talked about the disciple who always looks back as being unworthy or unfit. God may call you out of your comfort zone. He may call you to leave your familiar American culture behind and go to a people you do not know who worship gods you’ve never heard of and eat foods that at best you would call interesting and at worse, nasty. God may call you to go. In fact… I think that God is calling many people to go who are not listening to His call.
- In a 2015 study on global trends in world missions the following was observed: If everyone is obeying God’s “calling” to be a missionary wherever they are then God is calling 99.9995% of people to work among the 44.3% of the world population that already has the gospel, and calling virtually no one (.0005%) to relocate among the other 53.7% of the world population that are not Christian. You have a better chance of being in a plane crash than being one of the few missionaries to the unreached out of the total 2 billion Christians in the world. Does that sound strategic. Clearly God is strategic. It seems that we are falling short of God’s call to Go! I have to admit, putting these charts together in Powerpoint made me personally uncomfortable. So, you’re not the only one squirming in your seat right now.
- But let’s take another look at this verse. For years I have heard the argument that this is a better translation of Matthew 28:19: As you are going, therefore, make disciples of all nations… The argument is that the first word in the Greek sentence, go, is a participle and the second verb, make disciples is a command, and the main verb of the sentence. For years, the proper translation of this verse has split the Christian community in half. Those passionate about world missions emphasize the Go. Those passionate about disciplemaking emphasize “make disciples.” There is a saying, “A little Greek is dangerous.” It really is.
- Okay. Warning. It’s about to get geeky in here for a minute. In Greek, sometimes, a participle is used as a command. In the New Testament there are twenty-seven occasions where poreuthentes, the participle translated go, is followed by a main verb in the imperative mood. The result? In every case the participle should be translated as an imperative.
- Let me try to de-Geek this. Both of these words have the force of a command. We are called to go, to be proactive in fulfilling God’s call on our life. That means we don’t simply go about our stuff and wait for God to drop opportunities in our lap. We go looking for opportunities. And when we find those opportunities, we are not called to simply press for a decision on move onto the next soul. Jesus calls us to make disciples and train them to be disciplemakers. Baptizing is a part of this. We encourage baptism because it is an act of early obedience to Christ. I have 5 people on a list right now who want to be baptized. I am excited that this time we have two children and three adults. It is good to see adults following the Lord in baptism and setting an example for the kids. Baptism was a big deal in biblical times. And in places like the Muslim world, it is still a costly decision to follow the Lord in baptism. But just because our lives our not in danger, don’t miss the fact that baptism is a big deal here too. Anytime we obey the Lord’s commands publicly, it’s a big deal. I encourage you to consider emailing me and getting your name on the list for a service coming up soon. Let me go geek for just a few more seconds. Baptizing is a subordinate participle in this sentence. That is not insignificant. It means that baptism is an important part of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. Skipping baptism is a step away from being a disciple of Jesus. I’m not saying you’re not saved… I’m saying you’re not fully living into the Jesus-given definition of discipleship.
- And let’s look at verse 20 again. 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” This verse begins with another subordinate participle. Teaching Jesus’ commands is also and essential part of being a disciple of Jesus. I am not saying that God has called us all to be teachers. There is a spiritual gift of teaching, and we at GEFC are unusually blessed with teachers. There is no denying that GEFC is a teaching church. It’s our greatest strength and clearly what we do best. But this is not that kind of teaching. It’s more narrow in its focus and more broad in its intended application. We are called to teach the commands of Jesus. That’s the narrow part. There is a specific body of knowledge here. We are called to know and communicate the commandments of Jesus to others. Now to the broad part. We are all called to teach Jesus’ commands. Not just the Pastor, and the Adult Bible Fellowship teachers on Sunday mornings and the Small Group leaders and Bible Study teachers throughout the week. We are ALL called to teach because we are ALL called to disciple. And you can’t disciple people without teaching them what Jesus expects of them. And if you haven’t invested the time to read the gospels and familiarize yourself with Jesus’ commands, you can’t fulfill the Great Commission. You can’t make disciples. Jesus’ final words in our text are meant to be an encouragement after a big hairy command. Go…Make Disciples… Encourage people to be baptized… Teach them what Jesus expects… and don’t worry. You won’t be alone. I will be with you to the very end. That is the Great Commission. We are reluctant to embrace it because it is hard. We are reluctant to embrace this commission because doing so will change the priority of our lives. We are reluctant because sometimes we don’t believe Jesus promise that we won’t be alone… that He will help us. But He will. And when we start fulfilling these commands we will find ourselves living out the abundant life that Jesus called us to. Everything changes. Suddenly, going to your kids games means going to make disciples. Going to their recitals means going to make disciples. Going to lunch at work… going to make disciples. Going to church… going to learn how to make disciples. That’s the life we are called to. It’s the challenge before us. And with Jesus’ help, we can do it.