One of the major issues between Jesus and his opponents was the question of authority. Jesus confronted them time and again with this issue. However, after the cross and the resurrection, there was no doubt that he had authority.
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.
“And teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28.18-20).
With all authority in heaven and on earth, what will Jesus tell His followers to do?
Make Disciples
Jesus tells the disciples that they are to make other disciples. As they walked with Jesus every day, they learned to live a life like Jesus.
They spent time with him, they watched his behavior, learned from his teaching, and had his attitudes and actions formed in their lives.
Dallas Willard calls discipleship living a Jesus-kind-of-life. There is no one who has lived a better life than Jesus. The gift we can give people is to show them, with our words and deeds, how to live a life like our Savior.
Immerse Humans in the Life of the Trinity
The same Greek word used for baptism is also used for washing dishes. It means to immerse.
When we baptize people in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we are immersing them in the life of the Trinity.
No one would doubt that Jesus lived an immersive relationship with the Father and the Holy Spirit. The three of them are separate beings, and yet they are one. Don’t try to figure that out. Only God can do it, and only God can explain it.
The joy that we have as Christians is to help other people and ourselves have the experience of living an immersive relationship with God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Teach and Obey
The Gospel of Matthew is more than a prescription on how to get to heaven when you die. It contains instructions on how to live the best life possible.
The Sermon on the Mount, found in chapters 5, 6, and 7, highlights essential qualities of God’s people living with one another and in the world.
Matthew depicts Jesus healing, setting people free from various evil powers, confronting opponents, and instructing inexperienced disciples.
If we read and re-read the Gospels, we will have an opportunity, as the disciples did, to see Jesus in action and learn from Him.
The role of the Church is to help all people experience life with Jesus so that we take on His attitudes and actions.
Remember
Jesus told his disciples according to the Gospel of John that he would not leave them as orphans. Jesus told his disciples in Matthew that he would always be with them.
Rudy Ross and I are moving tomorrow to study the book of Romans. There, we will discover an emphasis on the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit is how Jesus continues to be with his followers today. We have a personal relationship with Jesus through the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Let’s remember that he is with us always through the Holy Spirit. His gift through the Spirit is to continually experience personal fellowship and friendship with him.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 