This sermon was preached for Grace Church, Guildford remotely from Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington DC. The full video recording of the service can be found below along with the transcript.
Familiarity breeds contempt. That is what the old proverb says. However, more often than not, I think it mainly just breeds complacency. The things we are most familiar with are the things we are most prone to forget. If you don’t believe me, ask someone you know who lives or has lived in central London: what was it like living in one of the world’s greatest cities? Surrounded by historical monuments and places of cultural significance? A city which 100 years ago, sat at the centre and as the capital of the largest empire the world had ever seen? More likely than not, your friend will respond by complaining about commuting on the tube and the cost of renting their flat. Sights that first caused them to wonder on holiday, soon became just another familiar stop on their way to work. Familiarity breeds complacency. That which at one time causes us to marvel, we soon learn to overlook. This same danger exists for Christians who are familiar with the Bible. Passages that once struck at our hearts, soon become pages we simply scan over as we complete our reading plan each morning.
I imagine that our text this evening, Matthew 28:18-20, is one such passage. Famously called the Great Commission, many of us are familiar with it. And that familiarity has bred complacency. We no longer marvel at this majestic ending to Matthew. Friends, this is a famous passage because it is an important passage. All who have said goodbye to a loved one know the chance to leave them with a few last words is precious. Brothers and sisters, it is here we find Christ’s parting phrases for his people. His farewell words for his bride. However, lest you think it is simply of sentimental value, I want you to see its immense instructional impact. In 3 short sentences, Christ explains who he is, what are we left on earth to do and where we get the strength we need.
This evening I want to reflect on each of Christ’s three sentences together. First, we will consider Our Commander: in 28:18 Christ cries, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." Second, we will consider Our Commission: in 28:19 Christ continues, "Therefore go 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 I have commanded you." And finally, we will contemplate Our Confidence: Christ concludes, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Our Commander. Our Commission. Our Confidence.
1. OUR COMMANDER – Christ has been given all authority
"By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?" That is what the leaders of Israel asked Jesus in Matthew 21:23. That Christ had great authority, that is ‘power to command’, ‘the right to give orders’, was undeniable. Anyone who heard Christ teaching knew this. After Jesus finished that first sermon in Matthew, the Sermon on the Mount, which David is currently leading you through, we are told that, "the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law." (7:28) In 24:35, Jesus explains why this was the case: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." Christ’s words were fixed, eternal, unalterable. They had the same authority as the words of God. Christ’s authority was also clear from his works. At the very start of his ministry, in 4:23, we are told that Jesus went about "healing every disease and sickness among the people." He also authorized others to do the same, in 10:1 we are told "Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority...to heal every disease and sickness." Christ had authority over sickness. However, more than this, he had authority over sin. In 9:1, a paralytic is presented to Jesus. This man clearly believed he could heal. Instead, Jesus said, "your sins are forgiven." Knowing this shocked some spectators, Jesus explained, ""I want you toknow that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins." Christ had authority to heal sickness and forgive sins.
Given these words and works of authority, we can’t help but wonder, like the religious leaders, where this authority came from? Christ refused to answer their question in 21:23. But they should have been able to work it out. That name he took up, "the Son of Man" (9:6) should have been enough for them. It comes directly from the book of Daniel, where in 7:13-14, Daniel declares: "I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed." The religious leaders should have realized Jesus was Daniel’s Son of Man, the one who had a global dominion given to him by God. Any doubt about this conclusion is surely removed here in 28:18, when Jesus declares: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." This may seem to be a short, simple sentence. But do you see the magnitude of what Jesus says? Christ claims nothing less than glorious, global dominion, absolute authority over a kingdom that encompasses all heaven and earth, a rule and reign that is everlasting. As Hebrews puts it, Christ is a King with "a kingdom that cannot be shaken" (12:28). Long before the British Empire encompassed a quarter of the earth, Christ’s kingdom covered all heaven and earth. And unlike the British Empire, Christ’s kingdom has never been dismantled. He still rules and reigns over it.
As I trust you have already seen, this concept of a king and his kingdom runs throughout the book of Matthew. Christ’s dominion dominates the book. His words here in 28:18 are the end of a thematic thread that began in the very first verse. In 1:1, the gospel opens with a declaration that Jesus is the Christ, the anointed one, "the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham." Through the genealogy that follows, Matthew confirms this claim, showing that Jesus lies at the end of the royal line, heir to David’s throne. Christ is a king. And yet, he is a king like no other. Consider the Wise Men who came for his birth. In 2:2 they say they are searching for the "king of the Jews." And yet, when they finally find him in 2:11, they fall down and worship him. This is a King who is worthy of worship. He isn’t just a Davidic king; he is a Divine king. Time and time again Matthew confirms this conclusion. Think of the voice that comes from heaven in 3:17. As Jesus is baptised, a voice is heard crying, "This is my Son...". Yes, Christ is Son of David, but he is also Son of God. When we see this, we no longer wonder how he has "all authority in heaven and on earth". For Hebrews 1:10 says, he "laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning and the heavens are the work of [his] hands". Christian, this is our Commander. Christ has been given all authority. He speaks and it is Scripture, he has sway over sickness and sin, power to command all creation, the right to order all things. Son of David. Son of Man. Son of God.
If you are not a Christian, do not confess Jesus Christ as Lord, do you realise that you fall under his rule? Live in his world? Are subject to the righteous rules of his realm? David has explained some of these to you from the Sermon on the Mount. For example, in 5:22 Christ declares, if you have been angry in your heart, you are in danger of the fire of Hell. Or in 5:29, he says if you have looked lustfully with your eyes, you will face Hell. And these are just two of the perfect standards we will be judged against. Friend, remember, if Christ condemns you, that judgement will never pass away. For there is no higher authority to which you can appeal his verdict. Perhaps in an age when authority seems to be so badly abused, in relationships, families, workplaces, the idea of all authority being found in one person unsettles you. If so, I urge you to read through Matthew, it isn’t long. 30 minutes a day for 5 days will see you cover this account of Christ’s life. Come and see the actions of this authoritative King, whose rule you have resisted. See him before Pilate in 27:11, confessing he is King of the Jews, just as the Wise Men said. And then watch this King being led away by the soldiers. See them "twisting together a crown of thorns... put it on his head... kneeling before him, [mocking] him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"" (27:29) See the one, to whom all authority in heaven and on earth has been given, in agony on the cross. Hear the centurion overseeing the execution, impacted by the might, majesty, meekness of this crucified Messiah, echo the earlier verdict of that heavenly voice by crying out, "Surely he was the Son of God" (28:54). Matthew records all of this, so you might know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins. It is possible for this King to pardon you because on the cross he bore God’s judgement for sin for all who would believe in him. As we seen earlier in Matthew 28, he has the power to give new life, for he himself rose from the dead. So great is the authority of our King, even death is under his dominion. As he declared in John 10:18, "No one takes [my life] from me...I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again." Or as Paul says in Romans 1:3-4, Jesus Christ was "descended from David...and...declared to be the Son of God in power...by his resurrection from the dead". O, if you have never turned from sin and trusted in this Savior, do so today. Worship this King, like the Wise Men did at his birth, the women did at the tomb, the disciples on the mountain that day, bow before him as Lord. For Christ has been given all authority.
2. OUR COMMISSION – The Church must make disciples of all nations
The identity of the commander impacts the importance of the commission. If the Queen gives you a quest, you should take it more seriously than an assignment from a school principal. This is why we spent so long on 28:18. It is only by acknowledging the scope of Christ’s authority that we can appreciate the significance of the Church’s assignment. Christ clearly connects them, he says, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go...". Christ’s authority causes our action. Our assignment has been authorised at the highest level. When we share the gospel, we aren’t propagating personal opinions, we carry a king’s message.
However, the correlation between our commander and our commission is even closer, more central than this. Imagine you tell someone, ‘Go and wash the dishes, drying them and putting them in the cupboard.’ The crux, the core of your command is to go and wash the dishes. Drying and putting them away flow from that central task. The same is true of Christ’s command. The central task is the instruction "go and make disciples". Do you see the connection between the core of our commission, making disciples, and Christ? Becoming a disciple is to begin the relationship of a pupil to a teacher. To accept their words as authoritative, trust their teaching. This instruction corresponds so well with Christ’s identity. For the authority of his teaching was unparalleled.
Christ commands his disciples to go and make more disciples. A Christian not only follows Christ, but also calls others to follow him as well. Matthew makes this even clearer elsewhere. In 4:18 he records Christ calling two fishermen, Peter and Andrew, to follow him, and promising that if they did so, they would become "fishers of men". That is, disciples who make more disciples. In 28:19, Christ reminds those fishermen to go and fish for men. However, despite this continuity, there is something new about the commission Christ gives here. When Jesus sent his disciples out previously in 10:5-6, he instructed them, "Go nowhere among the Gentiles...but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." However, here in 28:19, he sends his disciples and says "go and make disciples of all nations." Christ now sends them to fish in unchartered waters. To break beyond the boundaries of his earthly ministry, to go to the ends of the earth. We have already seen in Daniel 7:14 that Christ is a King "all peoples, nations, and languages should serve". Now this King sends messengers out across his kingdom, that all its subjects might be saved by him and then enter his service. That is the commission’s core, "go and make disciples". The Church must make disciples of all nations.
Friends, Christ has commanded us to go and make disciples. That means we are to go with the gospel, for if someone is to follow Jesus, they must hear what he has done and how they should respond. Perhaps this is a weakness in your own evangelism, I know it is in mine. Yes, we should certainly strive to build relationships with unbelievers around us, live lives that prompt questions about the hope that is in us. However, at some point, in some way, somehow, we have to actually share the gospel. Evangelism does not occur by osmosis or telepathy. It occurs when we open our mouths and tell the good news. We must aim higher than getting a foot in the door, we must try to walk through that door. Unless someone hears the gospel, they cannot come to faith. For faith comes by hearing the word about Christ. Here, Christ commands us to carry this word into his world.
Christ makes clear part of what it means to make disciples is baptising all who become disciples. As a Baptist church, I trust this is clear. However, lest there be any doubt, the first command Christians are given to obey is publicly professing our faith through baptism, announcing they are under this King’s authority, declaring that they are his disciples. Friend, if you call yourself a Christian, but have not been baptised as a believer, you are living contrary to Christ’s last command. Christ clearly commands Christians to be baptised, let each of us be certain that we are obedient. If you have any questions about this, reach out to an elder here at Grace Church.
As well as declaring someone a disciple through baptism, Christ says we are to be "teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." Baptising a disciple is only the first step of discipling! Just as parenting only begins after the baby is brought home. However, do you know what is comforting about this part of the commission? 20:20 tells us we aren’t called to make disciples of ourselves, but disciples of Christ. He is the authoritative teacher we are all to follow together. We are to be teaching everything Christ has commanded us. Christian, do you see what this means? Sometimes we think discipling is limited to very mature Christians teaching a new or much less mature believers. As a result, many feel unqualified to disciple others. Friends, if that is you, see here that discipling is less about someone learning from you and more about them learning with you. Christ is the teacher. We are all enrolled in his school. When we come alongside each other it is less as teaching assistants and more like students sharing notes with someone who missed a class. We don’t disciple to produce personal followers; but to help others follow Jesus. In fact, that is what discipling is, helping others to follow Jesus. If you yourself are following him, there’s no reason why you can’t help others do the same. You are both travelling the same road, learning from the same teacher, trying to obey the same commandments.
So often, the Great Commission is seen as summons to missions. And in one way, it is. We are to go to all nations. That is why we should sacrificially give and selflessly go with the gospel to the ends of the earth. However, do you see that before it is a summons to missions, it is more broadly a call to ministry. It is here we find the basic mission of the church: The Church must make disciples of all nations. That is what Christ commissioned us to do, and we must continue to carry it out, to the ends of the earth, until the end of the age.
3. OUR CONFIDENCE – Christ will be with us all of the days
Mission impossible. That is surely one way to characterise the commission Christ gave the church that day. Eleven lowly disciples commanded to extend Christ’s kingdom to the ends of the earth. If the British empire failed to hold together a quarter of the earth, how could these fishermen hope to realise a kingdom covering the entire globe? It may be known as the Great Commission, but at first sight, one might wonder why it is not called the Unachievable Commission! And yet over the centuries Christ’s kingdom has steadily advanced, as men and women from countless nations come to serve him. How can we explain this unexpected outcome? I think the answer lies in this: Christ’s final act wasn’t giving us an assignment, but leaving us an assurance. Matthew doesn’t end with a command; it concludes with a promise. For is there a sweeter saying of our Saviour than his statement in 28:20? "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Brothers and sisters, we do not serve a hard master. Yes, he gives us a daunting task, but he also promises to come with us in it. He is not like the general who sends his troops out to battle on his behalf. He is the captain, who personally leads us to and through the very worst of the conflict. Just as the gospel of Matthew both begins and ends with worship, it begins and ends with Emmanuel, God with us. That was the title that Christ is given by the angel in 1:23, and that is the truth that Christ finishes with here. Now that our God has come to us in Christ, we are told that he will never leave us. Christ has still has not left his people. Even in the present, he is still present. Friends, if you are gathered together in Guildford this evening, Christ is there with you. In Matthew 18:20 he promised, "where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." Christ is present with his people. Did you notice that unlike Mark and Luke, Matthew does not record Christ ascending into Heaven? By drawing the curtain, pulling back the camera, before Christ’s ascension, Matthew ensures that the last words we read are, ‘I am with you always". Christ is present with us as if he never left. Because he didn’t.
Christ’s body may have ascended into Heaven, but his presence remains with his people. How is that? What does it mean for Christ to be with us when we know he is seated at the Father’s side? The other accounts of this meeting between Christ and his disciples help us to understand it. In Luke 24:49, we see Christ promise the disciples will be "clothed with power from on high." And in Acts 1:8, that they "will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come". Scripture says that the Spirit of Christ, that is the Holy Spirit, dwells with us, in us. And part of what it means for Christ to be with his people is that his power is with them. His presence is his power. Christian, do you see what this means? The highest authority in the universe has not only authorised your evangelistic conversations with your colleague, but that same authority is active in your evangelistic conversations. The power of Christ is present in the performance of his church. We see this so clearly in Acts 4:7. When the religious leaders hear of Peter and John healing and teaching with such authority, they ask, "By what power or what name did you do this?" That is basically the same question they asked Christ back in Matthew 21:23. It seems Christ’s power was present as his disciples performed that apparently unachievable commission. Yes, our commander gives us a commission. But he also gives us confidence by promising he will be present in his power to perform it. We can be confident. For Christ will be with us all of the days.
Are you a little like those disciples in 28:17? Are you both worshipping and worrying? You are a disciple, but have doubts about what this all means? Do you doubt whether you will ever see someone come to faith through your witness? See Grace Church celebrate conversions and baptisms because you have invited friends to attend or shared the gospel with visitors that already attend? Do you believe that you can build up another believer through discipling? Or do you doubt whether you could ever contribute towards the completion of what seems to be an unachievable commission? Friend, you must take confidence in this. Christ will be with us all of the days. That is literally what that "always" in 20:20 means, ‘all of the days’. Yes, Christ has commanded us to go and make disciples of all nations. We must let the magnitude of that mission sink in. And then we must remember that the one who has all authority will be with us all of the days. It is only by assembling those three ‘alls’ (all nations, all authority, always) that we can confidently carry out the commission of our commander.
Friends, even with this confidence, we cannot expect to complete this commission comfortably. It is through many tribulations that we must enter the kingdom of God. And yet, do not doubt that we will complete this commission. For as Daniel 7 says, Christ has been "given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him...". Friends, there is coming a day when the church will not just be clothed with power from on high, but Christ will come with power from on high. When he will be present not just spiritually, but visibly. When the kingdoms of this world finally crumble, and the kingdom of our God fully come. On that day, our commission will be complete, and we will enter into the joy of our commander, master, Saviour and Lord. O until that day, may each of us be diligent disciples. As a church, may we be carrying out our commission. A commission that continues until the culmination of the centuries, until the consummation of the church, until our commander comes!
ALEXANDER ARRELL