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. — Matt. 28:18-20
The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. — Matt. 9:37-38
Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. — Luke 14:23
I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. — Luke 15:7
As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you. — John 20:21
Page 363-364: Before Jesus demanded that his followers go make disciples of all nations, he gave the justification for this seemingly presumptuous mission.
Authority refers to the right and the power to hold sway in a given relationship. So a father has authority over his children, but not necessarily over his neighbor. An army lieutenant has authority over his platoon, but not over the company commander.....We see a picture of the meaning of authority in the story of Jesus’ encounter with the Roman centurion. This officer wanted Jesus to heal his servant but did not feel worthy to have Jesus come into his home. .... (Matt. 8:8-9). In other words, authority is the right and power to have your subordinates do what you choose for them to do. That is the authority Jesus has over everyone and everything.....Therefore, everyone and everything is subordinate to Jesus. Every human. Every angel. Every demon. The devil himself. And all the natural world and what happens in it.
We see this illustrated even during Jesus’ earthly ministry. (Mark 2:7-12). We see it in the way he taught the people and the way he handled the Jewish Scriptures: (Mark 1:22; Matt. 5:17-18). We see it in the way he rebuked the devil (Matt. 4:10) and commanded unclean spirits: (Mark 1:27). We see it in the way he commanded the forces of nature by healing all kinds of diseases (Matt. 4:23) and turning water into wine (John 2:9; 4:46) and calming the storm:(Mark 4:39).
He raised people from the dead (Mark 5:41-42; Luke 7:14-15; John 11:43-44) and ruled over his own death and resurrection: (John 10:18). And he holds full sway in the final judgment. He said that God the Father “has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man” (John 5:27). And God has “given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom [God has] given him” (John 17:2).....there is nothing outside the authority of Jesus. He has the right and the power to demand allegiance from every soul that exists. ..... The way Jesus pursues this universal claim on every soul is by sending his followers to make disciples from all the nations. After saying that all authority in heaven and earth is his, he says, “therefore . . .” This word shows not only that his universal authority is the basis of his universal claim on every person, but also that the way he lays claim to those persons follows in the next verse.
Page 366: He lays claim on people through his followers. He laid down the principle while he was still here: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever
receives me receives the one who sent me” (John 13:20; Matt. 10:40). Yes, he is doing it himself. But he did not mean that he would do it directly from heaven without emissaries. We know this because when he prayed for the future church in John 17:20, he described them as “those who will believe in me through their word.”
Jesus builds his church and gathers his flock from the nations of the world through the word of those he sends......The words “to the end of the age” show that the mission should last till Jesus comes back.....The mission lasts as long as the mission-sustaining promise lasts. And that
promise is:.....“to the end of the age.”
This implies several things. First, it implies that Jesus’ exclusive claim will be made not just by him, but by his followers.
Page 367: A second implication of Jesus’ universal mission is that Jesus cares for all ethnic groups and intends to have disciples from every “nation.”
Page 368: There is no partiality with Jesus in this mission. He is not western, and he is not eastern. He is utterly committed to ethnic diversity and unity in the truth of his supremacy. In fact, the word from which we get “ethnic” is the word for “nations” in Matthew 28:19, e[qno~.
It has not always seemed as though God were pursuing all the nations. At times he seemed to be committed to his people Israel, but not the nations. His way has been indirect and at times
inscrutable. How shall we understand this roundabout way toward a global church of worshipers from all the nations? That is what we turn to in the final chapter.
7 comments:
Do really think He meant what he said?
No. Not really.
Do you believe He meant it?
:) Well he either meant it or the whole thing is a fairy tale.
I think the key word in Nolan's statement is "think."
Do we really "think".....?
Hmmm. In "thinking" about the "think" in Nolan's question, I'll change my answer.
Yes, I think Jesus meant what he said.
Now, I ask the question.."do you believe what He said?"
I read where Shepherd of Hermas said, "knowledge will pass away, but the whole duty of humanity is to fear God and keep his commandments" and I thought back to these 50 commandments Piper laid out for us.
And I thought, "instead of believe, do I fear that he meant what he said?"
To believe if someone meant what one said I suppose is different than to believe in someone. And yes, I can believe someone meant what he said without following, or changing.
But now, to fear that He meant what He said has to be followed with a "gulp."
Do I really think He meant what He said? Yes.
Has that thinking caused me to learn what He meant by what He said? Yes.
Has the learning brought about change or is it just head knowledge and I discount what doesn't sit right with my other beliefs? It has changed me.
Do I fear Him? Yes. Do I fear that I'm gaining the head knowledge and not changing? Yes. Do I fear that I let my past get in the way of what He calls me to? Yes.
Do I intend to gain in the knowledge of "making discliples...?"
Yes.
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