Matthew 28:16-29 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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 surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
In the above text, Jesus meets his disciples in Galilee. Mary was told by Jesus to tell the disciples to go there: Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” (Matthew 28:10) We do not know the time element of this gathering of the disciples on a Galilee mountain to meet Jesus. However, we do know that Jesus immediately after his resurrection goes to two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Then on the same day, Jesus reveals himself to the disciples who were discussing what the two Emmaus travelers experienced earlier with Jesus. Then a week later He meets with them again, but this time Thomas is with them. To ease Thomas’ unbelief, He shows him his scars from the crucifixion. Thomas’ doubting indicates how difficult it was for all of them to accept the resurrection. Even as Jesus is giving his believers their commission to go into all the world to preach the gospel, some still doubted. The doubters might have thought of Jesus as an apparition. This mountain gathering might have taken place close to Jesus’ resurrection, maybe after his second time with the disciples and Thomas in Jerusalem. Whatever, we know Jesus spent some time with the disciples after his resurrection. After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:3) During this time, Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. (John 20:30) By the fact of the resurrection and by the miracles He performed in their presence, Jesus validated the reality of eternal life, an idea many people of all nations considered as a possibility, but abstractly. His time with them exposed the reality of life forever. Jesus’ whole existence on earth, before and after the crucifixion, manifested the incredulous for no man from the beginning of time could do what He was doing. His life revealed a spiritual world and a supernatural God. His teachings were with great wisdom, and his acts were beyond belief, even nature obeyed his every command. As Jesus said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Now the disciples were given the command to tell everyone, everywhere about his life and his teachings. The world needed to know Jesus to know God. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:6-7)
This message of knowing God and eternal life is very restrictive, very narrow. The disciples were to proclaim that the Jewish Messiah is the only way to God. Sadly this message is even troubling for some Christians. Many are trying to water down this message by saying others too have truth, seeking inward peace through meditation and exercises to release the pressures of life. But Jesus of Nazareth is the only way to God and to peace. Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. (John 10:7-9) One gate is the answer to eternal life. One devotion, one service, one dedication is the only road to God: not many, or another way, only Jesus. James states this understanding explicitly when men seek the wisdom of knowing God to help them endure the temptations and doubts of this world, to bring peace to them. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. (James 1:6-8) Seeking another way, another wisdom, another truth that is greater than knowing Christ is pure folly. He tells Christians who are enduring persecution from the world, any other way to life is foolishness and God will not bless you for amalgamating the world’s wisdom with God’s wisdom in your life. You will receive nothing from God—maybe that means eternal life too. The disciples were given this command to teach this narrow-way message to all people. In doing that, they faced horrible persecution, even death. People did not want to leave their gods and search after Jesus. They were reluctant to leave their customs and way of life to live a life under Jesus’ lordship. And the leaders of every culture and society were the most reluctant to change, for they were gaining the most from the status quo. They, the religious, political, social leaders, might lose their coveted positions of deference if the people accepted Jesus’ teachings and his lordship over their lives. Consequently, this commission to the disciples would bring much sorrow and death to his followers. Even though Jesus loved his followers dearly, He sent them out into a hostile world, knowing many of them would be put to death, but Jesus loved his enemies, wanting to see them have eternal life with him. As with God’s great love for the Jewish people, He would shepherd those in this fallen world who would place their trust in him. As God chased after his chosen people, so would Jesus gather his people to his bosom. For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. (Ezekiel 34:11-13) We see through the disciples’ commission that the whoever will in all the lands will be sought by Jesus. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17)
All people in every land who bow to Jesus as Lord of their lives will receive eternal life. The disciples were told to reveal Jesus to everyone, everywhere, 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. To be a disciples of Jesus meant an intimate relationship with God. Jesus came to make his people ONE with God the Father. Since Jesus’ relationship with the Father is one, then all who believe IN JESUS are one with the Father. People from all lands, from all ethnic, racial, and national groups will become one with the Father through Jesus Christ and HIS WORK. All people who know Jesus will be in the family of God as brothers and sisters, a relationship closer than biological connections on earth. John says our trust in Jesus makes us all children in the family of God, united with him as one under his eternal authority. See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. (1 John 3:1-3) We who are presently clothed in the flesh, navigating and evaluating life by our senses will sometimes fall into sinful thoughts or actions. In this world we are not yet transformed into the divine nature of Christ. However, in a spiritual sense, we are NOW children of God, but what we will be has not yet been made known to us. We will not know the reality of who we really are in the spirit until Christ appears. Then we will be like him; the transformation from the flesh to eternal life will take place only then. As He is and ever will be so will we be changed that completely. But until that day of transformation, we are living in a world of great temptations, distractions, and diversions. Jesus knew He was leaving his disciples defenseless in the face of evil, so He told his disciples to wait until Pentecost. On that day, the dynamo of God, the Holy Spirit, would infill them with his power and authority. He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:7-8) In this corrupt and violent world, Christians live, facing daily the onslaught of the devil who uses others and the temptations of the world to divert Christians from a holy walk. However, the Holy Spirit has been sent to us to be our gyroscope. He keeps us stable and directional. Someday this world will face the judgment of God. Everything will be destroyed, removed from existence, except for those who know eternal life through Christ the Eternal One. For us, dear Christian companions, every day we hear the Spirit’s wooing. Pick up this breakfast, partake of it, for God is calling you through his words, his Spirit: The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. (Revelation 22:17) Come Christian friends, eat of the bread of life and drink of the cup that is THE BREAD AND THE WATER OF LIFE. Amen!
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