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Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
- Matthew 28:16-20
Yesterday we read that Jesus taught His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you."
Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." Here Christ declares His authority -- that is, the authority that was His by nature in His divinity is now also possessed by His glorified human nature. In Him, human nature has now trampled the final enemy -- death (1 Corinthians 15:20-28). Here is the interesting, even fascinating, juxtaposition: as Jesus declares His overwhelming authority, there are those who worship, but some doubted.
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, . . . " This is called the Great commission. It is the Lord's final commandment given on earth to His disciples. It is to be lived out in the Church until He returns again. My study bible says that making disciples cannot be done on the strength of man, but only in the power of God. The power of the Resurrection isn't only for Jesus Himself, but rather it is a gift to all believers for christian life and mission.
". . . teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. Christ Himself is always present in each believer and in the Church -- both personally and in the Holy Spirit, because neither one can be separated from the other. Jesus is with us now, and forever, and to the ages of ages. This is something that we must never forget, in any and all circumstances.
It's an awesome thing to ponder Christ's authority, that it is not simply His divine authority per His divine nature that He is speaking of, but rather it now also includes the glorified human nature of the Incarnate Christ. Why is this an awesome thing? It indicates the capacities for which human beings were created. How can glorified human nature share this power of the ruler of the universe? It is so much greater than we can ponder that the possibilities are limitless for us to consider what it means. And this was the truly staggering fact that awed the classical world when it learned about Christ: that humanity was revealed through Him and His life to be so much greater than could be imagined -- fit for the glory of the Lord. For the early Church, this tremendous news was also reflected in veneration of His mother as saint, the one through whom the Holy Spirit worked to produce a child who was also God. In these realities made manifest through God at work in the world, in the mission of Christ as Incarnate Son, all human beings are lifted up as potential carriers of the Kingdom and of true majesty and beauty, because Christ has dignified humanity with the crown of divinity in Himself. If all that is too staggering to think about, consider simply that we are made for grace and for glory, and that is the good news indeed. His Incarnation, suffering, death, and Resurrection teaches us what we are made for, where He wants us to follow and be with Him. Today is Ascension Day, and we commemorate this farewell which is not at all a farewell, but rather a promise that He is with us always. Amen.
Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." Here Christ declares His authority -- that is, the authority that was His by nature in His divinity is now also possessed by His glorified human nature. In Him, human nature has now trampled the final enemy -- death (1 Corinthians 15:20-28). Here is the interesting, even fascinating, juxtaposition: as Jesus declares His overwhelming authority, there are those who worship, but some doubted.
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, . . . " This is called the Great commission. It is the Lord's final commandment given on earth to His disciples. It is to be lived out in the Church until He returns again. My study bible says that making disciples cannot be done on the strength of man, but only in the power of God. The power of the Resurrection isn't only for Jesus Himself, but rather it is a gift to all believers for christian life and mission.
". . . teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. Christ Himself is always present in each believer and in the Church -- both personally and in the Holy Spirit, because neither one can be separated from the other. Jesus is with us now, and forever, and to the ages of ages. This is something that we must never forget, in any and all circumstances.
It's an awesome thing to ponder Christ's authority, that it is not simply His divine authority per His divine nature that He is speaking of, but rather it now also includes the glorified human nature of the Incarnate Christ. Why is this an awesome thing? It indicates the capacities for which human beings were created. How can glorified human nature share this power of the ruler of the universe? It is so much greater than we can ponder that the possibilities are limitless for us to consider what it means. And this was the truly staggering fact that awed the classical world when it learned about Christ: that humanity was revealed through Him and His life to be so much greater than could be imagined -- fit for the glory of the Lord. For the early Church, this tremendous news was also reflected in veneration of His mother as saint, the one through whom the Holy Spirit worked to produce a child who was also God. In these realities made manifest through God at work in the world, in the mission of Christ as Incarnate Son, all human beings are lifted up as potential carriers of the Kingdom and of true majesty and beauty, because Christ has dignified humanity with the crown of divinity in Himself. If all that is too staggering to think about, consider simply that we are made for grace and for glory, and that is the good news indeed. His Incarnation, suffering, death, and Resurrection teaches us what we are made for, where He wants us to follow and be with Him. Today is Ascension Day, and we commemorate this farewell which is not at all a farewell, but rather a promise that He is with us always. Amen.
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