Today’s Scripture: “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.” Matthew 28:19, NIV
Theme: Our purpose when we go is to make disciples and baptize them.
SEMANTIC SATIATION
Have you ever said a word so many times that it lost its meaning and became gibberish? Or gotten so used to a poem (or prayer...or song lyric) that you became numb to its meaning? This is a phenomenon called “Semantic Satiation,” and Jesus’ parting words to His disciples, also known as “The Great Commission,” had become that for me. I had seen, heard, and said those words so many times, from childhood, that it took me until very recently to realize how much of a seismic shift they must have represented to His disciples.
“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.” Matthew 28:19, NIV.
ALL NATIONS
All Nations. When the Jewish people had anticipated their Messiah, they anticipated that He would come to destroy Babylon (or Canaan, or Assyria, or Philistia, or Rome…). In destroying the enemy, God would thus be enthroned, for eternity, in the temple – the forever King, defeater of all those other guys. He was the Jewish God. They were His chosen nation.
With His benediction to His followers, as with everything else He did in His ministry, Jesus shook up the status quo. He said to them, “Go therefore and make disciples of ALL nations.” The Good News of God’s beautiful last-shall-be-first Kingdom was now for all of us. God’s vision for the Church is multi-cultural, ethnically diverse, and yet unified under the banner of the Messiah, Jesus! The unity of “all nations” in Christ is one of God’s signs that His Kingdom has burst through the darkness.
OUR COMMISSION
The Great Commission, the one He gave the disciples, has now become our own commission. When we receive the Good News, we, ourselves are called to go make other people disciples, or Jesus-students, if you prefer.
It’s been a decades-long struggle for me to figure out how to make Jesus-students of ‘all nations,’ and I’m still learning, but here’s what I know for sure: The world will be captivated by Jesus when we, His followers, are doing what He said to do. People are not interested in our Christian slogans, and platitudes, and memes. People aren’t interested in Christians who pretend they have all the answers. And people certainly aren’t interested in Christians who beat them down with “clobber verses.” People want (need!) the Jesus of the Bible. They want Christians who are aware that they, too, still have a lot of learning to do, and they want to learn from Christians who love like Jesus.
LIFTING THE VEIL
So how do we make disciples? We show them who Jesus is. As we, ourselves, are learning to be more like Jesus, we’re lifting the very thin veil between heaven and earth and giving others a glimpse of what the Kingdom of God looks like. And when they see it, when they finally see Jesus for who He is, we gospel-carriers can celebrate their new life through the gift of baptism, where these new disciples can declare to the world and to themselves that their hearts have been changed by the radical love of Christ.
This veil-lifting was Jesus entire ministry. He came to show us what the Kingdom of God looks like, and He did it by loving, serving, giving, sacrifice, selflessness, humility, and patience. And then He commissioned us to do the same on His behalf.
Make it Personal: We are emissaries of the Good News of the Kingdom of God in this world! At The Cove, our mission reflects that: “At The Cove Church, we will introduce our friends to Jesus, learn to follow Him, and celebrate His presence in our lives.” Our mission is The Great Commission. Your life is your witness and your testimony. When you live in such a way that others are compelled by the Jesus you follow, they, too, can experience salvation and baptism, being raised to new life in Him.
Pray: Father, I know I need work in the area of discipleship. Show me ways that I can continue to grow in Christlikeness so that I can be an effective minister of Your Gospel message for the world. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Read: Isaiah 52:10; Acts 13:47; Romans 6:3-4