Go
Go
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 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, 20 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 28:18-20
These few verses are known as the great gospel commission. They are Jesus’ last words to his apostles before returning to heaven. They are a message of hope. They are a message with a purpose and a job. It’s as if Jesus was saying, ‘This is what these last few years were all about.’
When God chose Israel in the old testament, it was to be an example of a faithful child of God to the world. The world would see the blessings and wealth of Israel and want what they had. They would learn and accept God through their lives. Instead, however, Israel moved inward and kept the blessings to themselves. They shunned anyone who tried to join them and also receive a blessing. They did the exact opposite of their mission.
Here Jesus is making it very clear that that mistake is not to occur again. They are not to keep the good news to themselves. They are not to hoard the blessings of God. They are told to go! Go out and teach and preach and baptize. To avoid any temptation of keeping the blessings to themselves, they aren’t just to be passive teachers and sharers. No. They are to actively go out and proclaim the good news.
The best part of course is that they will not be doing it in their own strength. Jesus will be with them through the Holy Spirit. Its Gods power and blessing that will be the catalyst in bring people in. There is no need to be afraid of feel alone. They will never be alone.
And now there’s us. Is our mission or purpose any different? No. These same words that were spoken to the apostles are for us as well. We cannot be passive but active. We cannot hide what we have but share it with others. We too are to go!
We are to finish what the apostles started. Through God we may be able to be the last link of this work. When the work is done, the greatest blessing and gift arrives. It is with the end of the work that Jesus will come back and take us to our promised land. Let us all be part of this calling.
God bless,
Pr. Steven Couto