And Jesus came and spake unto them,
saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and
teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have
commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
Amen. Matthew 28:18-20
How
differently was the assurance to Jesus disciples understood by those who heard
it than it is to the modern believer? I would say greatly.
To these
Jews who had become the first to trust in Jesus as messiah this promise came at
a chaotic moment. They had followed their Rabboni in His earthly ministry and
been amazed, inspired, and captivated by His teachings, miracles, and living.
When they could only imagine the greatness of the kingdom that messiah was
surely about to establish; He was taken and killed by those in power and place
of authority both biblical and secular.
The elation
of their blessing of being “in on the ground floor” of the Kingdom of God being
established throughout the earth had turned into fear of being hunted and
killed; by both those who sat in the seat of worldly power and those who sat in
the seat of the authority established in God’s law.
If these
things alone where not enough to confuse their thinking then the addition of
the bewildering glory and hope of their resurrected Messiah in their midst
would make it impossible to have a settled mind. To make matters worse their
master was now telling them He was leaving them here and returning to the
Father.
That which we modern believers call a commission
and think of as an order given by our general to take over the world. It was
instead to the first believers an assurance of a loving brother that God was
going to do a work through them that no man could stop.
Jesus was
able to submit Himself to be judged by both Sanhedrin and Rome because He
understood that the true authority came from the Father. He trusted that the
power to put Him to death was not held by these men except that it had been
given to them from God. He trusted the Father that by laying down His life He
would free His brethren that where held by the power of death and that when
this work of God was accomplished the Father would raise Him up that His brethren
also could be alive.
In the same
way that Jesus could face these things in faith without fear so He assures His
disciples that He alone is given all authority. He assures them they do not
have to fear men but simply by faith in Him allow God to work in them as He had
in Messiah both by their living and their dying.
For this
reason they would without fear go forth and be witnesses of Messiah to all men.
This work would be done through them despite men who would desire to stop them
and believe they had rule over them.
In Our Lords
instruction to baptize there is also a difference in understanding between
these first believers and modern believers. The modern believer looks at
baptism as a witness or confession of our decision to repent of our dead works
and live by faith in God. This while being true is also so vague as to be almost
without living application. Those who heard Jesus on the day He said these
things where Jews and as such they had been taught the things in the Law of
Moses since they were toddlers.
In this
frame of reference they would have understood baptism from the light of the
clean and unclean. The teaching of the necessity of being cleansed from
uncleanness before being able to take part in the service and worship of God
would have shown these men that their witness to the nations would have a
determined effect.
Their witness of Messiah would, in those who
would accept it, make what had been unclean and unacceptable to God become
clean and acceptable. Though they were still in need of the Holy Spirit to lead
them from the lesson of truth given to Moses to the living of truth found in
Messiah, still they would have understood that God intended to cleanse all men
who would believe.
Yet not only
cleanse them but bring them into covenant. He tells them they will baptize into
the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is not a formula for what
should be said at baptism as some have made it but instead a declaration of
marriage. The Father and the Son share the same life and the Spirit is that
life so these three are one. We take another’s name when we are married to
them. We are made to be the bride of the Son. When we are cleansed we are
brought into a marriage covenant with God and in a marriage God declares the
two shall be made one. These things would have been understood by these men.
They were to
teach these new brides all that Jesus had taught them. One of those things that
Jesus had taught again and again was fear not only believe in God’s love, mercy,
power, sovereignty, and Son.
He concludes
with a great promise that all believers can understand. That though His flesh
may not be with us His heart, love, protection, authority, and life is in us
by His Spirit and shall never leave us alone.
