“… All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
This passage is very popular and known by many as the Great Commission. It is what moves us into propagating the gospel or evangelization. It is from the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus meets the eleven disciples in Galilee and speaks with them, encouraging them and making it clear that he has all the authority and, therefore, commissions them to go and make disciples of all nations.
Let us briefly go through some five points from Matthew 28:18-20.
First, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me”.
Our first reading makes it clear to us that “The Lord is God Indeed; he is Lord in heaven above and on Earth beneath he and no other” This makes it clear that God has absolute authority, and he does not share it with anyone. We are also told in Philippians 2:9-11,
“Therefore God also highly exalted himand gave him the name that is above every name,so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Therefore, there is no doubt about Jesus Christ’s authority. By telling his disciples that all authority has been given him, he is telling us today that he has all the authority. Therefore, when his name is mentioned, things must move. This is the authority Peter and John exhibited when the lame man begged for alms at the temple entrance when they were going to pray.
… I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.” (Acts 3:6).
There is power in the name of Jesus Christ because all authority has been given to him.
Second, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations”.
Disciple is from the Greek word mathetes, which means pupil, follower, and student if you like. It is essential to note that making disciples has more to do than making converts. The command to “go and make disciples”, which is also to evangelize nonbelievers and help them come to faith in Jesus Christ, is a considerable task which takes time and is never-ending; it is a continuous duty. When people move out, the focus is to make pupils, followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, people who live by the word of God, and people who will bear fruits that will last. This is, therefore, not just making converts. These disciples should be able to disciple others, making it a full-time responsibility of the disciples and, by extension, all believing Christians.
Third, baptise them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ told the disciples to baptise these disciples they will make in the name of the triune God, which is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Baptism is what makes us Christians the new birth. This baptism moves us from a state of hopelessness to hope. This is the time when the Holy Spirit comes upon us, which will take all the fear from us and move us from the state of slavery to the position of sonship so that we cry ‘abba father’ which is explained as a reflection of admiration in a humble way of the Father. Abba means Father in Hebrew, so the expression ‘abba father’ means Father, Father. This makes us inheritors and sharers of Jesus Christ’s Sufferings to share in his glory.
Fourth, ‘teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you’.
My dear Christian friends, this part needs extra work and is very difficult: teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. Everyone who is moved by the Spirit is the son of God. We cannot be moved by the Spirit when we do not have the word of God planted in our hearts. Each one of us must keep the commandments of God. We can only do this when we are taught the commandments of God. We do not just go and make disciples, but we must teach the commandments of God just as we have received them.
Last but not least, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Why is Jesus saying to the disciples that he would never leave them? Jesus is aware of the challenges and struggles they will go through, so he assures them of his constant support. My dear Christian friends, let us always hope in the Lord because he will never leave us comfortless and unprotected. His love for us is great, so even when we go through hard times, We will see the light at the end of the tunnel.
May God help us go out and make disciples, baptise them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teach them the commands of the Lord, and be assured that Jesus will continue to be with us until the end of time. Amen
Fr. Josiah Myles Abadoo SSC