In Matthew 24, Jesus gives His disciples instructions on how to face the times just prior to His second coming. He provides three negative commands and one positive command. He states first [and 3 more times] that deception (especially in reference to His return. He warns that many will claim to be Christ, and many will claim Christ has already returned) is to be overcome. Deception characterizes the times just prior to Christ's return.
Second, Jesus commands His disciples, "Do not be afraid." With all the calamity of wars and natural disasters occurring it will be difficult to set aside fear. Max Lucado gives encouragement concerning the calamities of the end times, quoting one of his friends, "Everything will work out in the end, if it's not working out, it's not the end."
Third, Jesus instructs His followers that they should not let their love "grow cold" [Matt 24.11]. This is a more graphic word in the Greek, than merely "grow cold". It is the Greek word that we get 'psycho' from. Obviously, words have meanings that evolve, but there is a reality that this world's view of love is really crazy. The world sees love as primarily emotional. God defines love as a choice. The way things are in the world now, the Biblical view of love seems crazy, but true love is Biblical love.
The final and positive command is implied when Jesus tells His followers that the Good News of the His kingdom will be preached to all the nations. That is our great commission, preceded by Jesus' great commandment, to love God and our desperately lost world.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Thursday, April 1, 2010
The Great Commissions
Matthew 28 is known as the Gospel chapter containing the Great Commission. As one considers the entirety of the chapter one finds two other commissions.
I find the chapter prefaced by the words of the Pharisees to Pilate in Matthew 27. They said, "We remember when this deceiver was alive, he said, 'After three days I am going to rise again.'" There is great irony in the fact that none of the disciples remembered what the Pharisees remembered concerning Jesus' words.
Concerning that resurrection the angels provide the first commission of Matthew 28 to the women who came to visit the empty tomb. The first commission has three parts. First, "Do not be afraid." The second, "Come and see where He was laid," and the third, "Go, quickly and tell His disciples..." The second part of that first commission is the charge to come and view the evidence available. Because of the centrality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, it is important that every follower of Jesus personally consider the evidence for the resurrection of Christ. I argue that there is more evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ than for any other personal event in ancient history.
The next commission is presented by the chief priests to the soldiers who informed the priests of the earthquake and its consequences. The basic commission is to accept a bribe and deny or ignore the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the false commission. I wonder how many times people may influence me to ignore or deny the resurrection and its power. At least no one has offered to pay me to follow the false commission.
The final commission is, in fact, the Great Commission. I will just note that there is only one main verb in that commission, "make disciples." The commission to those who follow Christ is to encourage others to learn from Christ in order to be better citizens in His kingdom and in order to encourage others to become citizens of Christ's kingdom.
I find the chapter prefaced by the words of the Pharisees to Pilate in Matthew 27. They said, "We remember when this deceiver was alive, he said, 'After three days I am going to rise again.'" There is great irony in the fact that none of the disciples remembered what the Pharisees remembered concerning Jesus' words.
Concerning that resurrection the angels provide the first commission of Matthew 28 to the women who came to visit the empty tomb. The first commission has three parts. First, "Do not be afraid." The second, "Come and see where He was laid," and the third, "Go, quickly and tell His disciples..." The second part of that first commission is the charge to come and view the evidence available. Because of the centrality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, it is important that every follower of Jesus personally consider the evidence for the resurrection of Christ. I argue that there is more evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ than for any other personal event in ancient history.
The next commission is presented by the chief priests to the soldiers who informed the priests of the earthquake and its consequences. The basic commission is to accept a bribe and deny or ignore the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the false commission. I wonder how many times people may influence me to ignore or deny the resurrection and its power. At least no one has offered to pay me to follow the false commission.
The final commission is, in fact, the Great Commission. I will just note that there is only one main verb in that commission, "make disciples." The commission to those who follow Christ is to encourage others to learn from Christ in order to be better citizens in His kingdom and in order to encourage others to become citizens of Christ's kingdom.
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