Now Go and Make Disciples - Study 4/28-5/12/11
Now Go and Make Disciples
There is this joke that many Christians believe that upon resurrection Jesus spoke just to one Chinese guy Mr. “Ye” (he could have been from another human tribe). In the old King James Bible version it says, “19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” Matthew 28:19. Well, actually and sadly, it is no longer a joke but reality. Many of us think that the great commission and I will say “commandment” was given only to Mr. “Ye” or some other person out there. Is it possible that you and I have reduced the “Great Commission” to a “great suggestion” by Christ?
The dust has settled and all the pomp and hype of Easter is over. Now what? Is it going to be business as usual for us? Jesus has risen and that is it? What did he really say upon resurrection and are we obeying his commands?
Matthew 28:1-20
1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door,[a] and sat on it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.
5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”
8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.
9 And as they went to tell His disciples,[b] behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”
11 Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened. 12 When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13 saying, “Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.’ 14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.
16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore[c] 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.[d]
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have:
1. We must go back to Jesus’ first words upon resurrection “Rejoice”. When we do not understand why we need to rejoice and are not rejoicing, there will be no place for making disciples in our lives. We are told to rejoice because the resurrection is the greatest victory on the whole earth and we have been made part of it. We rejoice because like Christ, we shall also rise from death and our sin cannot hold us back in the grave. Without the joy of Resurrection you really cannot teach others about Christ. After all what are we impacting to them? We have the same financial, marriage and children problem that they have so there must be something different to tell the one who is yet to believe in Christ. No one wants our “joyless Christianity”.
2. May be another reason we are not taking making disciple as serious as we should is that maybe we have not understood what Christ meant. 19 “Go therefore[c] 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” Someone once asked, which part of the word “go’ do you not understand. Go means “go”. It means taking initiative on our part. It did not say, “Wait” until they ask you. What about make and teach? How do you make someone a disciple of Christ? It is only by pointing them to Christ and encouraging them to believe in Christ then they become a disciple of Christ (not your disciple or my disciple)
3. May be we lack the strength to go because Jesus further spoke to the disciples saying, 45 “And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. 46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise[h] from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things. 49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem[i] until you are endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:45). First our understanding needs to be opened about who Jesus is and then we must “go” in the power he had promised and that is the power of the Holy Spirit. The disciples had to wait for the release of the Holy Spirit which they did receive and then moved forward to go and make disciples. The Holy Spirit was released to all believers on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) so He dwells with us now. We are to “walk” in the fullness of the Holy Spirit in order to “go” and make disciples. We cannot make disciples on our own strength. Read Ephesians 5:15-21) “Redeeming the time … But be filled with the Holy Spirit”. The early Church followed Jesus’ instructions. “And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31). We need the boldness today to get up and go. We are already going to places we just need to tell about Christ wherever we go.
4. Notice that Jesus was clear on what to teach those that will become his disciples. The message is simple. “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise[h] from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:46). We are to teach/preach that Christ suffered, died, rose and that as a result, there is repentance and remission of sins. Simple as that. The message is simple and the required response is equally simple. 15 “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:15-16). All it takes is to believe and be saved.
5. How can we put this into practice? We must go. There are no two ways about it. We must go to our husbands and wives, children, extended family members, neighbors, school mates, co-workers and etc. Yes, we must go to other lands and cultures in the Lord’s strength. We must make this as part of our daily living and not a separate chore. Listen to Apostle Paul in his outreach to Macedonia. 14 “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life” (2 Corinthians 2:14-16). To those who are yet to believe in Christ, we remind them that there is no other solution for sin except Christ. To those who have believed we are an encouragement to continue to live for Christ. Techniques of the “GO” may vary but the message is still the same.
The goal of this study is to remind us of our Lord’s last commands and wishes. Most people would not forget the last words of those who are dear to them especially when they will not see them for a little while. It was important to Jesus that is why He commanded us to go and make disciples. It was so important to Jesus that He died for people whom He is asking us to go tell. Jesus died for us and someone told us about Him.
If by this study, you and I have been energized and encouraged to even speak to one person in the entire year, it has been worth it. Statistics show that “slight majority of born again adults - 55% - claimed to have shared their faith in Christ with a non-Christian during the prior 12 months” (Barna). Let’s change the statistics and be the 55.1% that do go to make disciples. Will you? We should set a goal for this year? Yes. What you aim for you hit. God has laid someone in your heart and mine. Will you follow that lead? Lord, help me to. As we go, hear Jesus, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age”.
Lord, first open my eyes and grant me full understanding of who you are and of what you did for me on the cross and your subsequent resurrection. Forgive me for the past times of disobedience and missed opportunities. Lord, help me to get up and just go and be your “fragrance” wherever I go. Give me your love, ideas and practical steps to take in making people your disciples. Amen.
There is this joke that many Christians believe that upon resurrection Jesus spoke just to one Chinese guy Mr. “Ye” (he could have been from another human tribe). In the old King James Bible version it says, “19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” Matthew 28:19. Well, actually and sadly, it is no longer a joke but reality. Many of us think that the great commission and I will say “commandment” was given only to Mr. “Ye” or some other person out there. Is it possible that you and I have reduced the “Great Commission” to a “great suggestion” by Christ?
The dust has settled and all the pomp and hype of Easter is over. Now what? Is it going to be business as usual for us? Jesus has risen and that is it? What did he really say upon resurrection and are we obeying his commands?
Matthew 28:1-20
1 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door,[a] and sat on it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.
5 But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”
8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.
9 And as they went to tell His disciples,[b] behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.”
11 Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened. 12 When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13 saying, “Tell them, ‘His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.’ 14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.
16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore[c] 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.[d]
Here are my observations in addition to the ones you may have:
1. We must go back to Jesus’ first words upon resurrection “Rejoice”. When we do not understand why we need to rejoice and are not rejoicing, there will be no place for making disciples in our lives. We are told to rejoice because the resurrection is the greatest victory on the whole earth and we have been made part of it. We rejoice because like Christ, we shall also rise from death and our sin cannot hold us back in the grave. Without the joy of Resurrection you really cannot teach others about Christ. After all what are we impacting to them? We have the same financial, marriage and children problem that they have so there must be something different to tell the one who is yet to believe in Christ. No one wants our “joyless Christianity”.
2. May be another reason we are not taking making disciple as serious as we should is that maybe we have not understood what Christ meant. 19 “Go therefore[c] 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” Someone once asked, which part of the word “go’ do you not understand. Go means “go”. It means taking initiative on our part. It did not say, “Wait” until they ask you. What about make and teach? How do you make someone a disciple of Christ? It is only by pointing them to Christ and encouraging them to believe in Christ then they become a disciple of Christ (not your disciple or my disciple)
3. May be we lack the strength to go because Jesus further spoke to the disciples saying, 45 “And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. 46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise[h] from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things. 49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem[i] until you are endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:45). First our understanding needs to be opened about who Jesus is and then we must “go” in the power he had promised and that is the power of the Holy Spirit. The disciples had to wait for the release of the Holy Spirit which they did receive and then moved forward to go and make disciples. The Holy Spirit was released to all believers on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) so He dwells with us now. We are to “walk” in the fullness of the Holy Spirit in order to “go” and make disciples. We cannot make disciples on our own strength. Read Ephesians 5:15-21) “Redeeming the time … But be filled with the Holy Spirit”. The early Church followed Jesus’ instructions. “And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31). We need the boldness today to get up and go. We are already going to places we just need to tell about Christ wherever we go.
4. Notice that Jesus was clear on what to teach those that will become his disciples. The message is simple. “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise[h] from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:46). We are to teach/preach that Christ suffered, died, rose and that as a result, there is repentance and remission of sins. Simple as that. The message is simple and the required response is equally simple. 15 “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:15-16). All it takes is to believe and be saved.
5. How can we put this into practice? We must go. There are no two ways about it. We must go to our husbands and wives, children, extended family members, neighbors, school mates, co-workers and etc. Yes, we must go to other lands and cultures in the Lord’s strength. We must make this as part of our daily living and not a separate chore. Listen to Apostle Paul in his outreach to Macedonia. 14 “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life” (2 Corinthians 2:14-16). To those who are yet to believe in Christ, we remind them that there is no other solution for sin except Christ. To those who have believed we are an encouragement to continue to live for Christ. Techniques of the “GO” may vary but the message is still the same.
The goal of this study is to remind us of our Lord’s last commands and wishes. Most people would not forget the last words of those who are dear to them especially when they will not see them for a little while. It was important to Jesus that is why He commanded us to go and make disciples. It was so important to Jesus that He died for people whom He is asking us to go tell. Jesus died for us and someone told us about Him.
If by this study, you and I have been energized and encouraged to even speak to one person in the entire year, it has been worth it. Statistics show that “slight majority of born again adults - 55% - claimed to have shared their faith in Christ with a non-Christian during the prior 12 months” (Barna). Let’s change the statistics and be the 55.1% that do go to make disciples. Will you? We should set a goal for this year? Yes. What you aim for you hit. God has laid someone in your heart and mine. Will you follow that lead? Lord, help me to. As we go, hear Jesus, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age”.
Lord, first open my eyes and grant me full understanding of who you are and of what you did for me on the cross and your subsequent resurrection. Forgive me for the past times of disobedience and missed opportunities. Lord, help me to get up and just go and be your “fragrance” wherever I go. Give me your love, ideas and practical steps to take in making people your disciples. Amen.
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