Photo by Small Group Network
By Mike Chaffin
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, Matthew 28:19
If my boss tells me to do a job, I usually do it without hesitation. If my wife asks me to do something I try to do it as soon as I can and do not argue. Hopefully I get to it before she gets upset about it not being done yet.
If I ask my child to do something I expect it to be done. If it is something routine, rote, or something I know they can handle I expect it to be done quickly and without help. However, if I ask my child to do a task they have never done before, and either don’t know how, or need instruction, I don’t leave them hanging. As a good parent I am there to help them learn and succeed.
Jesus and our Heavenly Father operate the same way. Jesus gave the disciples the command that is the 4th most referenced verse on the internet. By association, we are also to carry out that same command if that is our gift.
All authority on Heaven and Earth was given to Jesus. (19th Most Referenced Verse). That makes Him our Heavenly boss, so to speak. However, like every good parent, He isn’t going to let us flounder and fail. Nor is He leaving those new believers in the lurch. Our verse is again, a partial sentence and thought. The rest of what Jesus said is in the next verse,
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
We are to not only bring people to Christ, but we are also to show them who He is and how we are to live as Christians. Fortunately, we aren’t alone in this work. Jesus knows we can’t do this in our own strength, our own limited resources or by our own will. He is with us and watches over us. We are filled with the Holy Spirit so that we can do all things through Jesus, who gives us the strength, the insight, and the knowledge of how to complete the task we are given. God is so good. Praise Him for his mercy toward us.
Prayer: Lord help me fulfill this great commission you have given us. In Jesus’ name, amen.
* There is a website that conducted a search for Bible verses. They compiled a list of the verses in order of the magnitude of hits they got in their search. Some of these verses qualify as ‘people’s favorites’, while others might be on the list because they are some of the most important and most teachable words of God.
