Matthew 28 - 12.4.25
S - Matthew 28:6, 17-20
6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.
17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
O – Jesus had just been crucified and laid in the tomb 3 days prior. The tomb was closed, secured AND guarded. However, we see in verse 6 that He was gone! Just as He said He would be. He then went to the disciples and spoke His final words to them.
Jesus’ resurrection is the key to Christian faith because just as He promised, He rose from the dead. We can therefore be confident that He will keep all of His promises. Jesus is more than a leader or powerful teacher, He is the son of God and His resurrection is the ultimate victory over sin and death, a promise of new life and hope for believers. Verses 18-20 are known as the Great Commission and Jesus’ final command to His followers.
A – “Go” is an active word and a command, not a request. So where are you (WE) going? Whether we go next door, into our communities, or to another country (maybe India?), we are told by God to “Go and make disciples.” And if these are His final words to his Disciples, to us, then they must be very important.
Sometimes the going can be very intimidating for some of us, but that’s okay. God didn’t equip us all with the same gifts to use for evangelism. We don’t all have a natural disposition to evangelize to the masses, but He did indeed give us each individual gifts which we are to use to help fulfill the Great Commission.
1 Peter 4:10 - Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
Some simple steps to get started:
· Discover your talents (abilities). What is it you are naturally good at? Teaching, cooking, giving, caring for others, leadership?
· Seek Guidance. Ask spiritual brothers and sisters, your pastors, what they see your gifts as. Sometimes we may think we are gifted in one area, but others would say not so much : ) I think I would like to be on the worship team because I love to sing AND worship the Lord. That’s a perfect place for me, right? But I can’t sing! NOT my gifting. But I can cook an amazing meal and take it to someone in need of some TLC. A non-Christian may be skeptical that we want to help them out for nothing in return, but we build on those relationships and God uses us in those moments.
· Simply PRAY. Ask God to show you where He wants to use you.
· Then Apply it. Do something…take a meal, buy a meal in line or a coffee, pray for the woman limping through the store, or give a blanket to the homeless guy on the bike path. Find moments to share your personal story with others. Invite someone to church. Now is a great time for that as so many feel a pull toward Jesus during this time. They are more apt to say yes to the invitation…they just need someone to show them the way to the door.
P – Lord help us not be a generation that continuously asks you for signs and miracles, but instead believes in you because of the faith that we have that you are who you say you are and that alone can be trusted. Forgive me for any times that we doubt you and your powerful presence. Lord I thank you for all that you have done in my life, for the way you use me to minister to others, for the miracles you perform every single day, whether we see them or not.
Lord, I thank you that we can have confidence in your resurrection and promises for each of us. You have sacrificed everything so that MY sin could be washed clean and I would never have to be apart from you. May I honor you with my life, my choices, my thoughts, my love for others and may I be bold to GO and make disciples, share my story and take care of your people. Give me eyes to see the hurting, especially during this holiday season when so many people are struggling spiritually, financially, and many with loneliness. Help me bring joy to as many people as possible through attention and obedience to your promptings, and generosity this Christmas. Would you help me be bold and willing to share my story so that others can see what the resurrection can mean for them as well. In Jesus’ name! Amen
- Crystal Flory
