Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt. 28:18-20)
When my father passed away 6 years ago, we sat around his bed and soaked in the wisdom of his last words. Our sons who lived in North Carolina and British Columbia flew into Ontario and literally took note of what grandpa said, and just before he could no longer speak, he gathered the grandkids around and pointed out that the only thing you can take with you to heaven is your faith and your love for your family. Material wealth and riches are left in the grave.
How much greater would the disciples, the women who had stood at the foot of the cross, the bystanders and the God-fearing Jews and Gentiles in Jerusalem to observe the Passover hang on the last words of Jesus. The words above, called the Great Commission, are the last words Jesus left with us. And after he had spoken, he was taken up into heaven and seated at the right hand of the Father. (Mark 16:19, 20)
This verse is often misunderstood simply because of the English translation from the Greek. It is not a command to GO but rather TO MAKE DISCIPLES. “As you are going, make disciples.” Make disciples as you are going (or walking) through life.
We have been studying the book of Acts and it is amazing to think that “there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.” They heard the message of the Gospel (the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ) in their own tongue and stayed around to learn more. “…each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: ‘Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues! Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” (Acts 2:6-12)
Go and make disciples of all nations is what Matthew records. Mark 16:15 says, “He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation…’
God brought all the nations together for the Jewish festival/observance of Passover. And in approximately AD 33 it was Jesus who was the Passover Lamb. They saw, they heard, and eventually they returned to their homelands and we can be sure that they reported back home exactly all that had happened while in Jerusalem. In fact, don’t we find on Paul’s missionary journeys that the word of Christ’s death and resurrection had gone ahead of him? As these people returned home, they took the Gospel with them. They may not have understood it, and they may have had questions. Sometimes they even got it a bit mixed up. But they were exposed to the truth and took it back to their lands.
Today we have the privilege of having so many different families attend LSA. Maybe it is a Sunday service. Maybe it is a Bible study, or grief group, or outreach fun day. Just as in the days of the early church there were many nations represented at the Passover, so families from all parts of Windsor will walk through the doors of Lakeshore St. Andrews and will meet and greet and interact—AND they will take back the news of what they saw and experienced and heard to their own circle of influence.
God didn’t make a mistake in having so many nations in attendance in Jerusalem when Jesus died on the cross. Nor does He make a mistake when a family or individual walk through the doors of LSA. He is a God who desires none to perish, and we have the Good News! This Sunday if you see someone new, I encourage you to say hello. I encourage you to ‘make disciples, as you are going.’