There are similar themes to the first four chapters of Matthew's Gospel and last three: Jesus’ birth and symbolic death (i.e. baptism) are balanced by his physical death and resurrection. Herod and Pilate epitomize Roman opposition to Jesus during these respective events. In addition, Joseph/Jesus are both called “just” men; there are contrasts between light and darkness; the rich are portrayed in a positive way; we see warnings in dreams; there is the possibility of angels aiding Jesus; and we are taught that the purpose of Jesus' ministry is to save people from sin.
Specific words and phrases found only in both include: angel of the Lord, King of the Jews, myrrh, exceedingly, all this took place to fulfill, what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah, if you are the Son of God, and Holy City. And there are additional parallels between the start and conclusion to this Gospel involving the last five verses that comprise today's lesson.
These words are the heart of today's lesson “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, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember that I am with you always...” 28:19-20a
There are four verbs highlighted here: the first two are the commands and the next two describe how we are to carry out the commands. Looking at the other gospels to see what they have to say, it is surprising that neither Luke nor John includes the Great Commission.
However, Mark 16:15-16 reads as follows:
“And he said unto them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized shall be saved: but whoever does not believe shall be condemned.”
The denomination I grew up in stressed water baptism quite strongly. We would zero in on the first clause of v. 16 to say that baptism is clearly necessary for salvation and argue with those who used the second clause to prove that only faith was necessary, whether someone was baptized or not. We could have saved ourselves a lot of trouble if we had realized at the time that these verses were almost certainly not part of Mark's original gospel, but added by someone else at a later date. Not everyone is in agreement with this statement so I can recommend a book that presents some of the arguments regarding the conclusion of Mark's Gospel: Perspectives on the Ending of Mark: 4 Views by David Alan Black. And if you want a fifth view, I've written a rather long treatise on the subject myself.
For a better parallel passage, it turns out that Luke does include a version of the Great Commission, not at the end of his Gospel, but at the start of the Book of Acts: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
Matthew 28:16: “Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.”
This alludes back to Jesus' words as they were leaving the Last Supper (26:32) and to earlier in ch. 28 where both an angel and the risen Jesus himself tell the two Mary's to instruct the Eleven to go to Galilee. Jesus sends them back to their home territory where the mission was originally launched. This idea of a return is emphasized by the fact that there are 17 references to Galilee in Matthew, and all but four of them appear in the first and last major section of his gospel.
There is speculation that it was the mountain where Sermon on the Mount was given or perhaps the Mount of Transfiguration. But the actual mountain is nowhere specified in the NT, and should probably be translated “hills.” In other words, Jesus will find them at the appropriate time rather than depending on them to be in exactly the right place (application?). It has been pointed out by most scholars that Matthew pictures Jesus as the new Moses. One parallel is seen here in that both of them end their earthly careers on mountains where they commission their successors.
Matthew 28:17a “When they saw him, they worshiped him”
Matthew begins and ends his narrative explicitly with worship of Jesus. In ch. 2 the wise men worship Jesus and here at the end, the apostles worship him. Worship of Jesus appears in one other place in Matthew's Gospel, when Jesus walks on water.
Matthew 28:17b “but some doubted.” Inclusion of this statement is a strong indication that this is true history, not a made-up story. But it is still disturbing. Here are some possible ways this phrase can be understood:
1. Since v. 10 alludes to the “brothers,” more than the Eleven may have been present on the mountain.
2. Some doubted = some had doubted earlier, until he showed up.
3. Another possibility is that he first appeared at a distance and some of them weren't sure it was him until he came closer (next verse). (as in John 21:4)
4. Doubted (distazo) should be translated “were hesitant.” The only other use of the word in the NT is in Matthew 14:31, the exact center of the book, when Peter walked on water and then faltered. It doesn't mean theological or intellectual doubt, but practical uncertainty.
Why would some be hesitant? They did not know how to respond to Jesus in this new situation. Should they worship him as God? Or perhaps uncertainty as to how Jesus would treat them after they had deserted him.
Matthew 28:18 “And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.'”
Jesus reassures them by coming to them.
This is the first of four “all's” in these last verses. “Here all the partial glimpses of Jesus' universal
authority are brought together in a final comprehensive declaration.” (France)
Parallel teachings: Daniel 7:13-14 (Son of Man receives power); Philippians 2:9-11 (Jesus is given the
name above every other name); Revelation 5 (only he is worthy).
But most enlightening references come from the first four chapters in Matthew. This Gospel starts out
(1:1) by stressing Jesus' descent from the line of King David and here we have the culmination of the
kingship theme. Also (2:1-15), even as a child Jesus is feared by Herod as a threat to his kingship. But
here we see that he has become a much more powerful ruler than Herod could have imagined. And
lastly, there is Satan's temptation of Jesus in the wilderness (4:8-10). What was the final temptation of
the three? This is actually a trick question (Luke lists them in a different order). Jesus receives much
more that Satan had offered, and he didn't have to commandeer this power or worship Satan to get it.
He just had to obey the Father's will.
Matthew 28:19 “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”
There is a lot of meat here in practically every word.
Echos of the opening of the Gospel:
It fulfills the promise to Abraham (Matthew 1:1) that through him all the nations of the world would be blessed.
It is the only appearance of the word “baptism” since ch. 3 when Jesus was baptized by John.
The Trinity also present at Jesus baptism (3:16-17).
There is appropriate language in this setting since Galilee was known as “Galilee of the nations.” (4:15)
It is possible to over- and under-stress the word “go.” Overstressing leads to glorification of foreign missionaries as if they were a much more spiritual class of Christian. On the other hand, understressing can lead to a sole emphasis on local lifestyle evangelism.
“Go” is in contrast to “don't go” at Matthew 10:5 where the apostles are told not to go to the Gentiles. Now that Jesus has universal authority, the commission is broadened.
There are two views on the meaning of “all nations (ethne),” and both are used by Matthew in his Gospel. One is that it means all people and the other is that it means Gentiles only, excluding Israel. But the word “all” in this verse decides the case; the more likely interpretation is that Israel is included also.
In Greek “in the name of” indicates ownership or possession, at the command of, or on the authority of.
The preposition is really “into” rather than “in.” This calls attention to the purpose or result of the act instead: pledging allegiance to Jesus as Messiah and Lord, bringing one into union with, and being incorporated into fellowship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Name is singular for all three persons of the Trinity, as evidence of its unity.
Baptism in the three-fold name is found in Teachings of the Twelve Apostles (Didache) (1st cent. AD). By the time of Tertullian (beginning of 3rd cent. AD), candidates were immersed three times after answering, “Do you believe in the Father...Son...Holy Spirit?”
Matthew 28:20a “and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.”
Again, as the new Moses, Jesus teaches obedience to the commandments.
Up to this point Jesus was the teacher; now the apostles are to teach, but only what they have received from Jesus. The past tense of “have commanded” indicates that Jesus' earthly words are the norm of teaching for us today – we don't need to rely on any further revelations. Theologian Thomas Oden died a few years ago. On his tombstone he requested the inscription: “He made no new contributions to theology.”
The order of the two participles “baptizing” and “teaching,” if important, indicates initiating others into the faith by baptism followed by a life-long period of learning; baptism is not a graduation exercise for someone who has now completed his learning (I have attended a church that actually treated it in this manner). To obey these commands, the Church can't afford to ignore either outreach to non-believers or in-reach by continuing to teach believers.
Matthew 28:20b “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
As well recognized, references to “God with us” act as a bookends for the whole Gospel, starting in 1:23 (You shall call his name Immanuel, “God with us.”) and here at the end.
According to the Greek word order, there are two words stressed here: “remember” (look, take note, pay close attention) and “I.”
This verse has been puzzling to some. Isn't Jesus going to be with us after the end of the age?
1. One possibility is that “To the end of the age” is just an idiom that means always, forever. This explanation, however, ignores the other uses of the phrase “end of the age” in Matthew.
2. Matt. 13:39-40,49; There are two parables of judgment where “at the end of the age” angels will be sent throughout the world to collect the evildoers and throw them into the furnace of fire, while the righteous will shine like the sun. Some treat this as a poetic reference to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, but most others feel it is a better description of the Last Judgment. In addition, the Greek word for “end” that Matthew uses is sunteleia (full end), rather than more common telos (conclusion).
3. Whichever judgment is being referred to, it still seems to present a problem: “What about afterward? Won't Jesus still be with us then?”
4. The specific context is during the time of evangelism on earth. Christ will be with us to enable the church to carry it out its commission. The Book of Acts says the same thing and relates it in terms of the power of the Holy Spirit.
Christian Evangelism Today
Contribute
to foreign and domestic missions.
Caring
The Mercy Ship, World Vision, etc.
Cautious
It shows concern for the safety of missionaries and converts due to widespread persecution and terrorism against believers.
Cooperative
Although support for denominational mission efforts is important, we must not forget the many independent mission organizations, who themselves partner with one another for maximum effectiveness. The Jesus Film Project and various Bible translation programs are two examples.
Cost-Effective
On an average it takes $1 to show the Jesus film to 10 people, and 1 person out of 10 will receive Christ. So $1/new believer is money well spent.
Empathetic
Recent attempts to become more in tune with the cultures in which missionaries work include Campus Crusade changing its name to Cru and new Arabic language material using Allah to translate God.
Efficient and Empirical
Until 2015 Cru was averaging around 23 languages a year. First they had to wait for the Bible to be translated or just Luke. Then it had to be recorded with lip-synching, making a master, accuracy checking it and then delivery into the field. The process would take 1-3 years to complete for each language. Now they translate first the Jesus film script, people come to Christ and they have a desire to learn more about this Jesus they have fallen in love with from the film.
In 2014, someone from Wycliffe Associates proposed a method of translation done in language pods of 8-10 languages at one time. A pod is 2-3 national speakers and one translator working together to translate the Jesus film. They use any Bible translation that has already been done and translate just the Jesus film, and don't worry about getting the script to match the lip movements of the actors. Using this method they are now completing the translation of these 8-10 languages in 2-4 weeks. As a result they were able to complete the translation of about 150 languages in 2015.
Empowering and Exponential
Reducing reliance on foreign missionaries. The latest church growth model relies almost entirely on local believers starting small home churches and branching off to form others when they become too large. This approach has reaped phenomenal results in countries like China in recent years.
Equipped, Electronic
Missionaries used to have teams to lug bulky sound and projection equipment into the remote villages, even assuming they could get through customs. And large film reels were often confiscated when officials saw what the subject was. Now the equipment all fits into a backpack with the film itself in a small plug-in.
Eclectic And because of new electronic equipment and the widespread availability of the internet, it has opened the door to many innovative ways of sending the Gospel across the world.
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