And when they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you all the days, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16-20)
At this point in my life, it’s rare for someone to ask me to play golf, and I decline. It’s usually because I am “sick as a dog” or have other pressing matters.
Reflecting on over sixty years of playing this game, I am reminded of countless joys in golf. And, like you, I have faced more than my fair share of disappointments—heartbreaks, truly.
The joys and disappointments both arise from our deep love for the game. It’s easy to understand the joy; the disappointment needs explanation—you can’t have your heart broken unless you love something passionately.
When we love something deeply, we find ourselves chasing after it. No one has ever had to twist my arm to tee it up, even when I was hitting it all over the map. All this to say, we go after what we want—what we LOVE!
In my interview with Steven J. Kyle, Esq., I discovered two passions that have shaped his life because of his love for Jesus Christ: studying God’s word and living on mission with Jesus.
Like Steve, through study, we see how Matthew concludes his gospel—that which has come to be known as The Great Commission.
There are four staggering realities—four “all’s”—found in three verses: 1) All authority in heaven and on earth belongs to Jesus, 2) Jesus commands his disciples to go to all nations, 3) Jesus instructs his disciples to teach all he has commanded, and 4) Jesus promises to be with them all the days, to the end of the age.
Jesus does not possess all authority in heaven and only some authority on earth—no, no! He has “all” authority in both heaven and earth, and he has all authority now!
Our eyes see a different story, but faith doesn’t come from sight; it comes from hearing. And in this case, you have the word of the one who conquered death, hell, and the grave.
Jesus also defines the scope of his mission—no less than every nation is in his crosshairs. One day, the glory of God will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14), envisioning a world where Jesus replaces sin, sorrow, and death with righteousness, joy, and eternal life.
The third “all” relates to the comprehensive nature of his commands. Christ does not jot down a memo claiming a small portion of our lives. Instead, he drafts a manifesto declaring his Lordship over the entirety of our lives. His “all” demands our “all.”
This fourth “all” is mind-boggling. Only the One who lives forever could make and keep the promise to remain with his ambassadors “all the days, to the end of the age.” Why?
Because he is forever alive and in charge of the universe, he will support his disciples’ obedience with his presence and power until the mission is complete.
But here’s the deal: with such a great adventure available and backed by the One who guarantees its ultimate success, why are so few motivated and inspired by it?
We find the ultimate answer in verses 16-17, “…some worshipped him but some doubted.” Which is to say, we joyfully and bravely commend what we worship, what we love! We remain silent about that which we doubt.
Those early disciples stood gazing at the resurrected Jesus, the one who defeated death through death, and they worshipped. Transformed by what they saw and heard, they went into all the world bragging about Jesus! Like them, once you’ve seen the resurrected Lord, it becomes nearly impossible to remain silent.
Talking about what we cherish is in our bones! Or, said more simply, “worship fuels witness!”
Prayer: Jesus! Open the eyes of our hearts so we can see, cherish, and talk about the risen Lord!