Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Listen to the Word

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.”  (Matthew 28:18-20)

Jesus’ Great Commission is a command to go and make disciples of all kinds of people. But notice that the command is sandwiched between two big promises: that Jesus has all authority, and that he is always with us. He wants us to know that we can fulfill his mission for us because of his power and his presence.

Jesus boldly claims that all authority in the universe has been entrusted to him. He is the King of everything. He rules over the spot where you are sitting. He is the boss of microscopic organisms and massive galaxies. He is in charge. So he has the authority to give us our marching orders. As Christians, it is not our job to decide what our mission is – it is his. Our first step in accomplishing what he wants us to accomplish is for us to submit to him as our leader. We follow his commands out of respect for the Commander.

Live the Word

Tell Jesus that you want to do what he wants you to do today, even more than you want to do what you want to do. If you can’t quite say that honestly, then ask Jesus to work in you so that you can.