Matthew 28 Devotional & Commentary: The Great Commission0

Devotional Sharing, Submitted by Hannah Chiang, Gracepoint Berkeley

Matthew 28:5-10, 16-20

What can I learn about the simplicity of being a witness in the angel’s commands to “come and see,” then “go quickly and tell”?  In what ways is this encouraging?  I can learn that being a witness is to simply believe that Jesus rose from the dead and to tell others about what happened. Being a witness doesn’t mean that I have to be an expert in apologetics or know all the answers to tough questions about Christianity. But it’s simply to know that the gospel is true and that Jesus is real and has changed my life. This is encouraging because I often think of witnessing as being an expert in the subject of Christianity. But I am reminded that it’s about being a witness to who Jesus is and how he changed my life.

How do the words “All authority,” “all nations,” and “I am with you always” challenge any limitations that I place on myself in obeying the Great Commission?  “All authority,” “all nations,” and “I am with you always” challenge my artificial limitation that I place on myself. I can recite Matthew 28:18-20, but when it comes to actually carrying out this commandment, I think very little of the authority, if at all, that has been given to me.  And I think “all nations” is limited to a small group of Asians on Berkeley Campus.  In addition, giving into my fears is much easier than trusting the invisible God and taking a leap of faith. But the word of God is very clear:  I am to go out to all nations as God has given me authority and I can trust that I am not going alone but Jesus is by my side. And this is not a suggestion or recommendation, but a commandment for me to obey as a disciples of Christ. The ideas of planting churches and going on mission trips to foreign countries sound simply daunting and scary, but I want to trust and obey God’s commandments.

Think about the words “teaching them to obey.”  What more does this entail than verbal communication of the message?

Teaching people to obey God’s commandments is not a simple knowledge transfer, but life-on-life discipleship. I need to first live it out and give them an example of what it means to obey God’s commandments through my life. What I remember from my spiritual leaders isn’t their amazing Sunday messages or DT sharing. Instead, I remember the different texture and fabric of their lives that was a sharp contrast to mine. Their radical obedience to the gospel, simple lives and contentment showed me how I ought to live. Likewise, I am reminded of the importance of obeying first and living a blameless life before teaching others to obey.

How does the fact that Jesus “will be with [me] always, to the very end of the age” help me to overcome my fears?

The fact that Jesus will be with me to the very end of the age helps me overcome my fears. It is easy to get discouraged and scared when I look into myself for some strength. I know there’s not much wisdom, strength and courage in me. But Jesus promises that he will be with me always to the very end of the age so I don’t have to be this super Christian. He just tells me to go and assures me that he will go with me and his promise is unchanging and real. And when I do ministry and face situations I don’t know to handle, I am not alone because he is guiding me and giving me wisdom. He knows how to love, guide and help people, so I just need to depend on him through prayer.

Matthew 28:1-7

“Most of the same women who courageously witnessed Jesus’ gruesome crucifixion and burial plan to visit the tomb in order to assist the family in finalizing the body for burial. Jewish custom permitted both men and women to prepare corpses, with women allowed to attend to corpses of either gender but men not allowed to attend to women’s corpses. The women go to the place where Jesus was laid prior to the Sabbath”[1]

• What can I learn from the fact that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the tomb “at dawn” and it was they who became the first witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection?
• What might they have been feeling and expecting as they were going to the tomb?
• What is the significance of the angel reminding the women that Jesus had risen, “just as he said”?  What impact would those words have on the women?
• Are there any areas in my life where I need to cling to God’s words to prevail over the seemingly overwhelming reality of my own emotions and expectations?

Matthew 28:5-10, 16-20

• What can I learn about the simplicity of being a witness in the angel’s commands to “come and see,” then “go quickly and tell”?  In what ways is this encouraging?
• How do the words “All authority,” “all nations,” and “I am with you always” challenge any limitations that I place on myself in obeying the Great Commission?
• Think about the words “teaching them to obey.”  What more does this entail than verbal communication of the message?
• How does the fact that Jesus “will be with [me] always, to the very end of the age” help me to overcome my fears?
• In what ways can I concretely obey Jesus’ final charge to all his followers?

Additional Questions:

Matthew 28:1-10

• How is “afraid yet filled with joy” an apt response to the wonder of the resurrection?  When was the last time I experienced being “afraid yet filled with joy?”
• Why is worship the appropriate response to the risen Christ?

Matthew 28:4, 11-15

• What is surprising about the reaction of the religious leaders to the guards’ report?
• What did the religious leaders gain/maintain by propagating this lie?  What did they lose?
• What might have been the internal reasoning that the soldiers might have gone through in order to justify their involvement in the lie?
• Are there situations in my life in which I’m tempted to compromise the truth in exchange for personal gain?