Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of
WEEK 50
CARRYING OUT THE GREAT
COMMISSION
MATTHEW 28
Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men.
The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you."
And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me."
Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together,
they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, and said, "You are to say, 'His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.' And if this should come to the governor's ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble." And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day.
But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
GRACIOUS FATHER, our hearts are filled with praise. The resurrection of Christ is the high point of all history. It is the proof of our justification;
the heart of the gospel message, the ground of our hope for eternal life, and the living guarantee of Christ's ultimate triumph
over evil and all its consequences.
Your commission to us is unmistakable as well,
for our risen Lord and Savior, the One to whom all authority in heaven and on earth
has been given, has outlined the strategy from now to the end of the age
with that one simple command:
Go and make disciples, teaching them the full counsel of Your truth. May we personally embrace His call, beginning where we are. And may the gospel go forth with power and clarity into all nations.
Help us to be disciple-makers. Empower us to use whatever gifts You have given us
for the fulfillment of the task Christ set before His apostles. May we ourselves be faithful not only to teach others
but also to obey from the heart everything He has commanded.
We long to see Your kingdom infiltrate and ultimately overcome
every place where Satan currently reigns. We long to see the saving power of the gospel
unleashed to the uttermost parts of the earth. We long to see Your glory and honor proclaimed among the nations. May we earnestly embrace
whatever aspect of the task You have called us to, and may we never shirk the duty or neglect an opportunity
to be heralds of the good news in whatever realm
You have placed us.
We cling to the promise of Christ that He will be present with us,
even to the end of the age. We know that He will never leave us or forsake us. That alone is good reason for us
to be free from all covetousness
and fully satisfied with whatever we have.1
We pray, dear Lord, that You might use us
to bring Your love and forgiveness to those around us
who so desperately need You. We know that You rejoice in the salvation of sinners. Indeed, all the inhabitants of heaven celebrate
when sinners are rescued and lives are redeemed.2
May redemption therefore be the central theme of our lives.
Do what You will to make us more effective ambassadors
for Your kingdom. Mold our lives, our words, our actions toward others,
and even our thoughts to make us useful and effective evangelists,
reaching out to souls who are perishing all around us— snatching them from the flames.3
Let us be willing to live and die to that end. Cleanse us thoroughly from sin,
and make us vessels fit for Your use. Fill us with your Spirit;
unleash Your truth in our hearts; sanctify us by Your Word; embolden us with Your power; give us empathy with the plight of those in bondage to sin; and help us to declare the way of salvation
in a way that draws men and women to Christ. All these things we pray in Jesus' blessed name. Amen.
1. Hebrews 13:5 2. Luke 15:1-32 3. Jude 23