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Ring of Truth provides 366 daily ‘proofs’ that the Bible is consistent throughout from Genesis to Revelation, and relevant for our lives today!
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Matthew 28:18-20
“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, baptising 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.’”
Between the Triumphal Entry and the Ascension there was Calvary.
I shall look at that when we get to Luke. If you really want to look at it in depth, then may I suggest you read my other Daily Devotional, “Sold Out For Jesus”? There I take a month to look at the Cross and a month to look at the Resurrection (and a month to look at Heaven – plus other subjects during the year).
However, we are here at Ascension. Jesus has been betrayed, denied, crucified and buried and the 3rd day has risen from the dead. What a wonderful message for today. What terrific ‘Good News’. Why not go and share it with someone within the next 24 hours?
That is what this passage is all about. Jesus had no concept of us keeping it to ourselves. Remember what the lepers in Samaria said? After they had found food, drink, clothing and riches and were considering only themselves, they said, “We’re not doing right. This is a day of Good News and we are keeping it to ourselves” (2 Kings 7:9). Those lepers were far more sensitive than most of us.
Maybe we no longer appreciate:
a)what we’ve been saved from and
b)the blessings that are ours because of Christ’s death and our acceptance into the family of God.
Paul says, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the Heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).
How much more can God give us? How far superior they are being eternal, compared to the purely material things that the lepers found. How much more then should we share the ‘Good News’ of Christ? When we find a bargain, we have no hesitation telling others about it. How come telling them the best ‘Good News’ is so hard?
It’s interesting to read in verse 17 that they worshipped Jesus and then He said, “Go!” You can worship on the mountain but you have to go down and tell. You can worship Jesus in Heaven but you cannot evangelise in Heaven – they already know the ‘Good News’ up there better than we do. We must go.
In the army you always obey the last command until you get a new one. Jesus hasn’t given a new one yet. Therefore, we must “Go!”
Yes, “make disciples”. Not statistics or decisions, but maturing disciples. That takes time - until they are prepared to nail their colours to the mast. Until they are ‘Sold Out for Jesus’ and show it by being baptised in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Then help them to continue to grow and stand firm in the faith. And then see them go and do the same for others. It’s what disciples do.
That’s our job and guess what? That’s what Jesus “commanded” us to do.
We can never say we don’t know what God wants us to do.
And guess what? He has given us “All Authority in Heaven and on Earth” to go and do it.
So what is stopping you?
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