Matthew chapter 28. Matthew chapter 28. Our focus this morning will be on verses 16 to 18. Because there are so much going on in what's called the Great Commission in verses 18 to 20, it in many respects does summarize a great number of the themes in Matthew's gospel.

So as we come to a conclusion soon of Matthew's gospel, it does make sense to slow down a little bit in this part of the exposition to sort of recapitulate those themes and to see how the Lord Jesus does instruct his church for their primary function in the world after His resurrection and His ascension back up into heaven. So verses 16 to 18 will be our focus, but I do want to begin reading in Matthew 28 at verse 1. Now, after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat on it.

His countenance was like lightning and his clothing as white as snow. The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. But the angel answered and said to the women, do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for He is risen, as He said.

Come, see the place where the Lord lay, and go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee. There you will see Him. Behold, I have told you." So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy and ran to bring his disciples word. And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them saying, rejoice.

So they came and held him by the feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, do not be afraid. Go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee and there they will see me. Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened.

When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers saying, tell them his disciples came at night and stole him away while we slept. And if this comes to the governor's ears, we will appease him and make you secure. So they took the money and did as they were instructed. And this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came 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 of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.

And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen. Let us pray. Father in heaven, we thank you for this blessed, wonderful, encouraging portion of Scripture.

We thank you for the life and the death and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, for the glorious gospel of free and sovereign grace, for the fact that you made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. May these things encourage our hearts this morning. And may you stir us up to worship and to praise and to adore our great God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And may your Spirit come and convict those who are dead in their trespasses and sins.

Awaken them, show them their sin, and show them the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and His ability to save to the uttermost all who draw nigh unto God through Him. Do forgive us for our sins and our transgressions. Do wash us in the blood of the Lord Jesus. Cleanse us from all iniquity and all impurity.

Cause us to approach You with fear and with great joy. And fill us now with the Holy Spirit. May He attend the preaching of Your Word, and may we respond to that Word by His power in a way that is well-pleasing in Your sight. We ask these things through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Amen.

Introduction

Well, remember that last week we saw that verses 11 to 15 sort of serve as a counter mission to what we find here in the Great Commission in verses 18 to 20. And there are some obvious contrasts in view. The religious leaders use bribe money to pay off the soldiers so they'll go out and tell a lie concerning the empty tomb. Christ uses the promise of his presence to commission his followers to spread the truth.

As well, we see that this particular narrative, this false narrative, in verses 11 to 15, gained traction among the Jews, according to verse 15. But the message of the Great Commission is to be proclaimed, preached to all the nations. Jesus has a comprehensive scope there, according to the promises made to Abraham way back in the Old Testament, that in him, or through his seed, all the nations, all the families of the earth would be blessed. And as well, we see that these religious leaders that fabricated this false narrative in verses 11 to 15, they died.

They were ultimately of no benefit to these soldiers or to anyone else. But Christ promises His presence in verse 20. At the very end, He says, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. and not to sort of get ahead of ourselves, but one thing we ought to be encouraged about is that last statement in Matthew's gospel, especially in light of one of the first statements in Matthew's gospel. You shall call his name Jesus, for it is he who will save his people from their sins.

Also, you shall call his name Emmanuel, God with us. The gospel of Matthew begins with Christ as God with us. The gospel of Matthew concludes with Christ as God with us. And this is the emphasis in the commission in terms of assurance provided to his church that while they go about this commission, he is present among them.

Well, as I said, we'll look at verses 16 to 18. We'll look under two considerations. First, the meeting in Galilee in verses 16 and 17. And then secondly, the authority behind the commission. the authority behind the commission.

But

The Meeting in Galilee

note first their arrival in Galilee according to verse 16. Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. So the disciples obeyed. The angel told the women to go tell the disciples.

As they were going to tell the disciples, Jesus met them, and Jesus said, go tell the disciples to meet me in Galilee. This is precisely what these disciples do. They obey the women's instruction on the authority, obviously, of the risen Christ, and as well, according to this angelic proclamation. Jesus had already specified in Matthew 26, 32, that He would be raised on the third day and that He would go to Galilee.

So that explains the purpose. And if we ask the question, why Galilee? Wasn't Jerusalem more of a central place or more of a better place in order to launch this worldwide campaign? Well, remember that Jesus begins His ministry in Galilee, and there it's described as Galilee of the Gentiles, with the prophet Isaiah in the background.

So it makes sense that in Galilee of the Gentiles, this worldwide mission would be launched by the king, the authority, the risen Lord, as he sends out his church upon this particular task. Now, note their response to the Lord Jesus in verse 17. When they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. Now, worship is a great response to the Lord Jesus.

In other words, that's what we're about. That's what we're made to do. That's why we come here on Sunday. Why is Sunday significant?

Because we get to go to the house of the Lord and worship our great God and Savior. I wonder if we look at it in that sort of a way. We look at, you know, what it means to be a Christian. Well, it means my sins are forgiven, to be sure.

It means that I'm redeemed by the precious blood of the Lamb. It means that I'm going to go to heaven. It means that I now have the freedom, the ability, and the desire to worship the King of kings and Lord of lords. I have been set free from the idolatry and the bondage and the wickedness of slavery to sin.

As a result, I no longer serve those former taskmasters. As a result, I no longer bow the knee to the bottle, or to the drugs, or to the sex, or to the power, or to the job. I no longer bow to Baal, but I have been free to bow to the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, ultimately, we all live in submission to some authority.

Ultimately, we are all beholden to an authority. Ultimately, we all worship something. And I don't think we fully understand or appreciate what the ramifications of that is. If we are drug addicts, our God just happens to be drugs that take the form of Baal.

If we worship sex, that's still a form of idolatry. Sin at its root essence is a form of idolatry. It's a rejection of the living and true God, and it's a pursuing of those things which are not God. And so in this gospel, we have been freed.

We have been liberated. We no longer bow the knee to Baal, and we get to bow the knee to the King of kings and Lord of lords. But it is intriguing, notice in verse 17, when they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted. Why did they doubt?

Well, before we even ask that question, it is intriguing that Matthew is not trying to put together a forgery. It is intriguing that Matthew is not putting together a fake. Matthew tells us the truth, even if the truth perplexes. Matthew tells us the truth, even if we scratch our heads and say, why in the world would these men doubt in the presence of the risen Lord?

You see, men that would conspire together to create a narrative would smooth out all the unsavory details. You wouldn't expect things like some doubted in a carefully managed manuscript that was designed to promote a falsehood. You want to shave off the rough edges. You want to make sure that everyone buys what you're laying out.

You want to make sure that there's no sort of discrepancy whatsoever. But the realist, or the true writer rather, tells us no matter the case. Just like in the Old Testament books of 1st and 2nd Samuel. They don't sanitize the life and the ministry and the service of King David.

They don't wash him with Clorox. Rather, they set him before us and tell us the manner of man that he was. Truth has nothing to hide. And if some doubt it, Matthew is going to tell us that they doubt it.

There's apologetic significance even in this short clause, but some doubt it. Now, as we investigate it further, we ask the question, why? There are several views in terms of who's in place or who are the ones who doubt it. The grammar could be taken in one of three ways.

It could have been some of the 11. Some within this band of the 11 both worshiped and doubted. As well, it could have been some others other than the 11. Supposing this is the instance Paul refers to in 1 Corinthians 15, 6, where Jesus appears to 500 persons at once.

So you've got the 11 who worship, and then you've got some of these others, these sort of hangers-on, these other disciples, and they doubted. Some suggest it meant all of the 11 themselves doubted. I think it's best to understand it as sum of the 11. There was a time when Jesus did appear to 500 at once, but in this instance, Matthew focuses upon the 11.

Now, when we look at that particular word that's used, it does mean doubt, but it also has the sense of hesitate. If you ask the question, how could you both worship and hesitate all at the same time? Think about the scenario. Think about the situation.

How does one respond when their close personal friend was crucified, buried, and is now standing before them? Would you be a bit hesitant? Consider the fact as well, with reference to these 11, the last time they saw him was when they had forsaken him. They abandoned him.

So yes, worship in the presence of the risen Christ, but a bit of hesitation, because how is he going to deal with us after we had forsaken him? And it could be just simply that he was a way off and they weren't sure. In John 21, that's the scenario. Christ is on the shore, the disciples are in the boat, and they can't tell if it's him or not.

The fact that in verse 18 he comes to them might indicate that that might have been the simple explanation. They hesitated because perhaps they weren't absolutely sure. But it's probably more likely they hesitated because they didn't know what else to do. Look back at Matthew 14 for just a moment.

Matthew 14, where we see the verb used here as well. Matthew 14, 31, and immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him and said to him, this is when Jesus is walking on the water and Peter joins him. And immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him and said to him, oh, you of little faith, why did you doubt? Why did you hesitate?

Why was there this struggle? Again, we could psychoanalyze Peter and say, what a terrible person that he expresses this little faith. He was walking on water. You wouldn't be a little bit hesitant about that and the ramifications therein?

They had abandoned the master and now he's standing before them. They worship him because he's worthy. He is the eternal son of God, declared to be so by the power of the resurrection in Romans 1-4. There's a hesitation there. in the presence of one who died and had been raised from the dead.

So there's a little faithness to be sure, but there is this worship, there is this adoration, there is this knowledge of the Holy One. As Gil says, with divine adoration they worship as the eternal Son of God, for so He was now declared to be by His resurrection from the dead, Romans 1.4. So we see this meeting in Galilee and some see the significance of the mountain. Jesus appears in several places or several times throughout the gospel on the mountain.

There's an imagery of Moses appearing on the mountain. There's a commissioning service that is very typical of Old Testament with an Old Testament background. We'll investigate that, God willing, next week in a bit more detail. But the mountain here I don't think is to be interpreted too significantly other than the fact that this is where they had agreed to meet, and now Jesus gives them their marching orders.

But

Authority Behind the Commission

notice in verse 18, the authority behind the commission. This is where we're going to spend our time for the rest of this morning. I don't mean until the rest of this morning. Actually, I do.

We're going to probably end closer to the time when the morning actually ends. So this authority behind the commission, Christ is going to tell his disciples, this little band of men, this 11, these apostles, he's going to tell them something that applies not only to them, but it applies to the church throughout the age. And it's quite a big, significant thing. He wants them to go and make disciples of all the nations.

That doesn't mean, you know, each nation as a body politic. In other words, we don't take water and sprinkle it over Canada and call it a Christian nation. The idea is, is go to these various nations and make disciples of the various people groups within those nations. And the disciples that are made, you baptize them and then you teach them and they must obey me.

Jesus Christ is going to tell His disciples to do this great commission, but He doesn't tell them to do it apart from His authority. And we need to appreciate that authority with reference to this great commission. Notice in verse 18, Jesus came and spoke to them saying, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. So there are several things we ought to appreciate about this authority that Jesus Christ has been given by the Father with reference to heaven and earth.

Authority Demonstrated in Matthew

In the first place, the authority of Christ has been demonstrated in many places in Matthew's gospel. As I said, this section sort of recapitulates several themes or brings together several strands of thought into one compact place. We ask the question, what happened to the disciples? Chapter 26, they abandoned him, they departed from him.

Well, here's the answer or the resolution to that particular tension. They're back with their Lord, they're forgiven of their sins, they're given their marching orders. We see Christ assert here absolute, unrivaled, unparalleled authority. We say, well, haven't we seen that authority along the way as we've surveyed Matthew's gospel?

We certainly have. We have seen that authority demonstrated in his healing ministry in Matthew 4 and in Matthew 9. We have seen that authority demonstrated in his teaching ministry. Remember after the Sermon on the Mount?

They marveled, because He taught them not like the scribes, but as one who had authority. We have seen that authority of the Lord Jesus Christ with reference to His authority over nature. Vis-a-vis, He's able to walk on the water. Vis-a-vis, He's able to calm the waves.

He's able to still the wind. Christ has absolute authority over nature, and that has been demonstrated in Matthew's Gospel. We also see His authority over demons. In Matthew 8, Matthew 12, Matthew 17, what does he do to exercise authority over these demons, or display, rather, his authority over these demons?

He casts them out. As well, we have seen his authority to forgive sins. Remember that instance in Matthew chapter 9 when Jesus is teaching and men lower a man down who's a paralytic on his mat, they lower him down into the place where Christ is teaching. And Christ sees that man who's been lowered down, he's paralyzed, that's his obvious problem.

And Jesus said, son, thy sins are forgiven thee. And of course, the religious leaders start to stroke their beards and their heads and they say, who does this man think he is? Only God alone can forgive sins. So Jesus says, which is easier, to say to the man, your sins are forgiven, or to tell him to rise up and take his mat and walk?

Well, it's easier to say that your sins are forgiven, because we don't know if that's actually happened. That's why Jesus says to the man, take up your bed and walk. And the reason why he does that, because if the man now takes up his bed and walks, it does demonstrate what Christ says specifically, that the Son of Man has power to forgive sins on earth. Christ has authority.

And I want to just say, by way of this particular observation, that's good news if you're still in your sins. There is one who has the authority to forgive you of your sins. If you sin against me, I'd like to think I would forgive you, but I can't deal with your sin problem. I can't deal with your sins against your wife, or your sins against your husband, or your sins against your children, or your sins against your God.

But Christ can. He has authority to forgive. He has the power to forgive. He has the ability and, yay, the willingness to cleanse us from our sins.

If you ever ask the question, well, is he willing? Does he want to? Is this something that's indicative of who Christ is? This is the purpose for which he came.

That's what I don't get. In some sort of sectors, we have this idea that God saves, but very grudgingly. God saves, but very unwilling. Well, okay, I'll accept you, but, you know, I'd rather not.

That's sort of the conception of God that we meet in some circles. Okay, like this miserly, Ebenezer Scrooge type of God. You know, he's going to dole out a few pennies to you and pat you on your head and send you on your way. The God revealed to us in the Bible is the father of the prodigal.

When that prodigal's a long way off and reeking like pig, the father runs to him, the father falls on him, the father kisses him, the father then orders a great feast to be held in his honor. The God of Scripture is described for us in the very beginning of that particular scene. When the scribes and the Pharisees see the popularity of Jesus and they say, this man receives sinners and eats with them, Christ illustrates the point with the story of the prodigal. Of course I receive sinners and eat with them.

That's the purpose for which I came. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. I think as Calvinists or reformed people, we spend a lot of time telling people what that doesn't mean, but we forget to tell them what it does mean. He does love the world.

He gave his only begotten son that everyone who believes in that son will have everlasting life. It's not universalism, it's not teaching every man without exception, it is teaching every man without distinction, but the fact that God loves the world, the fact that God the Lord has sent His Son into this world is the first and foremost indicator that He's willing to save sinners. This idea that God saves, but grudgingly so, God saves only because he has to, is absolutely contrary to the picture of God portrayed for us in the parable of the prodigal son. The Lord God runs from the porch, and I'm speaking metaphorically, using the imagery that Jesus uses, speaking in the manner of men.

He runs from the porch, he falls on prodigals, and he gives them big kisses, even when they smell like pigs. I'm sorry, if I was the father, I'd tell him to go shower up, and then I'll give you a kiss. Behold your God. Return ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backsliding, says Yahweh in Jeremiah 3.

Behold your God. He is not against saving sinners. This is His function. This is what He's about.

Authority Echoing Old Testament Texts

Secondly, the authority of Christ includes heaven and is reminiscent of many Old Testament passages. You can turn to the book of Deuteronomy. to work our way through several observations concerning the authority of Christ. The first, the authority of Christ has been demonstrated in Matthew's Gospel. Secondly, the authority of Christ includes heaven and is reminiscent of Old Testament texts, wherein Yahweh has all authority in heaven and on earth.

There are many texts which speak of God creating heaven and earth, but texts that speak specifically to God having authority or sovereignty or power with reference to heaven and earth. Deuteronomy chapter 3 and verse 24. Deuteronomy 3, 24, O Lord God, you have begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what God is there in heaven or on earth who can do anything like your works and your mighty deed?

The implication, there is no other. It's God alone who has this power. It's God alone who has this authority in heaven and on earth. Deuteronomy 4.

Deuteronomy 4, specifically verse 39. Therefore, know this day and consider in your heart that the Lord himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath. There is no other. Deuteronomy 10.14, Deuteronomy 10.14, just to sort of illustrate or show how what Christ says in Matthew 28.18 is reminiscent of these Old Testament passages asserting the absolute, unrivaled, unparalleled sovereignty and authority of Yahweh over heaven and earth.

Deuteronomy 10, 14, indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the Lord your God, also the earth with all that is in it. And then turn over to 1 Kings chapter 8. 1 Kings chapter 8, at the dedication of the temple, Solomon rehearses this very theme. 1 Kings chapter 8 at verse 23. The unrivaled sovereignty, authority, power of Yahweh. 1 Kings 8, 23, and he said, "'Lord God of Israel, there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like you, who keep your covenant and mercy with your servants, who walk before you with all their hearts.'" You see, when Christ asserts absolute authority, we've seen it fleshed out in His earthly ministry. We have seen it in his healing ministry.

We have seen it in his ability to cast out demons. We see it in his teaching ministry. We see it that he has a power authority on earth to forgive sins. But now Christ is speaking comprehensively in terms of all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

And I think this is a lesson that the church desperately needs to recover. We think Christ's authority pertains to church and religion. We don't see the authority outside the four walls of the local church. We don't see Christ's authority over us on Wednesday.

Well, maybe, because we come here for Bible study on Wednesday night. We don't see that authority on Thursday morning. We don't see it in our business dealings. We don't see it in our marriages.

We don't see it in the parent-child relationship. We have this truncated small view of the authority of Christ. It pertains to the church, but what I do outside the church is all up to me. And I'm most important in the universe.

I'll throw Jesus in on Sunday because that's what people do. But in terms of a recognition of his unrivaled, unparalleled, majestic, sovereign authority over all things, I submit that much of the church today, certainly the world, thinks like the Syrians in 1 Kings chapter 20. Remember, in 1 Kings chapter 20, there was an interesting situation. Ahab was the king of Israel.

Not a great fellow, by the way. Nevertheless, God was God over Israel, and he wanted to protect Israel. There was a man by the name of Ben-Hadad. He was the king of Syria, a sworn enemy of Israel.

Well, Ben-Hadad besieges Samaria. Ben-Hadad wages war against Samaria. You know what happens? Israel won.

You know what the Syrians concluded? We fought them in the hills, and their gods are the gods of the hills. So therefore, we lost. Think about it.

Christ has crown rights over what I do on Sunday, but Tuesday is mine. Is your God a God of the hills? So what do you think the Syrians then thought? Well, if they're the gods of the hills, we'll fight them in the plains.

Guess what happened? They lost on the plains too. This is a fundamental error for people, misunderstanding sovereign authority. When Jesus says, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, he means all authority over your life.

He means on Thursday. He means on Friday. He certainly means on the Sabbath day. He means for your religious life, your ethical life, your business life, your political life, Christ has crown rights over you.

Davis speaks to this situation in his commentary there on 1 Kings. He says, by the coming victory, Yahweh will show both goodness to Israel and get glory for himself. In other words, why is God going to bless Ahab and Israel and help them defeat the Syrian army? Well, because he's going to show his goodness and he's going to get glory for himself.

The latter is the primary concern in verse 28. It's intriguing. Two occasions in 1 Kings 20, God says, or the prophet says, that you may know that Yahweh is God. He's not speaking to the Syrians there.

Guess who he's speaking to? Ahab and the Israelites. Who needs that lesson that Christ has absolute, unrivaled, unparalleled majesty and authority? It's the church.

We know the pagans don't think he has any sway over anything else. It's getting church people to remember that all authority in heaven and earth means all authority in heaven and on earth. I don't know why it is we stumble with that little phrase there. But he says, the latter is the primary concern in verse 28.

Syrian foolishness has distorted the truth about Yahweh, casting him in the image of a Hamjan pagan deity. When Israel levels them on level ground, Yahweh shall have exposed their theological nonsense for what it is. They move from the hills where they lose and they accredit it to Yahweh being the God of the hills. Let's move it out onto the plains.

Let's move it out onto flat ground. They lost again. What's Davis say there? Yahweh shall have exposed their theological nonsense for what it is.

Now after disaster number two, with reference to the Syrians, they now have an opportunity to see the truth about Israel's God if they will learn the lesson. He's not just the God of the hills, and he's not just the God of the plains, he is the God of heaven and earth. He has absolute sovereign authority. But Davis points out what I mentioned earlier.

However, the man of God or the prophet stresses the impact the prophecy and the victory should have upon Israel. And you shall know that I am Yahweh. Frequently, it is God's professed covenant people who most need convinced of Yahweh's power and omnipotence. We may stand within Israel's camp, but keep lapsing into Syrian modes of thinking.

Let's sink in for just a moment. How many of you, if not doctrinally would confess this, practically evidence this? Christ is Lord when I'm at worship, but I can live like Belial is Lord the rest of my life? I can live and function and move and have my being without any regard whatsoever to the sovereign authority of King Jesus Christ?

I can just remove him from my thoughts. I can pretend that he's just not there. I can live life as if he's just sort of an accouterment to my already busy life. I'll throw him on.

I'll tack him on on Sunday. I'll do my religious bidding. I'll fulfill my moral obligations, but not twice on Sunday, just once. And I will continue in my rebellion against his authority.

I wonder if we have lapsed into the Syrian mode of thinking. It's an intriguing thing because the Book of Revelation deals with not just religion, but it deals with politics. And, you know, whatever your view on the beasts are or is, we're not going to get into all that. But most see, at least in one beast, a political power of some sort.

That's as vague as I can make it without offending everybody. Political power of some sort. Everybody sees that. unless you're really whacked out and it's really, really literal and that's actually a physical monster that emerges from the Mediterranean Sea. Most people don't see it that way.

They see the beast as some sort of political foe. Isn't it intriguing when John writes his opening greeting to the saints that he is writing to that are in this current situation, that are suffering under oppressive regimes, he describes Jesus Christ as the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. So I think at the very outset, John is saying to them, by way of this greeting, whatever those beasts are doing, they're under the sway and power and command of King Jesus Christ. We saw it the other night in our Bible study, in 2 Kings chapter 19.

Sennacherib rises up and he boasts. Look at what I've done. I've bashed or battered the cedars of Lebanon. I've dug wells.

I've conquered peoples. I have done all these things. And Yahweh says to him, haven't you heard? That was me.

I raised you up, Sennacherib. I raised up Assyria. I used you to chasten and discipline my erring covenant people. And now that you've boasted, and now that you've risen up in rebellion against me, I'm gonna put you down just like I put them down.

Now, that's the Jim Butler paraphrase, but that's precisely what he does. You see, brethren, truncated views of the authority of Jesus Christ lead people into a whole host of bad things. It leads people into a whole host of bad, bad things. We need to see the crown rights of Jesus Christ in every area of our lives.

We don't pick and choose what authority will allow Him to rule or reign over us.

Authority Is Active, Not Passive

Thirdly, we ought to appreciate, with reference to this authority of Christ in Matthew 28, 18, that it's not a passive waiting in heaven type of authority. but it is an active exercise of his universal lordship in calling these apostles to go and to disciple the nations. In other words, we don't have an absentee king. We don't have a king in name only, but we have a king, and he rules over his church. He spoke to his church in the first century context.

He has promised his presence with us until he comes again, and we are to be about the task that He is entrusted to our care. He's not passive. He's not just watching from some distant cosmic perch. He is active.

He is present. He is Emmanuel. While the church engages in what she's supposed to, with reference to disciple-making that is attended by baptism and teaching, while the church does that, her ever-present Lord is her ever-present Lord.

Authority as Triumph Over Enemies

Fourthly, we ought to appreciate that the authority of Christ is a further demonstration of his triumph over his enemies. I mean, I say a further, I had a demonstration or the demonstration, but the fact that he left the tomb showed victory over his enemies. But this assertion or declaration concerning his absolute authority over all things in heaven and on earth is another demonstration of his victory over his enemies. Consider his earthly enemies.

What did they do? They plotted back in Matthew 12 to destroy him. Even prior to that, they engaged with him confrontationally. We could say that he was rejected in his earthly ministry.

We can certainly see that he was betrayed by these wicked men and assisted or aided by Judas Iscariot. We see that these wicked men then had him crucified, nailed to a cross. They mocked him, particularly his kingship, when he's on the cross. They mock him, they scorn him, they deride him, and then he is risen from the dead.

Isn't that a beautiful display of the absolute authority of Jesus Christ and his triumph over his earthly enemies? But consider his hellish enemy as well, the devil. Remember way back when, for those of you who actually care, we started Matthew in 2011. Now there's probably one or two ways you can take that.

You mean he's punished us for that long? Or two, well, that was a long time ago. I don't think that was an every Sunday, you know, visit with Matthew, but it's been a while. But if you go all the way back to Matthew four, the devil tempted Jesus and promised him something, didn't he?

You see all this? You can have it all. It can all be yours if you just bow down to me and you worship. That's not what Jesus did.

Jesus obeyed the Father. I think R.T. France explains this concept well. At the beginning of the gospel, Satan offered Jesus sovereignty over the whole earth, but his offer was refused.

Now Jesus, going the way of obedience to his Father's will, even to the cross, has received far more than Satan could offer. He has all authority in heaven and on earth.

Authority in Christ's Mediatorial Office

Fifthly, we ought to appreciate the authority of Christ here is not his due to his being the second person of the Trinity, but this authority is conferred upon him in his mediatorial office. It's not as God the Son, or the second person rather, of the Trinity, that this is conferred upon Him. Because as God, He's always been and He's always had absolute authority. It's in His capacity, in His office, in His role as mediator, specifically seen in Prophet, Priest, and King.

It's in that capacity that Christ has this authority. Our confession indicates this, which office, mediator and surety, he took not upon himself, but was thereunto called by his father, who also put all power and judgment in his hand and gave him commandment to execute the same. John Gill explains, which is to be understood of him, this assertion of his all-authority-ness, which is to be understood of him not as God, who has the same original and underrived power and authority over all creatures and things in heaven and on earth, as the Father has, but as mediator, to whom all things are delivered by the Father. This is the way you are to understand Ephesians 1 and Philippians 2 and Colossians 1.

Persons sometimes are perplexed and say, well, isn't Jesus God? Didn't he already have all authority and power? He is receiving this in his mediatorial office as the God-man, as the messianic king, as the ruler over this kingdom. It was prophesied of him concerning this in Isaiah 9, 6.

What's one of the things we confess? Not only along with his blessed names, but the government shall be on his shoulders. Isn't that the case? Isn't that precisely what we find in this assertion of absolute authority?

We see fulfillment. We see realization. We see what was anticipated concerning Christ the mediator in old covenant prophecy is now brought to pass after the resurrection. Jesus says, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Again, Ephesians 1, Philippians 2, Colossians chapter 1, and then 1 Corinthians 15, 28. When Christ delivers up the kingdom to the Father, he will then subject himself to the Father. That's not according to his deity, that's according to his manhood, with reference to his place as mediator submitting to the Father. There's no ontological distinction with reference to the persons of the triune God, but with reference to function, the son willingly submits, the son willingly subordinates himself, the son willingly takes to himself the office of mediator and surety, and it's based on that reality that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him.

Authority Fulfilling Daniel 7

Sixthly, the authority of Christ echoes Daniel 7, 13, and 14. I actually didn't ask Pastor Porter to read Daniel 7, 13, and 14 this morning. He intuited that that might be a crucial text when we came to the Great Commission. Daniel 7, 13, and 14 is played out right before your eyes.

What does Daniel 7, 13, and 14 tell us? One, like the Son of Man, came to the Ancient of Days. When he came to the Ancient of Days, Absolute sovereignty was given to him. That's his declaration in verse 18.

What's he do with that absolute sovereignty? According to Daniel, we read. And I was watching in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him.

Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom." That's what we see here in verse 18. That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. That's what we're going to see in verse 19. Go therefore and make disciples of who?

All the nations. You see, behind this is a great swath of biblical teaching from the Old Testament. Psalm 2, ask of me, the Father says, and I will give you what? The nations for your inheritance.

You see, the Father's already given that to the Son, so that when the Son sends forth the apostles, we're just supposed to obey. We're not supposed to go, well, is this tribe or is this people or is this group? What's he say to Paul in Corinth and the book of Acts? He tells Paul, don't fear, don't fret, I have many people in this city.

The Father's already gifted this to him. The job of the church is to go out and preach, teach, make disciples, baptize them, add them to the church and teach them how to think God's thoughts after him. That's the emphasis. Daniel 7, 13, and 14 is a specific echo in our text here.

Authority and Matthew's Kingship Theme

Seventhly, the authority of Christ summarizes Matthew's emphasis on the kingship of Christ. I think verse 1 of Matthew's gospel sets the stage for everything. He is son of Abraham. He is son of David.

This all-nations focus should make you think Abraham. I mean, get to the point where you just think that way. All nations, Jesus' language, Abraham, Genesis 12, Genesis 13, Genesis 17, Genesis 22, Genesis 18. You remember that scene in Genesis 13?

God says, I want you to look north, I want you to look south, I want you to look east, I want you to look west. You're gonna inherit all of it. Well, Paul tells us in Romans 4.13 that Abraham would inherit the world. Not just Palestine, not just Israel, not just the land of Canaan, the world. all the nations of the earth will be blessed in you.

Not because of Abraham intrinsically, but because of the seed of Abraham, who is Jesus Christ, according to Paul in Galatians chapter three. So when we read son of Abraham in Matthew one, we ought to think Christ, mission to the nations. But when we read that he's son of David, we ought to think kingship. Royalty!

And isn't that precisely how Matthew sets him forth? I mean, that genealogy in Matthew's Gospel points us to David. That genealogy in Matthew's Gospel connects Jesus to David. What do we find in chapter 2?

What are the Magi looking for? Good deals in the marketplaces in Israel? They're looking for the King of the Jews. Do you know how many times in Matthew's gospel the Lord Jesus is referred to as the son of David?

The triumphal entry in Matthew chapter 21, in accordance with the prophet Zechariah, when he rides into that city on the foal, the colt of a donkey, when he does that, that's symbolic. He's king, he's royalty. He is David's son. And then, of course, he's mocked for this very claim when he's on the cross by the religious leaders. that he is the one that has them under his toe, under his foot.

He must reign till all of his enemies are made his footstool, including these men that betrayed him, that rejected him, that delivered him up to be crucified and to suffer and to die. And many, many times, hearkening back to the reference in Daniel 7, 13 and 14, one like the son of man came to the ancient of days. How many times did Jesus refer to himself as son of man? And it has the connotation of universal kingship, universal power, universal rule.

So those are seven observations concerning the authority that are more doctrinal in nature.

Authority as Foundation for Mission

The eighth and final is practical in nature, as we get right back into the context. The authority of Christ is the necessary foundation for the apostles and the subsequent ministry of the Church. In other words, he's going to tell them to do something very, very massive. Remember that false narrative had some traction among the Jews.

Jesus wants all nations. Jesus has received all nations from the Father, so he's going to tell his disciples to go to all the nations. to make disciples of all the nations, to baptize because he's building this massive church that's collected from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. He is assembling a great multitude from every corner of this world through the proclamation of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. In order to get persons to do that and to do it with any degree of effectiveness, it is necessary that there be power behind this mandate.

Calvin makes the observation, for no ordinary authority would here have been enough, but sovereign and truly divine government ought to be possessed by him who commands them to promise eternal life in his name, to reduce the whole world under his sway, and to publish a doctrine which subdues all pride and lays prostrate the whole of the human race. In other words, if you go out and you preach the truth, you are going to upset people. You have probably seen that in your own lives, in your own practice. You could tell anybody anything about everything, but the moment you say, I love Jesus, and I love to worship him, they look at you like you're an odd duck.

They may even be violent or antagonistic. At least, you know, we don't see a lot of that, but, you know, if we were living in the Sudan, or we were living in, you know, Saudi Arabia, or we were living in one of those other places, and it were known that we were believers, typically people don't just welcome you with open arms. So Jesus backs the church, as it were, with his authority. It's kind of like telling your kid to go down and buy a loaf of bread, and you tell him, you tell the shopkeeper that I sent you.

I come with the authority of my Father. That's how we go. That's how we minister. We're not disconnected from the head.

The body is not on its own. We are vitally connected to the head. We need to simply obey what Christ has called us to do in this particular passage, and we need to do so with joy.

Application

Well, brethren, in conclusion, I think we learn first with reference to the authority of Christ and the people of God, for the church, we need to obey. We need to do what's commanded here. And I mentioned this yesterday in our theology meeting with the men. It was only men there.

Usually there's men and women, but it was just men yesterday, so I'm not being sexist and a pig. It was just men. This whole idea of the church and what she's supposed to do, Verse 19. Well, should we have this ministry and that ministry and that ministry and that ministry and that ministry?

I'm not necessarily gonna condemn all that, but if we're not doing Matthew 28, 19, all that stuff doesn't matter. It's a very simple mandate. I don't know where we got so confused along the way What's the purpose for the church? Very simple.

Make disciples. Baptize disciples. And wow, can you imagine? Teach disciples.

People want the church to do everything but that. I've heard that complaint about our church. It's all about teaching. It's all cerebral.

Yeah, that's what it's supposed to be. 1 Timothy 3, the church is the house of God. The pillar and ground of the best entertainment. The pillar and ground of the most emotionally comforting words. It's the pillar and ground of the truth.

Brethren, do you know what's important to you with reference to my relationship to you? Is me opening the Bible and preaching truth to you. It really is. You may not always appreciate the way I do it, but brethren, that's what matters.

It's about teaching new disciples to think about the Trinity. to know what justification by faith alone actually means, to know what sanctification's all about and how we ought to get busy living for God. This mission, narrowly defined by our Lord Jesus in Matthew 28, 19, for whatever reason, perplexes the church today. What are we supposed to do? How are we supposed to do it?

Matthew 28, 19, man, make disciples, baptize those disciples and teach them. So when people have said that to me in the past, oh, your church just emphasizes teaching. They mean it as a diss. I'm like, good, praise God.

I'll take that one. If my gravestone ends up saying all he did was preach the word, praise God. I'll feel like I did what I was supposed to do. I would suggest as well, with reference to this all-authority-ness of Jesus, I've highlighted our responsibility to the kingship of Christ, but let's highlight the comfort that this affords.

Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth. Where should we take our weary, battered souls but to our King? Where should we take our difficulties and our trials and our sorrows and our woes, but to our King? Where should we be frequently in the presence of our King?

We ought to appreciate as well the viability of the Great Commission. When Jesus says what we're supposed to do in verse 19, he grounds it upon his sovereign authority in verse 18. This is why I would suggest that the Great Commission is a viable mission. If it were up to us, if it were up to men, if it were up to any ingenuity on our part, the Great Commission wouldn't have made it out of the first century.

It would not have survived the first century. The first whiff of persecution, we'd have said, well, forget it. The fact that Christ has absolute authority, the fact that Christ has every ounce of authority is the reason for the viability of the Great Commission. Christ will have dominion.

Christ will see the travail of his soul. Christ will be satisfied. Christ will receive the nations. Christ will be glorified.

Christ will be able to present the kingdom to his father so that God is all in all. Brethren, there is a great deal of encouragement and hope in this particular section of Holy Scripture. And I want to end where I kind of began this morning, the legitimate response to our Lord Jesus Christ, according to the disciples' response when they meet him in Galilee, in verse 17, is they worshiped. they worshiped. Brothers and sisters, in the Lord Jesus, consider yourself blessed and privileged that you've been freed from slavery and worshiped to Baal, to worship and serve the living and true God.

Doesn't the Ten Commandments sort of function in that way? The first commandment, you shall have no other gods before me. That may sound like law and harsh and demanding. What's the context?

I am Yahweh, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. I have freed you from that slavery. Therefore, have no other gods before me. True liberty, true joy, true happiness is for the creature to serve their creator.

And in Christ Jesus, we have been freed. And if you are not a believer here this morning and you are a worshipper of idols, whatever they may be, could be mammon, could be bale, could be drugs, could be sex, could be work, could be persons, could be a whole host of things. If none of the above, probably you. That's the last idol to die in any man, woman, boy or girl is the idol of self.

Our favorite word in the English language is me. If that is true of you this morning, the way of salvation is by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. One of the brothers made a great observation yesterday in the theology study. When those Israelites were bitten in the wilderness by those fiery serpents, and Moses erected that brazen serpent, and he told them to look and live, probably those ones bitten didn't say, what do you mean?

How do I know I'm alive? Am I predestined to look? Should I? They just looked.

You get bit by a fiery serpent and somebody tells you to look at that one and you'll live. You don't want to theologically discourse with them. You don't want to talk about the doctrine of predestination. You want to look at that brazen snake so you don't die of poison.

And yet Jesus uses that analogy, says he'll be lifted up just like that snake. And instead of looking and living, many of you want to continue to not do that. Take a cue from the Israelite bitten in the wilderness. When he heard, look and live, he looked and lived.

That's my encouragement to you this morning. Look and live.

Closing Prayer

Well, let us pray. Father, we thank you for your word. We thank you for your graciousness. We thank you for your love and your mercy and your kindness.

We thank you for the all authority that you've given to your son, the Lord Jesus. We thank you that he has absolute power. We thank you that he is our God. And we want to worship in spirit and truth We pray that you would encourage our hearts with these studies, that you would build us up in our most holy faith, and that you would cause us to be faithful to you.

And we pray these things through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. We'll have a brief time of meditation, then I'll come back up and give thanks for the food, and then we can go upstairs for some food and fellowship.

Scripture References

• Genesis 12:3; 13:14-15; 17:4; 18:18; 22:18
• Deuteronomy 3:24; 4:39; 10:14
• 1 Kings 8:23; 20:1; 20:28
• 2 Kings 19:1
• Psalm 2:8
• Isaiah 9:6
• Jeremiah 3:22
• Daniel 7:13-14
• Zechariah 9:9
• Matthew 1:1; 1:21; 1:23; 2:2; 4:1; 4:8-9; 8:1; 9:2; 12:1; 12:14; 14:31; 17:1; 21:1; 26:32; 28:1; 28:11-15; 28:15; 28:17; 28:18; 28:19; 28:20
• John 21:1
• Romans 1:4; 4:13
• 1 Corinthians 15:6; 15:28
• Galatians 3:16
• Ephesians 1:20-22
• Philippians 2:9-11
• Colossians 1:16-18
• 1 Timothy 3:15
• Revelation 1:5