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."
Matthew 28:16-20
Before Jesus returned to Heaven, He sent His followers on the greatest adventure of all time: we call it the Great Commission. Most Christians know it well, but few actually follow it -- perhaps we need to take another look. What Christians usually have memorized is Jesus' words in verses 19-20, but the passage really starts before that. Let's get the backstory: a while before this moment, Jesus had given his disciples instructions to gather on a certain mountain away from their normal surroundings. This is the first step for us, too: we need to have such a relationship with Jesus that we will do the relatively small and easy things He asks of us without question. We need to get away from our everyday lives to a special place where we can be with Him and hear His voice.
And what happens when we get there? For the disciples, when they saw Jesus, they had no doubt about who He was. They couldn't help responding to Him with worship, but they still had other doubts. The word is also used of Peter when Jesus rescued him from his failed attempt to walk on water: "Oh you of little faith, why did you doubt?" (Matthew 14:31) It seems to me that after the first step of faith, we inevitably have a moment of wondering, "What on earth was I thinking? I can't do this!" And we're right. Doubt is a key element of any adventure because if we can handle it just fine, there's really nothing adventurous about it. The first step of following Jesus doesn't seem too hard, but once we realize what we've gotten ourselves into, doubt is natural.
But Jesus reassures His disciples and us, "All authority has been given to Me." In other words, He's in control; we don't have anything to worry about. We are right to doubt ourselves, but He is more than enough to compensate for our weakness. We can't go on our own authority, we go in response to His authority, knowing that all that exists is under His command. And His command for us is, "Go." Go down from the mountain, go out into the world, and keep going until you've reached all the nations with the gospel that has changed your life. You will never hear of anyone staying on an adventure. You have to go on an adventure. If you don't go, nothing will happen. For most of us, we will never make the effort to accomplish Jesus' commands, baptizing and teaching, unless we go somewhere -- across the street, at least. It takes active obedience, an effort of will on our part; hardly ever will the unsaved come to us.
Going is scary. It can make a mess of your plans and your comfortable life. You might lose friends. Chances are, you'll run off unprepared or meet up with trouble you don't feel at all ready for. But never fear, Jesus gives His simple reassurance once more: "I am with you always." If we say yes to the discomfort, the misunderstanding of others, the gigantic obstacles at every turn, He will be there every step of the way, even when we feel alone. Oh, He'll be there too if we decide to stay home, but we'll miss out on seeing Him do some amazing things. We'll miss out on Him guiding us through lessons that will make us stronger. We'll never know what kind of great adventure we might have had if we said yes and joined Him where He was working. And at the end? Yes, all His children will go home with Him, but only the ones who chose the adventure will take treasure with them. Are you going? I am!
Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
Psalm 139:7
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