The Great Commission
Matthew concludes his gospel with a passage that we know today as "the Great Commission."
"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.
When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. 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, baptizing 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.'" (Matt. 28: 16-20).
It's a magnificent passage, a passing of the torch, if you will. Christ is commissioning the eleven disciples to take up the work at this point and carry His gospel message to all people. It's a magnificent passage with one exception: the phrase, "but some doubted."
What did they doubt? That it was Jesus? That he was alive? That He was actually standing in front of them? What was it that they doubted? Luke tells us in the opening of his book, Acts, that Jesus, probably knowing that it was going to take considerable convincing to move the disciples from doubt to belief, that, "After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God." (Acts. 1: 3). Luke goes on to tell us of THIS extraordinary event.
"He (Jesus) said to them: 'It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'
After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
They were looking up intently into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 'Men of Galilee,' they said, 'Why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.'" (Acts 1: 7 -11).
I don't know about you, but that event would have gotten my attention! I'm standing there, not altogether sure that this really is Jesus in front of me, still overwhelmed by all of the things that have happened over these past weeks, only half-listening to what He is saying, and then, all of a sudden, He begins levitating up into the air and disappears behind a cloud in the sky! And then there are these two guys dressed in white (where did they come from?!) standing there, very calmly asking me why I'm still hanging around, because Jesus is gone but will be coming back in much the same manner. They are clearly implying that I have work to do and it is time to get to it. I'm looking at their faces, they are looking back at me, and the look on their faces says, "No need in hanging around here. You have work to do. Get going."
And that's the Great Commission. We have work to do. All of us. Time to get going.