May 30, 2023

Matthew 28: 19, 20 “Therefore go and make disciples . . . And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (NIV)

Not only does he send us but he goes with us.*

Just before Jesus delivered the Great Commission, Matthew tells us that when the eleven remaining disciples saw him, they worshipped him. But, he adds, some doubted. Put yourself in their sandals. Would doubt be the worst thing you would be feeling at that moment? What’s going to happen to us now, they had to be wondering. What happens next is that Jesus gives them their marching orders. As Max Lucado puts it, “He sent men into all the world, yet equipped them with only bended knees and memories of a resurrected carpenter.”* 

Except that’s not quite accurate. Sure, they weren’t given procedure manuals or brochures to pass out, but Jesus didn’t just tell them where to go and what to do. He made a promise to them – and ultimately, to us – that he would be with them to the very end. It was the reiteration of the promise he made to them before his arrest: “The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14: 26) 

Remember the benediction uttered by the characters in the Star Wars movies? “May the Force be with you.” Jesus doesn’t just send us out with good wishes – he is the Force that goes with us.

Power always goes with a commission.*