The Great Commission

Deep Dive into The Great Commission by Michael MoralesThe church's active engagement in the Great Commission stems from a renewed vision of Jesus Christ in all His glory and splendor. Matthew's Gospel strikingly concludes not with an ascension, but with a powerful image of Jesus already exalted and reigning at the Father's right hand, a foretaste of His heavenly glory. This scene on a mountain is a Mount Zion image, signifying that Old Testament hopes for God's reign, the regathering of nations, and everlasting peace are beginning to be realized through Jesus and His church.Jesus's declaration of "all authority has been given to me in heaven and on Earth" is central. This authority is a direct gift from God the Father, a consequence of Jesus's "awful Dreadful humiliation" and atoning sacrifice on the cross. Through His shed blood, the nations, previously under the "sway of the evil one" and in "spiritual exile," were purchased as His "possession" and "inheritance". This fulfills God's promise to Abraham and reverses the judgment of the Tower of Babel, drawing scattered nations to worship God rather than engaging in perpetual war.Therefore, the church is commissioned to "Make Disciples of all the nations," baptizing and teaching them. This involves bringing them into loving obedience to God, which is seen as a "gift of the father to the Son and the loving Obedience of the Nations is the way the son honors the father." The church goes "with" Jesus, empowered by His promised enduring presence until the mission culminates in His return and the ushering of nations into eternal life in a new heavens and new Earth. A diminished vision of Christ leads to a lethargic church, underscoring the critical need to "see him, look to him" in His exalted glory.Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologianhttps://buymeacoffee.com/edi2730