Day 18

Our Savior’s Great Commission

from the Because He Lives reading plan


Matthew 28:16-20, Daniel 7:13-14, 2 Corinthians 5:1-21

BY Erin Davis

Allow me to show you two snapshots of my life.

In the first frame, I am a new believer on a mission trip to Jamaica. Our team went door to door handing out bags of seeds and sharing the gospel with any natives who would listen, a venture that was terrifying for me. First, the idea of talking to strangers (much less strangers in a foreign country) was intimidating. Second, sharing my faith scared me so much that I lied and claimed I had the spiritual gift of intercessory prayer. While the team knocked on doors, I stood at a distance and pretended to pray. Lest you desire to give me the benefit of the doubt—don’t. I lied about spiritual gifts to get out of sharing the good news, one of many reasons I am gobsmacked by the goodness of God’s grace.

Snapshot two is more recent. I was invited to speak in a remote fishing village in Alaska. I would be dropped by bush plane into a region with no phones, where I would teach a native people group who were openly hostile to the gospel. My knees still knocked. My palms were plenty sweaty. But I went and delivered the good news to anyone who would listen—and a few who didn’t want to.

What shifted? I got a bigger view of God.

Here in chapter 28, the book of Matthew comes to a close with an awe-inspiring encounter between Jesus and His disciples. It’s a moment that could have been pulled from the movie Braveheart. The disciples have already scattered in fear during Jesus’s trials. They were nowhere to be found as He was being crucified and murdered. They mourned as His body was placed in a borrowed tomb. And then… they got a bigger view of God too. They felt the earth tremble as an angel rolled the stone away. They peeked inside the empty tomb. They ran their fingers along the scars in His hands. Everything they thought they knew about Jesus expanded, because now they served a risen Savior.

That’s why, when Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (v.18), they knew His words were true. And when He told them to “go,” they got busy going. Believer, aren’t you glad they did?

Church, we have been commissioned to go and tell, to preach and praise, to be disciples and make disciples. And there is only one reason to do it, one truth that will get our feet unstuck: Jesus. Is. Worthy. In this Lenten season may we gain a bigger view of Him. There’s a whole world waiting for us to go and tell.

Post Comments (32)

32 thoughts on "Our Savior’s Great Commission"

  1. Steph C says:

    “For Christ’s love compels us, since we have reached this conclusion: If One died for all, then all died. And He died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the One who died for them and was raised” (2 Cor. 5:14-15). I have not been saved to do whatever I want. I wasn’t rescued so I could live a life of luxury and ease. Jesus Christ died to save me … and billions of other people … in my community, my nation, and my world. My life is His, not mine. I need to live in a way that is most useful to Him. And I need to follow Him. Waiting on Him for guidance instead of diving right into a plan that sounds good. Living my life for Him by serving others and sharing Hope with them.

  2. Monica Davis says:

    Magnifying god today!

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