We call this the “Great Commission.” Did you ever wonder why?
There are lots of “commissions” given in the Bible.
God commissions Abraham to go to the Land of Promise. God commissions David as King. God commissions Isaiah and Jeremiah as prophets.
The “Great Commission” is simply the last time that God made such a commission. All the other commissions pointed to this one, and are fulfilled in this one.
Many have pointed out that the commissioning of the disciples echoes many other commissions throughout scripture: Abraham, Moses, Gideon, Samuel, Isaiah, and Jeremiah – among others! God takes weak and inadequate people and calls them (and equips them) with divine power in order to accomplish his mighty purposes for history.
Just in the last chapter, the disciples were scattered – running for their lives (running away from Jesus). Now, Jesus calls them to take his message to the nations.
Matthew’s gospel opened with a reference to Ruth in the genealogy of Jesus. She was one of those unlikely characters. A Moabite – an idolater – one who would be expected to be an enemy and a subverter of God’s people.
But even as God called Ruth to himself and used her to bring salvation to Israel, so also he now calls this rag-tag band of disciples to bring the message of salvation to the ends of the earth...
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