Jesus would never give us an impossible command. Whenever he gives us a task, he provides us with the power to accomplish it (Philippians 4:13,19). Giving us something to do without the power to do it would not only make life frustrating, but it would also NOT be the abundant life he came to give us.
Here’s the thing: God created us to do good works (Ephesians 2:10). Through his commands he tells us what those good works are, through his Spirit he gives us the power to accomplish them, AND the end result is that we step into the abundant life he promises. What could be better than that?!
Arguably the most memorable “good work” Jesus gave us is in Matthew 28. After his resurrection (which is important to note), he called his disciples together and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” You think?! He had just conquered death to demonstrate this! So no one could ignore the next words out of his mouth:
“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” (Matthew 28:18-20).
So that’s what they set out to do. But the work isn’t completed yet and Jesus expects us to continue this work.
See, Jesus’s plan was for his disciples (which include you and me) to spread the good news of abundant life to others; to make other disciples. And while you may not necessarily agree with his plan, there is no Plan B.
I doubt that many of us would ignore an assignment given to us from our boss at work. We might not agree with it, but we would do it. So how can we ignore the King of the universe who will one day return as Judge?
While the command may seem a bit overwhelming, don’t forget that Jesus ends the command with a comforting promise: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” He promises to be with us as we go out on this mission.
This series is intended to help us better understand what true discipleship is. Following Jesus is not about diligently keeping some set of rules or determining to “be a good person.” It’s about loving God and enjoying him. It’s about loving God and loving others. It’s about living life to its fullest, as God designed it to be lived. And as we become more and more in tune with that, the more we will want others to experience it as well. We will want to make disciples.
I encourage you to engage in this series by joining a small group and delving into the discussion questions with others who will challenge and support you to live out our mission together.
Keith Boyd
