The Great Commission A Fresh Look
Pre-view
When we begin to look at the Great Commission afresh, from
that old perspective of Ezekiel’s Tetramorphs[1]
we get a fresh perspective on mission and evangelism. The Church has always, at least in part,
associated Ezekiel’s Tetramorphs with the four Evangelists. This is the same picture we see in
Revelation: for, as soon as we greet the Tetramorphs of Revelation, the Great
and Holy Book is opened by Jesus.[2] So, as we see the Great Commission from the
broader scope of all four Gospels, and more; we have every hope of finding that
reenergizing and restrengthening of the Church, for which we all yearn, in this
tragic, post-Christian era.
We begin:
Matthew 28:18-20
Jesus came and spoke to them, “All authority is given to Me
in heaven and in earth. While you are
scurrying about, make disciples of all nations: baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to protect and
obey everything I have commanded you: look, I am always with you, even to the
end of the world.” Amen.
Matthew’s perspectives on the Great Commission are rooted in
the final authority of Jesus. As a part
of our daily lives, we are to make disciples throughout the world: not by
missionary zeal, but by love of neighbor.
Two distinct steps are involved in this: baptizing, then teaching, not
teaching then baptizing.
Since the theme of Matthew seems to be forgiveness, this
means that Jesus wants the newly baptized to know that they are forgiven. So, baptism brings two things:
† On our part, a life-long commitment to becoming a more forgiving person every day.
† On God’s part, an eternal commitment to give the Holy Spirit in all His power; so, our becoming more Christ-like (forgiving) is made possible.
† With any honest commitment to forgiveness, comes a concomitant commitment to fight sin in our, as well as in our neighbor’s life; yet, when we fall aside, there is always a community of forgiveness.[3]
Jesus also expects, from all the baptized, a life-long
commitment to learning His things. The
word Jesus uses in not observe (look at): it means to guard (with our lives) or
treasure (with all our hearts) and to heed or obey everything the Spirit will
teach.
† We are all to become ultimate philologists: life-long lovers of learning, so that we would rather die than not search the Scriptures.
For Matthew, the Great Commission is the Authority delegated
with the purpose of making disciples (Christians are defined as disciples, a
community of forgiveness in the Spirit).
Mark 16:15-20
He said to them, “While you are scurrying about, all over the
world, proclaim the gospel to all creation.
He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not
believe will be condemned. These signs will
follow believers: in My name, they will expel demons; speak new languages;
remove Satanists; if they drink any deadly poison, it will not harm them[4];
they will lay hands on the infirm, and they will be well.”
So then, after the Lord had [finished] speaking to them, He
was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. They went out, and proclaimed everywhere, the
Lord working with them, and confirming the Word with attendant signs. Amen.[5]
Mark sees the Great Commission as fearless
proclamation. As with Matthew, this is
not a mandate to missions, rather it is an expectation that believers will
quickly spread throughout the world; so, wherever they find themselves, they
are to proclaim.
Baptism is again seen as part and parcel with belief; a
believing person will be baptized, together with his whole willing household:
wife, children, extended family, servants.
Failure to believe puts oneself in jeopardy of punishment. Failure to be baptized is a strong indication
of unbelief.
The Holy Spirit is attendant to provide whatever
confirmation is necessary to support the proclamation. The proclamation is of the Word, not merely a
message. The Word refers to Jesus: we
are to proclaim Him in the power of the Spirit.
This is not a public speaking course; this is the natural response to
becoming excited about the Father, Son, and Spirit, so that the joy of
Christianity oozes from every pore. The
proclamation of Mark is informed by the philology of Matthew: no learning = no
proclamation; learning = spontaneous proclamation.
† We are all to become ultimate proclaimers: life-long lovers of proclamation, so that we would rather die than not talk about God.
For Mark, the Great Commission is the spontaneous breaking
forth of proclamation from the Spirit through the heart (Christians are defined
as a community that can’t stop talking about God).
Luke 24:25-53
He said to them, “O foolish, and slow hearted to believe all,
which the prophets spoke! Was it not
binding [for] Christ to suffer these things, and to enter into his glory?” So, beginning from Moses and from all the
prophets, he interpreted for them in all the writings the things concerning
himself.
As they drew near to the village, where they going: He appeared
to be going farther. They urged Him, “Abide
with us: for evening is approaching, and the day has already ended. So, He went in to stay with them. Then, it happened, as He reclined with them,
taking the bread, He blessed, and breaking, He served them. Then their eyes were opened; they recognized
Him; but, He became invisible from them.
Then they said to each other, “Wasn’t our heart[6]
burning in us, as he spoke to us on the road, as he explained the writings to
us?”
So, standing up the same hour, they returned to Jerusalem, where
they found the eleven and others gathered together with them, saying that the
Lord was awakened visibly[7],
and appeared to Simon. Then they
reported the events on the road, especially how He was known to them in the breaking
of the bread.
As they were discussing these events, Jesus himself stood among
them, and said to them, “Peace to you.” But,
they were terrified, and in fear, supposed that they saw a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you troubled? Why do arguments boil up in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that I Am,
He. Touch Me, and see: because a ghost
does not have flesh and bones, as you see me have.” While He was saying this, he shewed them his
hands and his feet. Yet they still could
not believe for joy, wondering. He said
to them, “Do you have anything to eat here?”
So, they gave Him a piece of broiled fish, and some honeycomb. Taking [these] He ate in their presence.
Then He said to them, “These are the Words, which I told you,
while I was still with you; that everything written about Me in the Law of
Moses, Prophets, and Psalms, must be fulfilled.”
Then He opened their minds to understand the writings. He said to them, “Thus, it stands written,
and thus it is binding [for] Christ to suffer, and to stand up from the dead
the third day; so that, repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed
in His Name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. Look, I commission you [with] the announcement
of my Father. But, stay in the city of
Jerusalem, until you are imbued with power from on high.”
At last, He led them out as far as Bethany, lifting up His
hands, He blessed them. So, it came about,
in His [gift] to bless them, He was separated from them, and lifted up into
heaven. They, bowing down to Him, returned
to Jerusalem with great joy. Thus, they were
always in the temple blessing God. Amen.
Luke understands the Great Commission as learning to see
Jesus from the Old Testament and from Communion. So far, we have been careful to point out
that the Great Commission is driven by the Holy Spirit: Luke is where that
notion originates.[8] Thus, the first rudiments of Christian
worship are outlined as the intensive growth in understanding: first of the Old
Testament (the Liturgy of the Word); and second, of the Communion (the
pageantry Liturgy of the True Body and like Precious Blood). It is steeping in these for a lifetime that
brings about real growth in grace. Note
that the Spirit’s teaching is based on solid historic facts, not on
sensationalism and imagination.[9] Acts 1 and 2 provide additional details.
† We are all to become ultimate seers, not of a magical false future, but of Jesus in the Old Testament, and in Communion.
† We are to be committed to learning from the Old Testament, and from Communion as the Holy Spirit teaches us. Teaching takes place at such a level that it is cut into us: we become the living book and bread.
For Luke, the Great Commission is the growth in
understanding brought about as the Spirit teaches; so, that we see Jesus in the
Old Testament and in Communion (Christians are defined as the community of Jesus,
the living book and the living bread).
John 21:14-25
Now this was the third time that Jesus was blazed in light
before His disciples, having been awakened from the dead.
So, when they had eaten, Jesus says to Simon Peter, “Simon,
of Jonah, do you love Me (selflessly) more than these?” He answers Him, “Yes, Lord, You know that I
love You (mutually).” He responds to
him, “Graze my lambs.”
He says again to him, a second time, “Simon, of Jonah, do you
love Me (selflessly)? He answers Him, “Yes,
Lord, You know that I love You (mutually).”
He responds to him, “Shepherd my sheep.”
He says to him, the third time, “Simon, of Jonah, do you
[even] love Me (mutually)?” Peter was aggravated,
because He said to him, “Do you [even] love Me (mutually),” for the third
time.” He answered Him, “Lord, You know everything. You know that I love you (mutually).” He responds to him, “Graze my sheep.”
“Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you dressed
yourself, and walked wherever you wished; yet, when you are old, you will
stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you, and will carry you where
you do not wish.” (He said this, indicating
by what sort of death he will glorify God.)
Saying this, He exhorted him, “Follow me!”
Peter, turning, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved, following,
the same one who also leaned on His breast at the Supper, and asked, “Lord, who
is betraying You? Peter seeing him says
to Jesus, “Lord, but what about this man?
Jesus answers him, “If I want him to stay until I return, what is that
to you? You follow Me. So, this Word circulated among the brothers
and sisters, that this disciple does not die.
Yet, Jesus did not say to him [Peter] that he [John] does not die; but,
“If I want him to stay until I return, what is that to you?”
This is the disciple who, witnessing about these things, [is]
also writing these things, so we know that his witness is true. Now there are also many other things whatever
Jesus did, which, if they would be written individually, I suppose that not even
the world itself [were enough] to contain the books being written. Amen.
John perceives the Great Commission from the
Apostolic-servant perspective. Leaders
are easily distracted from their appointed focus and goals. There are only a few additional things
necessary in leaders for fulfilling the Great Commission. It all sounds so simple, until you count the
cost: love, feed, follow.
† Leaders are to love Jesus to the best of their ability, even when they are painfully aware of how far short they fall: it is never enough, no man can ever be adequate to the task.
† Leaders are to spiritually feed, nurture, heal, and protect the sheep at all costs.
† Leaders are to follow Jesus, even unto death.
For John, the Great Commission is the Apostolic-servant
leadership heritage of the Church, leading in love, feeding, and following
(Christians are defined by their love for God and each other, by being spiritually
well fed and cared for, and by the intensity with which they follow the final
authority of Jesus).
Post-view
The Great Commission is all too often thought of in terms of
organizations, and programs. Some
churches are simply organized to death.
There are churches so organized that no one can breathe, there is no
freedom of life in the Spirit, everyone is caught in the constricting coils of
the serpent named organization: that, my friends, is a work of sinful human
flesh.
Mission organizations are all right as long as no one is
dragged into the work by coercion of conscience, by false guilt, or by
delusions of glory. If that is what God
has called you to do, do it speedily with all your strength.
However, the Great Commission does not emphasize either of
these things: organizations or programs.
The whole emphasis of the Great Commission has been stated in terms of
personal and community development and growth: forgiveness, obedience to the
Spirit’s teaching from the Bible, exuberant proclamation that develops
naturally in life, fixation on seeing Jesus in both the Old Testament and
Communion, loving, following, and spiritual feeding.
The Church exists to be what it is, the Body of Christ. The Great Commission flows naturally from the
bodily functions of the Church.
Christians are to be more committed to their personal development, and
to the development of others than they need to be concerned about programs and
stewardship. The true steward is
primarily concerned about developing the whole team to engage in spiritual
warfare.
Frequently, the Great Commission has been treated as a
business and failed miserably, because it is not a business either, it’s a
life. We do not need powerful marketing
campaigns, flashy sales programs featuring babes and hot music, or advertising
that finally identifies the proper way to package Christ.
Where mission organizations operate in the field as
businesses, they find themselves going head to head with commercial
businesses. Soon they discover that they
are no match for real businessmen; then they find that the competitiveness of
business has spoiled all the fruit of evangelism.
Rather, Christians need to practice living as what they
are. This will transform the way they do
business: not the other way around.
People will see the genuineness of their labors, and that will develop
fruit naturally. The business model is
fraudulent and fake.
Evangelism programs are, for the most part, only clever
sales pitches. If these are delivered
without the sincerity of life developing from dedicated Christian commitment
and hard teamwork, they are doomed to failure.
The Christian team will crash in discouragement. The world will come to see Christianity as a
lie.
The Church needs to once again, call men and women of all
ages to personal and team commitment as well as simple Spirit led obedience. Life develops around being and becoming what
we already are by baptism. We gather to
be the Body of Christ soiled and wounded by contact with the world. We worship to be the Body of Christ
nourished, fed, forgiven, and healed. We
go out into the world to be the tangible Body of Christ lifting up the fallen
world to God, and proclaiming forgiveness in the Father, Son, and Spirit
everywhere we happen to go.[10]
The Church is a lot like Charlotte. Her children are blown away, being carried on
the wings of the wind all over world. Everywhere
they go, they take a little piece of Charlotte with them. It’s a sad story, a story that only a pig
will appreciate. The Church’s children
are carried all over the world, more by accident and happenstance than by
design. Everywhere they go, they take a
little duplicate of Jesus with them.
Most folks can spot a fraud coming from a mile away. Our task is to learn to be and behave as a
genuine Christ-like people. We’ve got to
be and become the real deal.[11]
In this desperate hour, the post-Christian era, when the wounded
Church is so desperately in need of spiritual recovery, we need to rethink how
we are going about obeying the Lord.
It starts with me. I
want to strive to be and become a different sort of person. Will you walk with me for one hour?
[1]
We are not surprised that both Ezekiel and John struggle to describe that which
is inherently indescribable. We do not
fail to notice the calf-like comparison with the cherubim. Ezekiel 1:5-10 (man, lion, calf, eagle);
10:14 (cherubim, man, lion, eagle); Revelation 4:7 (lion, calf, man, eagle).
[2]
Which may drop a hint to us that the Bible itself confirms the view of the
early Church that Ezekiel’s Tetramorphs are indeed the four Evangelists. Such a view can only be confirmed, when we
read in Revelation 10 that the Apostle John takes the little Holy Book, a
portion of the Great and Holy Book, and eats it. We believe it is this process of devouring
and digesting a meal of the Divine Book, which has as its product our Gospel of
John. This, then, informs us about the
formational development of all the Gospels, as well as of the whole Bible: The
Bible’s core value is only developed when it is devoured and digested under the
teaching and application power of the Spirit.
As with John, such a lifestyle is sure to create a fire in the belly: it
cannot be otherwise.
[3]
Matthew 6:14-15
[4]
This is metaphor; it refers to imperviousness, a tough hide in the face of
abusive and evil speech, curses, and the like.
It’s the Spirit’s strength to say, “Father forgive them”, when they’re
killing you.
[5]
It makes little difference whether this is or is not included in the
original. Even if it is not part of the
original, it voices the viewpoint of the early fourth century church that this
summarizes Mark’s main point. We are not
simply free to discard or ignore it.
[6]
One heart shared by many is a common experience.
[7]
This is His state of being or existence, the adverb of, to be.
[8]
Luke 11:13; 24:49; Acts 1:8; 2:4; 16-21
[9]
In a sad, yet real sense, the whole Church has been infected by the poison of
Higher Criticism. Even though we fought
against it, the poison has had some impact on our lives. Existentialism, became the common response,
so that none of us completely escaped the wounds of Existentialism. Neo-orthodoxy followed, as scars developed in
the Church. No one escaped this trilogy
unscathed: even our hymnals, hymns, and lexicons are infected with this kind of
thinking. Not that Existentialism and Neo-orthodoxy
were all bad: they were honest attempts of sincere Christians to retain truth
against a daunting foe. Other knee-jerk
reactions included fundamentalism, and much, much more. Nevertheless, Christianity is a walk in the
light, not a leap in the dark. Neither
is there a single point of tangency between time and eternity in Christ alone
on Pesach 33 AD: for Christ has baptized us into Himself, so that there is a
complete continuum of tangency between time and eternity from Adam until the
end: there has never been a time when the Triune God has not actively engaged
the world, a time when mankind was not completely surrounded by the Eschaton. Or what will we say in response to other
evils? Time fails us. We need to recover the Whole….
[10]
I’m pretty sure that this is Alexander Schmemann’s idea, possibly from, Of
Water and the Spirit, or possibly from, For the Life of the World;
but, I’ve been unable to locate the reference.
[11]
White, E. B., Charlotte’s Web, (Harper and Brothers, 1952)
[12]
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