Come And See! Go And Tell!
Come And See! Go And Tell!
20th August 2023
Matthew 28:16–20 & Deuteronomy 6:4-9
If we are to examine the important features of this text, we might want to acknowledge…
1) WHEN Before ascending to be with the Father Jesus is Co-missioning those who will continue his work
2) WHO Jesus and the disciples
3) WHERE This is literally a ‘mountain-top moment’ – the author of Matthew draws our attention to this as a significant moment by identifying this happened on the mountain.
But let me pause here for a moment…
So far, like with many sermons we start by examining the Bible text, and I’ve offered some exegetical observations.
(very important observations, that display my superior theological training and continuing cutting-edge scholarship!)
But, what does this tell us about how we live our faith?
I’m recognising how much I’ve appreciated the emphasis over these four weeks, looking at a faith practice.
The practice is following Jesus.
And, as part of that practice, the specific emphasis today is on following Jesus by making disciples.
So, I want us to focus on what this means for the way we practice our faith.
If we jump back into the passage, we notice Jesus declares he has precisely what the devil offered in the temptations on that ‘very high mountain’ in the wilderness: authority over everything. (Matthew 4:9).
Jesus had resisted the temptation of the devil, and would not worship him.
Now, having completed his ultimate sacrifice on the cross and having been raised from death, Jesus declares that “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (v18)
Through his obedience, even unto death, Jesus has been exalted by the Father and now has authority over all.
So, how is Jesus going to embody that authority over the world?
What does it look like?
The shocking answer is that this authority of life-giving love is implemented through us - those who follow.
“Go therefore and make disciples…” (v19)
The first disciples are commissioned to replicate the sort of people they are: followers of Jesus.
Followers who are committed, obedient, willing to live in costly ways for Jesus’ sake, and the sake of others.
Their response to the commission by Jesus to replicate themselves allows us to become disciples too.
And so, we must similarly replicate ourselves.
I’m so convinced of the importance of intergenerational discipleship – sharing faith with the generations.
We recognise the importance of ministry with young people children and youth.
I’m so frustrated by Christians who have given up on this Presbyterian tradition, and now just focus their faith on inward-gazing huddles of other middle class people at home…
Let us thank God we prioritise ministry with young people at St John’s, with teams of leaders serving this ministry, and a full-time pastor to lead and coordinate.
The Presbyterian Church in Aotearoa has a tradition of intergenerational ministry, and so it’s good for us to lean into this strength.
The Shema.
“love the Lord your God”
“6Keep these words”
“Recite them to your children
“Bind them as a sign on your hand”
“write them on the doorposts”
These may be old-fashioned mechanisms for reminding how our lives can be shaped, but the point is that this brings together faith and practice;
soul and body;
heart and hands.
Maybe we should be thinking about practices for ourselves that influence our actions and shape our lives.
When commissioning the disciples, Jesus mentions the practice of baptising, and this is about faith AND practice.
A popular definition of Baptism (and Communion – the two sacraments) is ‘an outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible grace’.
Baptism is a work of God, but one we are able to respond to and celebrate with the community of faith we are called to belong to
[another argument for a broad, intergenerational Church, not a narrow echo-chamber].
Practicing following Jesus is about your heart; but baptising people shows us that it’s also open, visible, public.
Jesus was known as a man powerful in word and deed.
(Luke 24:19).
The Presbyterian Church in Aotearoa has been really good at emphasising the proclamation of the word.
More and more, we Christians are interested in expressing our faith through acts of service.
But we need to open our mouth too!
The Great Commission is about us playing the role of Philip who says to Nathanael, “Come and see.”
We mentioned at the start of our Follow Jesus exploration that choosing to follow Jesus is something we do over and over again because we have accepted the initial invitation.
Here, in the Great Commission, the disciples are asked to choose again to follow Jesus, to receive and accept his call again.
Jesus wants all people throughout the world to have someone say, “I have met the One who makes all the difference—come and see.”
And, if we follow Jesus into God’s reconciled world of fellowship, we are inviting others to join in fellowship.
What are the ways we might say “come and see”…?
At home?
In the workplace?
With our neighbourhood?
to our friends and wider family?
We articulate this ongoing practice of following Jesus in our St John’s Mission Statement:
God gathers us to worship and grow our faith
so we can live and share Christ’s hope for our world.
So, what is one practice you could commit to this week to share the invitation of Jesus to come and follow?
We celebrate the many ways we are all able to share this invitation.
We thank God for the special commitment to this made by our friends A&J – who live overseas sharing the invitation to follow Jesus.
Let me finish with a promise.
Elsewhere in the NT Jesus promises his disciples something for this amazing mission: actually someone.
The Holy Spirit will come with power, so that we can go out into the world both declaring and demonstrating that the Kingdom of God is at hand.
Without the Holy Spirit it really is Mission Impossible.
The astonishing thing about accepting Jesus’ invitation, following him in community with other disciples … is that we find ourselves in that restored fellowship of reconciliation that God is working in heaven and earth, the fellowship about which Jesus says, “Come and see.”
The end, or goal, of all this work and practice isn’t to complete a list of tasks, so much as it is to exist in an ongoing community of love.
And we know this is what Jesus himself wants, because he says it:
“And remember, I am with you always,
to the end of the age.”
—Matthew 28:20
Amen.