6 minute read
MISSION POSSIBLE
As we start our new Presbyterian Women theme of God… ever present, Heather Cochrane takes us through the last verses of Matthew 28 often referred to as The Great Commission. Heather was a global mission worker with PCI for over 20 years. She served for 7 years in Brazil and 15 years in Portugal in a church planting ministry. She is married to James, now the minister of Ravenhill Presbyterian Church, and they have two adult daughters. Heather is currently serving as the Ireland Coordinator for Latin Link.
I think we have all felt lonely at one time or another. A busy work schedule can isolate us from those around, or ill health can confine us to the home. Or what about moving to a new town or to a new job? Surrounded by people yet feeling alone. We may face loneliness from time to time but, as believers, we can rejoice in the fact that we are never truly alone. God accompanies us during periods of illness, difficulty, change, and uncertainty. He is present with us wherever we are called to live out our faith and serve him.
I wonder how the disciples felt as Jesus gathered them at that significant moment, after his resurrection and just before his ascension, to give them instructions on how to carry on the mission he had begun (Matthew 28:16-20). Did they feel alone as they contemplated going into the world without the physical presence of Jesus? Or overwhelmed as they thought about the enormity of the task that lay before them? Or afraid of the opposition, rejection or persecution they would inevitably face? There was perhaps a sense of hesitancy and uncertainty as Jesus gathered them on the mountain in Galilee that day.
Jesus called his small band of followers to continue his mission in the world: the mission of making disciples, by going to all nations, preaching and baptising. What a huge undertaking! How could they even consider making disciples of all nations, taking the gospel into the world, preaching and teaching, without their Lord at their side? But do you notice how the instructions of the Great Commission are nestled between two amazing assurances?
Firstly, in Matthew 28:18 “all authority in heaven and earth has been given to me”. There is nothing in heaven or on earth that does not fall under Jesus’ authority. Everyone in every place is accountable to him. Jesus was not sending out the disciples in their own strength but in his power. And the second assurance, “And behold I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20), must have spurred them on and given them great courage. They could be confident that they would not be alone because Jesus, the great Immanuel (which means “God with us”), had promised to be with them. They were being sent out in the power and the presence of the risen Lord!
The promise to be with them echoes God’s promises throughout the Bible. Just as God promised Moses “I will be with you” (Exodus 3:12) when he called him to lead Israel out of Egypt, he would also be with the disciples as they were sent out to fulfil his mission among the nations. As God promised Joshua that he would never leave him or forsake him (Deuteronomy 31:6), the disciples could be confident that they would not be alone as they continued the mission Jesus began. There are many examples of God calling and promising to be with his people as they were sent out in mission (e.g. Judges 6:16 and Jeremiah 1:8).
The Great Commission and its accompanying assurances of Jesus’ power and presence are for the church in every age.
As we continue to fulfil God’s mission in the world today, we can be confident that Jesus will be with his church, mobilising it for mission. As we seek to make disciples and live as God’s ambassadors on earth, we should be encouraged to know that his presence will sustain us no matter what reaction we face or what difficulties come our way.
Pause for thought:
How do you feel as you consider the enormity of the Great Commission?
What does fulfilling the Great Commission mean in your context?
As we recall God’s presence with his servants in the past, in what ways does this encourage us as we serve him today?
We are all called to share the good news of Jesus with our friends, daily contacts, work colleagues, neighbours and family wherever we are. It is not always an easy task, but we should not forget that the power and presence of the risen Lord will be with us. For over 20 years, an overseas context was where the Lord called me to make disciples. So many times, I felt inadequate, fearful and lacking in courage.
Whether it was trying to strike up gospel conversations with parents at the school gate; or feeling overwhelmed with the task of planting a church in a city where I knew no one; or approaching passersby on the street to ask them to participate in a survey about the Christian faith; or waiting anxiously to see if that person we invited to come and explore faith actually turned up; or sharing an evangelistic message with a group of unchurched women. In all these moments, it was the assurance of God’s power and presence that sustained me.
The promise Jesus gave the disciples is complete. He said, “I am with you always”. In every situation and no matter where God has placed us - in the workplace or school room, in Ireland or Portugal or Brazil, in the home or the coffee shop, the Good Shepherd is with us, leading, strengthening and enabling. As we make disciples, we can be sure that Jesus walks alongside us until the end of the age, until the end of history itself, until he returns! This promise is eternal. His presence is ongoing. What a privilege to participate with God in his mission, a mission that will not fail, because Jesus has won the victory and triumphed over death. It’s a mission that is not impossible because we go in his power and with his presence in obedience to his Word.
Pause for thought:
In what situations have you felt fearful about sharing the good news of Jesus? How can you overcome this fear?
Knowing that we go in his power and with his presence, what will we do this week in obedience to the Great Commission in our context?
