Matthew 28:16-20 / What is the Nature of God’s Authority?
A. “But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”
- Authority as Force – Authority can mean “Forceful Domination” or forced coercion. But God already had that authority if he wanted it. This is not the authority that Christ purchased through his sacrificial death and resurrection.
- Authority as Permission – Authority can also mean “Having the Right”, the permission, privilege, or liberty.”
- Authority as Expertise – Finally, authority can mean “Being an expert” on a specific area of study. Jesus earned the liberty to go into the world with a new Kingdom. Not a kingdom defined by forceful dominance, but a kingdom defined by sovereign love.
- Jesus is an Expert in Love: A gift of self-sacrifice for the ultimate good of another.
- Jesus is an Expert on the Human Heart: He knows exactly how we are designed to operate because he created us. He created us to be creatures of love.
B. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
- Disciples are not soldiers who sign up for war, they are ambassadors who are baptized into the love of God. Father, Son, Holy Spirit; the love that exists within the Trinitarian Godhead.
C. Teaching them to observe all that I commanded you;
- What did God command? Love
- Matthew 22:36-40 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
This is what Christ gave us authority to do: To Love
Love is the very essence of the Great Commission