By paying attention to “all” Jesus says in these last words to His disciples, we get a full picture of Jesus and His relationship, not only to the Father and the Spirit, but also to us.
The first Sunday after Pentecost is traditionally a time when the Church considers the mystery of the Trinity. There are two ways of getting at it. One approaches the question “from above.” This method explores the internal relations of the Father, Son, and Spirit with the language of substance and essence. This is the way of the fourth and fifth century as we have it in the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds. It does well to guard against the Arian heresy that diminished the divinity of Jesus.
The other way of thinking about the Trinity approaches questions about who God is and what He does “from below.” Rather than exploring the internal relations between the three persons, this approach focuses attention on Jesus’ words and actions as the people of His day heard and saw Him.
The Gospel reading from the end of Matthew 28 offers a possibility for both approaches. The former might focus attention narrowly on “the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” into which Jesus was sending His people to baptize all nations (28:19b). The latter might take a broader look at Jesus’ parting words to the disciples. I will suggest an approach “from below” by noticing a recurring theme in Jesus’ words as they are recorded in verses 18-20.
What is the theme? Jesus’ use of the adjective “all” (πᾶσα ἐξουσία... πάντα τὰ ἔθνη... τηρεῖν πάντα ὅσα ἐνετειλάμην ὑμῖν... πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας). By paying attention to “all” Jesus says in these last words to His disciples, we get a full picture of Jesus and His relationship, not only to the Father and the Spirit, but also to us.
All Authority
This first “all” modifies authority. All authority, Jesus said, has been given to Him. We see evidence of this throughout His ministry. In Matthew 8, the Centurion described what it was like to have authority. When he spoke, people under him obeyed. The same goes for Jesus. When Jesus spoke, creation obeyed. This became even clearer in Matthew 9. There, Jesus demonstrated His authority to forgive sins by exerting His healing power over the paralyzed man’s legs. Again, Jesus speaks and creation obeys.
But Jesus often kept His authority hidden. This was most obvious in the Garden of Gethsemane. When the disciple tried to fight back against His captors, Jesus made it clear that He was still in charge: “Do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once send Me more than twelve legions of angels” (Matthew 26:53)? What was hidden in His death, however, became known in His resurrection as the Father vindicated Him as both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36).
What was hidden in His death, however, became known in His resurrection as the Father vindicated Him as both Lord and Christ.
All Ethnicities
The second “all” is about the scope of the commission Jesus was giving to His people. He was sending them to make disciples of all ethnicities (τὰ ἔθνη). “Nations” may not be the best translation since it calls to mind the modern nation-state. Jesus was talking about all groups, all cultures, and all peoples.
This “all” reminds us that the Church has been sent to more than those who look, sound, and smell like the members of your congregation. This is a challenge for many congregations. Martin Luther King’s lament that Sunday morning is the most segregated hour of the week remains in many congregations. This needs to be addressed one congregation at a time, and it requires taking serious this second “all” in Jesus’ parting words (for a thoughtful and substantive exploration of the ethnic make-up of several conservative American church bodies, and a call to become a truly “catholic” church, see this presentation).
All the Commands of Jesus
The third “all” gets to the message of Jesus. He was sending His people to teach all people to keep all He had taught. This includes not only all the information He taught, but also all the behaviors, and all the character traits, and all the attitudes which make us rightly and fully human in relation to God and to the world around us.
There are two ways to take this. On the one hand, we cannot hold back. If Jesus’ resurrection from the dead means anything, it means everything He said is good, right, and true. We are called to teach it all, even if it seems counter-cultural or out-of-date. On the other hand, we are not at liberty to proclaim as the teachings of Jesus anything that goes beyond what we have in the apostolic witness. While there are many things we may wish Jesus would have said, we are are compelled to say no less and no more than what we have been given in the Scriptures.
All the Days
The fourth “all” gets to the Gospel promise. The last thing Jesus told His people is that He would be with them “all the days” (πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας) until the end. I find the literal translation more comforting. Jesus is with us on all the days; the good days and the bad days, the boring days and the busy days, the days we wish we could stay in bed and the days we cannot wait to get started.
What makes this promise good news is that Jesus will be with us in mercy and grace. His forgiveness knows no bounds and His mercy is new every morning. He has sent us another Helper, His own Spirit, to be with us, to be in us, and to bear fruit through us. This promise not only assures our eternal safety and well-being, but it assures us that all the days of our lives will be filled with purpose and value as we live in Jesus.
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Additional Resources:
Craft of Preaching-Check out 1517’s resources on Matthew 28:16-20.
Concordia Theology-Various helps from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO to assist you in preaching Matthew 28:16-20.
Lectionary Kick-Start-Check out this fantastic podcast from Craft of Preaching authors Peter Nafzger and David Schmitt as they dig into the texts for this Sunday!
The Pastor’s Workshop-Check out all the great preaching resources from our friends at the Pastor’s Workshop!
