THE RISEN KING AND THE ROYAL COMMISSION (Matthew 28)

THE RISEN KING AND THE ROYAL COMMISSION (Matthew 28)

H. A. IRONSIDE

MATTHEW 28 - ON the morning of the feast of the first fruits, the first day of the week following the first sabbath after the Passover, Jesus was raised from the dead and so became the first fruits of them that slept (Leviticus 23:9–14; 1 Corinthians 15:20, 23).

His resurrection is the proof that redemption has been accomplished. Because of His perfect satisfaction in the work of His Son, God raised Him from the dead (Acts 4:2) and seated Him at His own right hand, thus acknowledging Him as Lord and Christ (Acts 2:33, 36). 

Jesus had fulfilled His words when He declared that if they destroyed the temple of His body, He would raise it again in three days. The resurrection is attributed to the Father (Hebrews 13:20), to the Son (John 2:19–21; 10:17, 18), and to the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11). The entire Trinity had part in that glorious event, the supreme miracle of the ages, when He who died for our sins rose again for our justification.

   MATTHEW 28:1-10 - “The angel of the Lord descended from heaven … and rolled back the stone.” This stone was not rolled back to let the risen Lord out, for He had left the tomb already. No barriers could restrain Him in His resurrection body. It was to let the women and the disciples in, that the tomb was opened.

“His countenance was like lightning.” Angels are supernatural beings, pure spirits, who assume the human form at will and can disappear suddenly. “Like lightning” is suggestive of those who are said to be as “a flame of fire” (Hebrews 1:7).

“For fear of him the keepers … became as dead men.” In their fright at the appearance of this celestial messenger, the hard, sturdy soldiers of the guard fainted away, unable to look upon his terrifying countenance.  

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations … in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” This gives the primary commission. The command is to teach, or make disciples, of all nations. The words “baptizing them” are secondary. It was not to baptize that they were sent, important as that is, but to instruct the nations in the way of life. Those receiving the Word were to be baptized as the outward expression of their faith. 

  The baptismal formula was in the name of the Trinity, as was their preaching and teaching—not in the names, but the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Each Person of the Godhead had and still has a part in the work of salvation; therefore all are recognized and confessed in Christian baptism. The Father sent the Son, who gave His life in the power of the Eternal Spirit. 

  “All things whatsoever I have commanded you.” During the forty days between His resurrection and ascension, Jesus unfolded to His disciples the program He would have them carry out, and gave the commandments which they were to teach to the people of all nations (Acts 1:2, 3). “Lo, I am with you alway.” His presence by the Spirit was promised to all who sought to carry out His commission. “Even unto the end of the world.” The last word is really “age.” It refers to a time-world, rather than the material universe. Strictly speaking, the age to which He was referring will not end until He appears in glory to set up His kingdom over all the earth, but the period of the calling of the Church from Pentecost to the Rapture is included necessarily in that word “unto.” During all that time from the hour in which He spoke these words to the bringing in of the Kingdom age, the gospel is to be preached, and His Spirit will be with His faithful messengers, to enable them to proclaim the message in power for the blessing of mankind.  

  The Great Commission to evangelize the world is not given as a whole in any of the Gospels, but we need to take all related passages in the three Synoptics and in Acts 1 to get it in its entirety. There are different aspects of the commission which are emphasized in each place. Then, in addition, we have the Lord’s command to the eleven as given in John 20. These all agree in this: that it is our responsibility to carry the message of grace to all men everywhere, while we wait for our Lord to return, according to His promise. In keeping with the character of Matthew’s Gospel as setting forth the King and the kingdom, the commission as given here has specially in view the bringing of all nations to acknowledge the authority of Christ, and proclaim their allegiance by baptism into the name of the Holy Trinity. In its fullest sense this commission has never been fulfilled as yet. It will be completed after the Church age has ended, and a Jewish remnant will carry out the Lord’s instructions preparatory to setting up the kingdom. But this does not relieve us of our responsibility to carry it out as far as possible in the present age. Mark stresses the importance of faith on the part of those who carry the message, which was to be authenticated by “signs following.” Luke, both in his Gospel and the Acts, links the subjective with the objective—repentance on the part of the sinner, forgiveness on the part of God. John dwells on the authority of the risen Christ who commissions His servants to proclaim remission of sins to all who believe and retention of sins to those who spurn the message. 

  Matthew closes with the Lord sending forth His messengers. We do not read of Christ’s ascension here. This is significant, for it is the King commissioning His ambassadors that the Holy Spirit desired to emphasize. The last we see of Him, He is directing His representatives to go to all nations, calling upon men and women everywhere to acknowledge Him as their Saviour and become subject to His will.  

We may well be exercised as to this, for we are called to be ambassadors for Christ.This is the title Paul gives to those who seek to carry out our Lord’s instruction as to evangelizing the nations (2 Corinthians 5:20). While our Saviour Himself is personally in heaven, seated on the right hand of the divine Majesty (Hebrews 1:3), we are called to represent Him in this world, going to rebels against the authority of the God of heaven and earth, and pleading with them to be reconciled to Him who sent His Son in grace that all men might have life and peace through Him. We are unfaithful representatives indeed if we fail to respond to the command laid upon us, and allow our fellow-men to perish in their sins unwarned and knowing not the way of life.