Focus 2020 – The Great Commission: Perspectives from LeadersSample

The Day After 

Bible passage: 

When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. (Matthew 28:17) 

Devotional: 

For years they had walked in sync with His steps; looking down as the dust His sandals kicked up landed on their toes. They listened as he strung words together in a way they had never heard before. Swirls of excitement and hope never left their chest for three years as they followed Jesus. And in the most intense set of days they had ever known, they woke up to His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. And still another morning came. The hardest decision yet would be made the day after. 

Jesus’s charge to “go” didn’t fall on the ears of totally equipped, sold-out, gifted believers. In fact, Matthew 28:17 tells us his words settled on a crew of doubters who worshipped anyway: 

“When they saw Him, they worshipped him; but some doubted.”

And knowing full well those insecurities and doubts, Jesus spoke his Great Commission over them anyway. Trusting that on the day after, he would find them not miraculously changed, but unswervingly obedient. 

I imagine the heaviness as the squinting eyes that strained to catch last glimpses of Him in the clouds turned to refocus on the ground beneath their feet; the road back home without Him. With each step made in silence, His words crept into their minds. “Go and make disciples...” They who had followed must now learn to lead.  

And today, without the memories of sharing life and breath with the Savior, we are asked to be just as obedient. In moments of high emotion that still tighten our throats as they make passes in our memories, we said yes to His call. With faces in heaven that we felt responsible for we boldly dreamed of what lay ahead. However, the sun set, and we woke up on the day after. With our minds cleared, we realized our task in the Great Commission is not to put our hope in our ability to do, feel, and be, or to execute anything on our own merit, strength, or ability. Our task in the Great Commission is not to achieve Christian celebrity status. Our task is to remember that when the 2000-year-old call to “go” finally reached our ears, Jesus understood it would reach those who would still doubt; still be found lacking. His strength was never dependent on us. Our task is to, like the disciples, be unswervingly obedient. To keep taking steps that are born out of strength we can’t take credit for. Because the call is still the call, no matter my strength. And the world will still need to hear on the day after. 

Question: Have you been allowing doubt in your ability prevent your obedience to what God is asking you to do? 

Denise Beck 

Executive Director, Velvet Ashes