God With Us

By Alessandra Velsor

“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”—Matthew 28:16–20 (NIV)

Congratulations, you’ve been hired! Let’s pretend you just started a job without clarity about your new role. You’ve also been given conflicting instructions and are unsure about what to do. Your boss doesn’t know the answers to your questions and defers to others to guide you, which makes you question his authority in the first place. Therefore, the next time he asks you to do something that doesn’t make sense, you’ll doubt if he knows what he’s talking about. You're nervous about doing what you’re told, and then being told to undo it because you were led in the wrong direction. This uncertainty brings a lack of security and faith and makes you strongly consider quitting.

Thankfully, this isn’t the case with Jesus! We can find security and faith in what He tells us to do. He confidently states He has all authority from the Father to commission us into His mission. And His mission is clear and concise: Go and make disciples! There is still so much work to do to reach those corners of the world that have yet to learn about Jesus. Did you know the Bible has not been translated into all the languages? Unfortunately, 1 in 5 people worldwide still don’t have the Bible in their native tongue. There’s an estimate of almost 4,000 languages without any Bible translations at all!

Perhaps learning other languages isn’t your gift, but what about simply reaching out to your neighbors and developing a meaningful friendship with them? The mission field isn’t limited to global ministry, there’s many opportunities for us to make disciples locally. The mission is right here, located in any place with people.

Friends, that’s a lot of places that require a lot of disciples to visit and have influence.

We may have come to the end of our study of the Gospel of Matthew, but this is just the beginning of the church’s rich history that continues! Jesus’ earthly mission was never over when He physically left His disciples. Instead, He appointed them to carry on the mission, and He has also appointed YOU with a clear vision and strategy to reach those who need the good news.

Jesus trained and prepared His disciples for this moment, and we’re now invited to be part of this movement. But training is essential! To be immersed in the Word of God, to find community, and to welcome accountability count as major keys to the door of discipleship. You don’t become a disciple by simply accepting Christ into your heart; to become a disciple requires following Jesus with other believers in the community while encouraging each other to fulfill the mission of evangelism. To make disciples requires the math of multiplication. As A.W. Tozer once said, “Only a disciple can make a disciple.”

But know you’re not to do this alone. This holy book ends by bringing us full circle and reminding us of a promise made at the birth of Jesus in Matthew 1:23 (NIV), “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

Notice His promise to be with us “always, to the very end of the age.”Immanuel—God with us. God is with you!

Pause: How does today’s passage apply to you? Do you consider yourself to be a disciple of Jesus?

Practice: Be intentional in praying for one of our missionaries (visit CalvaryFTL.org/Missions to view a list of them). Offer to pray for someone in your community. Serve someone who needs help and tell them it’s all because Jesus loves them. Share your testimony with a friend, co-worker, or neighbor. Commit to the mission, and practice it in small ways!

Pray: Father, thank You so much for all You have taught me throughout this study of the Gospel of Matthew. There’s been so much to learn and apply these last few months, but all has come down to this commission. Guide me in ways I can apply this in my daily life in simple and authentic ways that will produce fruit. Provide me with moments I can share about You with others so they may know Your love for them. Help me be a better disciple so I can disciple those you send my way. Thank You for Jesus and the impact He’s had in my life and the lives of many. May His influence continue to spread until the whole world hears! Amen.