Today's main idea: The risen Jesus has authority over heaven and earth. He sends his followers to help people from every nation become his disciples, gives them the Spirit's power, and promises his presence as they await his return.
Read Slowly
Main readings: Matthew 28:16–20, Luke 24:50–53, and Acts 1:3–11
Notice what Jesus gives his followers before asking them to go: his authority, teaching, promise, blessing, and the assurance of the Holy Spirit. Listen for what they are told to do and what they can entrust to God.
In Day 29, the risen Jesus met his followers and called them to faith. This final day follows that faith into a continuing life of worship, obedience, and witness.
Jesus Gives His Commission to Followers Who Still Need Him
The eleven disciples go to the mountain in Galilee where Jesus directed them. They worship him, though some doubt. Jesus approaches and declares that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him.
The commission begins with who Jesus is. The one who was condemned and crucified now speaks as the risen Lord over all creation. His followers' task rests on his authority.
The disciples still have much to learn, but Jesus entrusts them with real responsibility. We have watched these men misunderstand him, fear danger, and fail under pressure. Now he sends them to help others become disciples.
This gives us a reason to obey while continuing to learn. We can begin with what Jesus has clearly taught, ask for help where we are uncertain, and trust that he is able to use people who still need his care. Our dependence on him belongs within our service.
Remember: I can take the next faithful step because Jesus has the authority to call and lead me.
Jesus Calls Us to Help People Learn His Way of Life
Jesus commands his followers to make disciples of all nations. A disciple is someone who learns from Jesus and follows him. The commission includes going, baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching people to obey everything Jesus commanded.
The scope is wide, and the care is lasting. People from every nation are invited into life with the triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are to be baptized and taught to put Jesus' words into practice.
This helps us understand what it means to help someone know Jesus. We share who he is and what he has done. We read Scripture together, welcome the person into the church's life, and help one another obey him. That may include learning to forgive, tell the truth, pray, or care for someone in need.
The phrase “all nations” also widens our concern. Jesus' invitation reaches people beyond our own background, language, and familiar circles. We can begin nearby while praying and giving toward the work of making him known elsewhere.
Remember: Helping someone know Jesus includes helping them learn to live by his words.
Jesus Promises His Presence for the Whole Journey
Jesus closes his commission with the promise to be with his followers always, to the end of the age. The work is large, but they will have his presence throughout it.
Douglas Sean O'Donnell notes how the commission gathers its message around the repeated breadth of Jesus' words: all authority, all nations, everything he commanded, and his presence for all their days.1 His command is surrounded by assurance about who he is and how faithfully he will remain with his people.
This also recalls Matthew 1:23, where Jesus is called Immanuel, meaning God with us. Matthew begins with that name and ends with Jesus' own promise of continuing presence. The Savior we met near the beginning of this journey is still the one who stays with his people.
When we feel inadequate to help someone, we can remember this promise and pray. We can prepare carefully, speak honestly, and trust Jesus with the result. His presence is a reason to keep serving with patience.
Remember: Jesus stays with his people as they learn his ways and help others follow him.
Jesus Teaches His Followers to Depend on the Spirit
Acts tells us that Jesus appeared to his apostles over forty days after his suffering. He gave them many proofs that he was alive and spoke about God's kingdom, his saving rule.
Jesus then ordered them to remain in Jerusalem and wait for the Father's promised gift. They would soon be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Before their public witness spread, they needed the power God would give.
Waiting was part of their obedience. They had received a mission, but Jesus also set their next step. Their responsibility was to trust his instruction and receive his provision.
This teaches us to approach service prayerfully. We need the Spirit's help to understand, love, speak courageously, and remain faithful. Depending on him can be as concrete as praying before a difficult conversation and asking him to govern both our words and our attitude.
Remember: Serving Jesus begins with depending on the help he gives.
Jesus Gives Them a Mission While the Father Holds the Timetable
The disciples ask whether Jesus will restore the kingdom to Israel at that time. Jesus tells them that the Father holds authority over the times and seasons. Then he tells them what they will receive and do: the Spirit will give them power, and they will be his witnesses.
The places he names carry the mission outward: Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. Their witness will cross familiar boundaries and reach people far beyond the place where they begin.
They can be faithful without knowing the complete timetable. Jesus gives them enough direction for the work ahead. Their calling is to tell the truth about him as the Spirit empowers them.
This is useful wisdom when we want certainty before obeying. We can entrust the future to the Father while taking the responsibility Jesus has already made clear. A neighbor can hear about him. A friend can be invited to read Scripture. A church can support people carrying his message across languages and countries.
Remember: I can leave God's timetable with him and be faithful to the work Jesus has given me.
Jesus Ascends with a Blessing and a Promise to Return
Luke describes Jesus leading his followers toward Bethany, lifting his hands, and blessing them. While he blesses them, he is carried into heaven. They worship him, return to Jerusalem with great joy, and continue praising God in the temple.
Acts describes the disciples watching as Jesus is lifted up and a cloud takes him from their sight. Two men in white tell them that this same Jesus will come again in the same way they saw him go.
Alan J. Thompson explains the ascension as the transition from Jesus' earthly ministry to his heavenly rule.2 The risen Lord continues his work as his followers await the Spirit and bear witness to him. The promise of his return gives their hope a future.
Luke's detail about the blessing is especially tender. Jesus departs while blessing the people he sends. They respond with worship and joy, then return to the place where he told them to wait.
We can follow that pattern: receive his care, worship him, and obey the next instruction. Hope in his return gives us reason to serve faithfully in the present. The Lord we await is the same Jesus we have come to know in these readings.
Remember: The Jesus who blesses and sends his people will return, so I can serve him with hope today.
What We Learn About Jesus
Jesus is the risen Lord with authority over heaven and earth. He wants people from every nation to become his disciples, and he cares about the way they live as they learn from him.
He provides for the people he sends. His presence, the Spirit's power, and his blessing sustain their work. His ascension leads into his continuing rule, and his promised return gives his followers lasting hope.
How the Readings Fit Together
Matthew tells us what Jesus commissions his followers to do and assures us of his presence. Luke shows his blessing and their joyful worship. Acts explains the forty days of instruction, the promised Spirit, the outward reach of their witness, and the assurance that Jesus will return.
The beginning and end of this series also belong together. In Day 1, we encountered the suffering servant and the hope of God's victory. Psalm 22:27–31 looks toward the nations turning to God and a coming generation hearing what he has done. Now the crucified and risen Jesus sends his followers to all nations. The movement from suffering to worldwide worship helps us see the breadth of God's saving purpose.
Thirty studies have brought us to a continuing invitation. We keep knowing Jesus by listening to Scripture, trusting him, obeying his teaching, and helping others follow him. The series ends with his promise of presence accompanying that life.
Take a Moment with Jesus
- Which teaching of Jesus from this journey needs to become a more consistent part of my daily life?
- Who could I help take one step toward knowing him, and what would patient care for that person look like?
- What uncertainty about the future can I entrust to the Father while obeying the direction I already have?
Prayer
Jesus, you are the risen Lord, and I want to keep following you. Thank you for your presence and for the Spirit's help. Teach me to obey what I have learned, love people beyond my familiar circle, and help others know you. I entrust the future to you. Keep me faithful and hopeful as I wait for your return. Amen.
One Thing to Do
Invite one willing person to read a Gospel passage with you this week. Choose a passage from this series, arrange a specific time, and ask together: What does this show us about Jesus, and how can we respond? Pray for the Spirit's help before you meet.
Carry This with You
Jesus sends me to help others know him, and he promises to stay with his people. I can keep learning, obeying, and serving with hope because the risen Lord is faithful.
Related studies: Matthew 28 study and Acts 1 study
Sources Consulted
Source citations
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Douglas Sean O'Donnell, Matthew commentary, The Gospel Coalition, section “The Great Commission.” On the repeated scope of “all” and the connection between Immanuel and Jesus' final promise of presence. ↩
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Alan J. Thompson, Acts commentary, The Gospel Coalition, section “Understanding the Kingdom.” On the ascension, Jesus' continuing rule, and the certainty of his return. ↩
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