Word of Salvation – Vol.45 No.26 – July 2000

 

The King Reigns

 

Sermon by Rev. S. Bajema on Matthew 28:18-20

Scripture Readings: Rev 7:9-17; Mat.28:16-20 & Lord’s Days 7b & 8

 

Church of our Lord Jesus Christ…

The Gospel according to Matthew is about a King.  Matthew begins his Gospel with stating Christ’s royal family lineage; he then ends it in our text with declaring the King’s own royal right to rule.  In between the beginning of his Gospel and where it ends, Matthew has developed, in an unfolding way, the preparation for this King; the presentation of the Kingdom by this King; and the preaching about the Kingdom from the King.  And Matthew has drawn all these to the ultimate fulfilment of these words with the greatest victory by this King – the death of Christ upon the cross.

It’s important that we note Matthew’s theme, for this makes him different than the other gospel writers.  It’s a difference he has, congregation, because of the kind of congregation he was addressing then.  You see, they were very Jewish.  More than any of the other Gospels, Matthew draws back into the Old Testament to show how Jesus is the promised Messiah who has come as the fulfilment of promise.

Matthew even shows this in the simple description of what Jesus did before He spoke the words about His Kingship in our text.  As verse 18 begins, “Then Jesus came to them and said…!”  Notice, “Then Jesus came to them…!”  Jesus responded to their doubts, of which we read about in verse 17.  He acted in such a way that there could be no doubt of who He was.

This forms the first aspect in the text… WHO JESUS IS.

Congregation, we note that this is happening after Jesus’ death and resurrection.  He has risen victoriously.  In the words of another apostle, Paul, “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that’s above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil.2:9ff)

It’s quite right that now Jesus begins speaking of His power.  In the words of John Calvin, “Christ… had to hold supreme and truly divine power of command, to declare that eternal life was promised in his name, that the whole world was under his sway, and that a doctrine was published which would subdue all high-seeking, and bring the whole human race into humility.”

If He were anyone else, these words would have been the rantings of a mad man.  Even Napoleon or Caesar or Charlemagne, at the height of their conquering powers, could not truthfully claim this!  But here is the God-Man Himself, He who has won against all enemies, physical and spiritual; He is declaring His rightful reign.

Precisely because Jesus has rejected Satan’s offer, because He remained loyal to the Father who had sent him into the world, because He’d been completely obedient to His will in going all the way to the cursed cross, He now has in all its fullness the Lordship over the entire creation.  In the words of John Knox, “He was given heaven and earth to do what He liked with them.”

Congregation, we can think of the word ‘authority’ in our society, and always there’s some limitation.  I mean, no ruler lives forever, does he?  And no ruler has ever been able to keep absolute rule, even in the physical, earthly sense, has he?  But here there’s something else, something so far above and beyond us all that certainly the disciples were no longer in any more doubt.  True, they didn’t receive the fullness of the gifting of Christ until Pentecost.  But already now they were changed men on the inside.  So changed, in fact, that this authority Christ declared is also theirs, as His apostles.

This is a background to our text which we cannot overlook.  It’s the disciples whom Jesus addresses.  Just as it was this same group He would speak to in Acts 1:8, when He said, “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Congregation, the words of our text mark a major change in Christ’s ministry.  Although the disciples may have gone out before preaching the gospel and showing its power in healing, they were only limited and temporary times.  Now, as these eleven men – the foundation of the New Testament Church – are together before the Risen Lord, they are pointed to something they will have, which they just cannot touch or even imagine.  Nothing humanly, nor anything else, can compare to how things will be – it will be so totally different!

Brothers and sister, young people: WHO JESUS IS… now becomes… WHO WE ARE!  The whole character and action of the Church, which is Christ’s Body, is simply the continuation of what is the Head – Christ Himself.  That’s why, as we move on in the text with the declaration of the Great King, we need to understand that the original Greek makes verse 19 begin differently than we have it in the NIV, or in any other translation for that matter!

You see, the word translated “therefore go” seems to indicate a future action.  So something that’s yet to be done.  But it’s more accurate to say, “As you go…!”, since this word is a past continuous.

The King is, through His Body, continuing the glorious witness to Himself, and to His saving work which he has accomplished.  It’s the pointing to the Saviour God the Old Testament often foreshadowed, but also it’s the doing of this in the way of completeness.  Now it’s brought out in its fullest light – because the Light Himself has come!

Congregation, King Jesus says to us, “Be what you are!” In the words of another of the apostles, Peter, in his first letter, “…you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1Peter 2:9)

For example, we may look upon our youth today – there they are packing out the back rows! – and we think of them as the future of the church, and how happy we are that they look like they will give the church a bright future; but they’re also the church today!  Yes, it’s together that we are as Christ to this world – old and young!  As with those disciples, so it is with us today – we are all part of His Church!

The connection between the verses 18 and 19 naturally flow.  For what reason does Jesus declare that He has all authority in heaven and on earth if it isn’t for the reason of exercising that authority?  Paul to the Ephesians puts it like this, “And God placed all things under Christ’s feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” (vs.22f)  If there is one precious truth being lost from the Christian faith today, it’s this very uniqueness and glory of Christ’s Body – the Church.  In fact, haven’t modern churches become so much like the world’s clubs, or societies, or businesses around them – so much full of the here and now?  All those organisations have their visions and mission statements – but what about THE VISION and THE MISSION STATEMENT.

The world around us readily grabs these two spiritual phrases, but they and we, too, so easily forget who it’s really all about!  We only need to draw further into verse 19, in seeing the second aspect of this text, about… WHAT JESUS IS DOING… to see the way we may have forgotten the task of the Church.

For instance, the phrase “make disciples” is something more than the conversion of sinners.  Look at Jesus’ own disciples – three years of being almost day and night with the Lord and they’re still learning!  As later Paul wrote about his own position he wanted to have with Jesus, after many years of being a Christian, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” (Phil.3:12)

There was no way Paul had arrived, he was still learning, and so is each one of us while we’re still this side of heaven.  But what matters is that we’re being disciple – as everyone should be, because that keeps us in the right relationship.  In comparison with the ‘easy-believism’ which many ministers preach today, that instant faith of someone’s decision made on-the-spot, this is a faith for a lifetime.  And not just for us – for everyone!

The Church is to preach the Gospel to all men.  It’s through the supervised ministry that the congregations of Christ are meant to grow throughout the world and draw in the lost of the world.  The Good Shepherd who looked for the lost when He was on this planet earth physically is still doing it through His under-shepherds.

This means believers are bringing others into the faith, through bringing them into the relationship of discipling which they themselves have at the foot of the Master, which is being in the Church.  Young people, and older, this is why we need to have respect for the Church and for what she does; she’s our spiritual mother, the way through which we’re nurtured and fed and looked after.  If we bite her we bite the hand that feeds us!  Remember, the Church is… WHAT JESUS IS DOING!  And this… WHAT JESUS IS DOING… can further be seen in two parts, as Matthew tells in the text.  The two parts are about incorporation and continuation.

First, incorporation.

This is where the phrase, “baptising them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” fits in.  On the basis of a credible profession of faith, an adult believing becomes joined, in this symbolic way, to the Body of His Lord, to the Church.  This is done in the understanding of the Triune God; this person knows God the Father as His own Creator; God the Son as His own Redeemer; and God the Holy Spirit as the one who’s making them holier, so that they can follow their God all the more closer.

That’s why we have the Apostles’ Creed.  For this Creed, as with the Nicene and the Athanasian, is focussed on God alone!  The Triune God is confessed!  It’s this Creed which the Heidelberg Catechism explains in some fifteen Lord’s Days.  It’s the Trinity, congregation, which takes up even more of the Belgic and Westminster Confessions of Faith.  If you look at them carefully you’ll find they develop even further what the Scriptures tell us about the Triune God and why we must know it.  And the amazing thing is that, if you live believing in this divine fellowship, you can live as obediently as those original disciples!  The same faith which stood out in the great times of church history can be alive in you, too!

Now, as we look at baptism we’ll realise there was a baptism before Jesus spoke these words.  John the Baptist had a baptism of repentance; our Lord earlier in His ministry also baptised; as did His disciples.  But here is a new sacrament.

The famous formula, “…in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” shows the significance of this age of fulfilment.  Calvin expresses it so well, “…the full and clear knowledge of God, which had only been darkly foreshadowed under the Law and the Prophets, had at last emerged under the Kingdom of Christ.”  That’s why, when Matthew says, “in the name of” it’s a distinctively singular word, and yet this is the God with Three Persons.  The Lord now outlines clearly WHO HE IS and what He’s doing.

At each opening ceremony of the House of Parliament the Sovereign, or her representative the Governor-General, will outline what her government plans to do in this term of office.  Today the Queen is only a figurehead; she only reads what has been given for her to say; but, congregation, here it’s the Divine Sovereign – the King of all kings! – who spells out what He Himself is going to do – through His own!  The Queen speaks to the representatives of the people in Parliament – King Jesus addresses the apostles who would be His leaders in the early church.  And through them we hear it today, too.  Just as whenever someone is baptised, or they make vows upon the baptism of their children, they witness to the words of this King.  And, what’s more, when they are taught His Words, so that they understand better who He is and why He’s come, they’re able to tell and show this King to others, too.

So our profession of faith is only the beginning of the rest of our lives.  I mean, are you honestly obeying everything King Jesus has told us to do?  Of course not!  We fall far short of His holy standard.  So, the teaching goes on.  It may seem almost repetitive at times, but then we’re not listening, and we’re needing to hear it again.  Because, unlike what the Queen may say at the beginning of a new Parliamentary session, this is no politician after votes, or paying back for votes.  Christ Jesus is the Great King!  By His mighty power He’s working out everything exactly for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

Friend, have you heard the voice of THE KING?  Has your heart been struck by the awesomeness of who He is and what He’s doing?  Right now, are you almost overwhelmed with hearing about His love for you?  Then, on top of all this, we have this King’s promise of His presence.  I mean, to have a promise of support from an earthly ruler is reassuring.  Well – usually!  But to hear these words, “And surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age,” that’s from the King of kings Himself!  What a foundation for the future!

This could only be the third part to the text… HOW JESUS IS DOING IT.

Congregation, the reign of THE KING won’t end once He physically leaves planet earth.  Actually, the reign He fulfilled by being among us will be continued on in a far greater way.  You see, not only will Christ’s Spirit go with His Word throughout the earth, it will also live in us by faith.  If we thought that only fairy tales ended with the line, “…and they lived happily ever after…!” think again!  For in this greatest conclusion which any book could ever have, believers are assured that Jesus is even now ruling in and through us.  In fact, Christ is working everything out for the believer’s good upon His triumphant return.

“The very end of the age” means the consummation of this present age, when the new age will begin, started by Jesus coming back.  Then we will join with the Great Multitude in Revelation 7, so many that no one could count them – from every nation, tribe, people and language – standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb, Jesus Christ Himself!

Oh, what a day that will be, when our faith will be sight.  All those inward assurances of the Spirit, like Paul expressed when he spoke of the peace of God which transcends all understanding, have guarded us in the true faith.  Dear believer, those struggles and pains you endure now, are such fleeting things.  Hold on!

Young people, as life seems to tumble all over you with all its pressures and expectations, paint them in the bigger picture.  In every part of your life, ask yourself, “Am I serving the King?”  Live like that and you’ll become more like the King, for He’s reigning in you.

The Old Testament words from Daniel 7 find here their New Testament fulfilment – this dominion is everlasting, it will never be destroyed.  Here is the temple that is being built and won’t ever be torn down!

And what music that would have been for those Jewish Christian ears.  They, who had waited so long for the King, could now most joyfully sing!  The King has come and He has won!  We have met David’s greater Son!  And so have you.

Amen.