If You Knew…
If you knew that it's true, what would you do?
If You Knew... 250710 Matthew 28:16-20
Matthew's historical account matter-of-factly records events as Matthew or his closest friends observed them. If you think about it, this way of writing down whatever happens forms much of the basis for Western science, or the Scientific Method. Observationinvolves seeing or sensing (say, through instrumentation) events that occur, and recording these observations without imposing preconceived ideas or presuppositions, or myths onto what you see or sensors have detected.
Were we to apply the Scientific Method to reporting on, say, a political speech, we would report the words of the speech, and the response of the audience. We might include some description of the speaker's tone of voice (apologetic, rising to a crescendo, for example), but we would refrain from name calling or judging the speaker's content: phrases like “the big blowhard,” “the crooked politician,” “he kept lying about...” may fit in political commentary, but if my job is to report on a political speech in the spirit of the Scientific Method, my duty is to report the facts, and not my prejudices or opinions on the speaker or her message.
I hope that is not too far a diversion, but it’ll be significant in this post. In writing his account, similar to the way I have been writing these posts, Matthew reported the facts, what people said and did. He mentioned some theological ideas, but I can't think of an instance when he went off on a rant about any particular point of theology or politics.
Matthew did of course describe supernatural events. He underplayed the supernatural aspects of Jesus walking on the Sea of Galilee, of Jesus feeding 5,000 men plus women and children, of Jesus healing dreaded diseases and conditions with a word or a touch. But the supernatural was there. Matthew did not light off the fireworks when Jesus gave sight to a man born blind, but recounted the events as he witnessed them.
In Matthew 28:16-20, Jesus and the eleven disciples (the twelve less Judas) go to a place in Galilee that Jesus had designated. Matthew says it was on a particular mountain, but gives no details. When the disciples see Jesus, they worship him.
It seems to me that after spending two or three years with Jesus every day, they should all have immediately recognized him. But after all or most of them watched Jesus get flogged and crucified until he died, then saw his body getting sealed in a tomb, why wouldn’t at least some of them doubt whether this could really be Jesus standing in front of them? After all, some seriously question whether someone stood in for the president of the United States in his public appearances in 2024, though circumstances were far different.
In Jesus’ case, he comes up and speaks directly to the disciples: All power is given to me in Heaven and on Earth, he starts out. Sorry to interrupt, but Hello! Jesus is claiming that he has been given total power in the universe! This is not some delusional megalomaniac, for hear what he next directs his disciples to do:
Go, therefore, and teach people in all nations, baptizing them—not slaughtering anyone who doesn’t believe, not forcing anything on anyone, but—going, teaching and baptizing them! This is what Jesus wants from his disciples at that time, and by implication through today and into the future. If you are now a follower of Jesus, or considering becoming one, this is Jesus’ great commission—life assignment—for you.
But wait, we have to talk some theology. This is not about teaching high thoughts, or even high morals to people, but the whole point is about God, and this is how Jesus frames it, Go and… teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Jesus defines God—the one and only God Almighty—as three, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This concept may be impossible for us mere humans to understand. Analogies may help, but no analogy is perfect.
Water can exist in three phases, solid (ice), liquid, or gas (vapor). It is still water, no matter the phase. However, it is nearly impossible for water to exist in all three phases at the same time; God is one, however. A chicken egg consist of three parts: shell, white (albumin), and yolk. Any of these is “egg,” yet they are distinct and different. Clover is a small plant with three leaves on each stem, all connected to make one plant. One man can be a son, a father, a brother, and a husband, thus having four roles.
Each of these and many other examples may be of some help in getting a handle on God as three in one, but do not expect to understand exactly how God,who is One, can at the same time be three. Christians have struggled to understand how this could be, and it took hundreds of years for the most spiritual, the most scholarly Christians to agree on a comprehensive explanation. They had to come up with a word to describe it: tri-unity, or trinity. The Christian faith is one of rational belief, but some Christian truth defies our understanding as finite creatures. This is called “mystery.”
Back to Matthew. I try to minimize these theological discussions, and this concept of the Trinity, referring to God, is too fundamental a Christian concept not to bring it up.
In verse 20 (Matthew 28:20),Jesus tells his disciples, which can now include us, that they (we) are to teach people from all nations to observe everything he commands…. Did you notice he places himself equal with God the Father who gave a range of commands to Moses?
Jesus goes on to assure them (and us) that he is present with them (and us) always, until the end of the world. What a claim! What a promise! Not his memory, not his teachings, not his promises, but HE will be with us always, all the way until the end of the world!
That is where Matthew leaves us in his personal account about Jesus. Matthew presents historical evidence of what Jesus said and did, and how he interacted with people who benefited from, and those who refused his miracles; with those who responded by believing that Jesus is Messiah, the Son of man, and those who refused to believe their own eyes and experiences.
Now it’s up to you to decide. Don’t choose wrongly.
If you are unsure, take responsibility and find out more. Don’t put it off, but read the Bible critically and compare what eyewitnesses like Matthew say with what you have heard from others, or thought up yourself. If you have a hard copy of the Bible, read that. Or you can read from about two thousand modern translations, in English and hundreds of other languages, which you can download from YouVersion (linked below), or many other sites. Whatever you do, don’t put it off—get started. If you have any questions, use the Comment button below, or find a person or church you can trust to help you sort these ideas out.
Here’s where to see or download the Bible free, and free of any obligation (click the URL, not the icon). HERE:
https://www.youversion.com/the-bible-app/
(Just a reminder: When I quote the Bible in these posts I use quotation marks, “like this.” I quote from the King James version [due to copyright laws and all that] when the English language of 1611 is easily understood today, especially when its beauty and recognition demand. At other times I paraphrase, using italics like this. I don't usually include the chapter and verse in parentheses, because each post usually deals with a short portion, and I trust that you as a reader will read Matthew's original account for yourself; in case I do err, and misrepresent what the Bible actually says, I ask that you point that out to me so I can make a public correction.)