Three Critical Truths

My final post-Easter reading of the words of Jesus after His resurrection is from Matthew 28:16-20 NIV:

[16] "Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. [17] When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. [18] Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] 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, [20] 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's Gospel is slightly different then the others in that his quote of Jesus' commissioning of the apostles focuses on Jesus authority as the basis of their mission, and focuses on discipleship. Also, these verses are really the first real indication of the equality of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and as such were foundational verses for our understanding of the Trinity.

Personally I am most encouraged by His first and last statements. First, He has been given ALL power and authority in heaven and on earth. That statement by itself could take years to unpack and fully understand. The Greek language is very clear, He said exactly that - All, Everything, anything we can imagine, He has power and Authority over it, the ability to enact laws to set rules, to constrain or set free, He has complete control!

Second, He is with us always! This is His promise, not based on what we feel or think, but based on His Word. Whether we believe this is true or not, it is still a reality. He is with us.

So in summary, these few verses are part of our foundational understanding of three critical truths, that He is Omnipotent (all powerful), Omnipresent (always present), and the reality of the Trinity. Wow, those are significant verses.

Finally, because these are true, the command is to then go and change the world! Amen Lord! Help us to learn to live in full understanding of these awesome truths.