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The Whole Church in Missions

What if missions, like discipleship, is for the Church – the whole Church – to be involved in? Matthew 28:18-20 records for us: 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them inthe name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy […]

Useful to God

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The Mind-Blowing Mission of Jesus

Have you ever dared to tick off your boss or superior? I’m guessing that most of us would only do so only if absolutely necessary, and as an absolute last resort! Now, let’s take this further: what if the boss was the Lord Jesus Christ? The Gospel of Mark records for us a stunning incident […]

Meaning in the Midst of Disruption

Disruptions to our life are untimely and inconvenient. They break the flow of our plans, scheduled events and normal ways of doing things. We cannot do business as usual. We are forced to make changes and adapt. When the disruption is severe and unprecedented—as in the case of the present pandemic—our routines are broken, our […]

Rest in the Midst of Anxiety

God is the One who has given us life. He is our Creator. He is our Redeemer. He is our Saviour. God is the One who loves us. He is with us. He is for us. He is sanctifying us. God is the One who is in ultimate control. He is bringing all things to […]

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Daily Devo
Daily Devotional Journal
Scripture:
Matthew 28:16-20; John 3:34-36
Tue, 3 October 2023

The One with Supreme Authority

Observation:

Why did Jesus say to His disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me” (v.18)?

Deeper Reflection
Verse 18 could be said to be the central premise of Christian discipleship and disciplemaking: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me [i.e. Jesus].” Jesus’ authority is clearly in focus when we read the accounts of His teaching and miracles. For example, when Jesus taught the crowds about God’s Kingdom and its radical righteousness (Matt 5-7; 7:28-29), healed a man of paralysis and terrible pain (Matt 8:5-10, 13), stilled a great windstorm out at sea (Matt 8:23-27), cast out many demons from two men (Matt 8:28-32) and forgave a paralytic’s sins (Matt 9:1-8).“All authority in heaven and on earth” means that Jesus’ authority is supreme and all-encompassing. There is no realm of creation nor sphere of life that lies outside of His authority. Whoever has the highest authority has the final say. The words of the One who has the final say must count the most in any major decision that we make. For a Christian, the Lord Jesus has the final say in all of one’s major life questions about meaning, purpose and direction.Based on His authority, Jesus gave the Great Commission to all His disciples in every nation and generation, commanding them to “make disciples of all nations” (vv.19-20). As such, we are to respond in reverent fear and obedience to Jesus. At the same time, we can walk in full confidence as we go about doing our part in fulfilling the divine mandate, strengthened and comforted by the fact that Jesus is always with us by His Spirit until His Second Coming when we will see Him face to face.
Application:

How does the fact that Jesus has “all authority in heaven and on earth” affect the way I receive His commands and the way I conduct my life?

Prayer:
Write a prayer to God as your response from your meditation on and application of the Scriptures.
Prayer Pointers:
  • Give thanks and praise
  • Pray for pastors and staff: To follow and obey Jesus Christ as their ultimate leader and the Head of the Church, so that their lives and works will bring glory to God alone
  • Pray for significant people
  • Pray for those in need
  • Pray for self

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