Introduction

‘After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” Matthew 28:1-10

The Empty Tomb

When we put all the resurrection accounts together chronologically, a good clear picture can be constructed.

1. It was very early on the Sunday morning, as the sun was coming up, Matthew 28:1 / Mark 16:2 / Luke 24:1 / John 20:1.

2. Mary Magdala and the other Mary were going to anoint Jesus with spices, Matthew 28:1 / Mark 16:1 / Luke 24:1 / John 20:1.

3. John records only the experience of Mary of Magdala.

She saw that the stone had been ‘taken away’ from the entrance of the tomb, the stone had been moved from the entrance during the night.

The other Gospels say that the stone was ‘rolled back’, ‘rolled away’, clearly it was out of the groove in which it had to be to cover the entrance, Matthew 28:2 / Mark 16:4 / Luke 24:2 / John 20:1.

4. The guards had seen this occur and were much afraid, it was done by an angel and accompanied by an earthquake, Matthew 28:2-4.

5. The same angel spoke to the women telling them the Christ had risen, Matthew 28:5-6 / Mark 16:6 / Luke 24:4-6.

6. Jesus had gone on the Galilee and they will meet him there, Matthew 28:7 / Mark 16:7.

7. This was in accordance with Jesus earlier statements, Luke 24:7-8.

8. The women went to tell the disciples as the angel had told them, Matthew 28:8 / Mark 16:7 / Luke 24:9 / John 20:2.

9. As they were afraid, they told no one else, Mark 16:8.

10. On meeting the disciples, Mary was distressed and didn’t seem to believe what she had heard from the angel as she says, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we don’t know where they have put him’, John 20:2. As we know they hadn’t removed Jesus, Jesus had removed Himself.

11. Only Peter and John believed initially, both ran to the tomb, and found only the cloth Jesus had been wrapped in, Luke 24:11-12 / John 20:3 / John 20:7.

In keeping with the law of Moses, they had rested on the Sabbath and had returned to complete the burial rites of the Saviour which they had begun on the day of His death.

Because it was after the Sabbath was over when the women proceeded to the tomb, this tells us that the resurrection of Jesus happened on the first day of the week, that is, Sunday morning, Mark 16:2 / Mark 16:9 / Luke 24:1 / John 20:1.

Only Matthew records this earthquake Matthew 28:2. There was a violent earthquake, when an angel rolled away the stone from Jesus’ grave, symbolising Christ’s power over death, which was obviously supernatural.

Note that Matthew 28:2, says there was only one angel at the tomb of Jesus, while Mark 16:5, there was one young man clothed in a long white garment. Luke 24:4 and John 20:12, tells us there were two angels at the tomb.

Mark and Luke referred to their human appearance, Mark 16:5 / Luke 24:4, while Matthew and John referred to their angelic nature Matthew 28:2 / John 20:12. It’s obvious there were two angels present but only one of them spoke.

The angel’s appearance was so bright that the guards became like dead men, Matthew 28:3-4.

Spurgeon, in his commentary, says the following, concerning the angel.

‘He does not appear to have drawn a flaming sword, nor even to have spoken to the keepers; but the presence of perfect purity overawed these rough legionaries.’

He tells Mary Magdalene, the woman who Jesus drove out seven spirits from her, Luke 8:2 / Mark 16:9, and the other Mary, not to be afraid because he knows why they are there, they are looking for the Jesus who as crucified, Matthew 28:5, and then proceeds to tell that Jesus is risen, and the angel invites them to look for themselves, Matthew 28:6.

Clarke, in his commentary, says the following, concerning the invitation.

‘Come and see the niche in which he was laid-it is now empty; nor was there any other body in the place, for the tomb was a new one, in which no man had ever been laid, John 19:41; so there could be no deception in the case.’

He asked them to tell the disciples and Peter, what has happened, and that Jesus will meet them in Galilee as promised, Matthew 28:7 / Mark 14:27-28 / Mark 16:7. Since Peter was himself a disciple, it seems unusual that he would be singled out and receive a special invitation.

Perhaps it was because the Lord knew that Peter would no longer feel himself worthy to be counted as a disciple after having denied Him, and therefore, Jesus gave him a special invitation to the meeting. What tenderness the Lord showed!

The women fled away very frightened, Matthew 28:8. The women went to tell the apostles what they had learned, Luke 24:10. However on the way Jesus suddenly appears to them, and after He said, ‘greetings’, Matthew 28:9. The King James Version says, ‘all hail’ which represents the normal Greek greeting.

It wasn’t that long ago they were mourning Jesus but now they grasped Him and worshipped Him, Matthew 28:9. Jesus tells them not to be afraid but go and tell his brothers He will meet them in Galilee, just as the angel did earlier, Matthew 28:7 / Mark 14:27-28 / Mark 16:7.

Spurgeon, in his commentary, says the following.

‘Not first to them who were the heads of the Church, as it were, but first of all to lowly women, did the Lord appear; and the apostles themselves had to go to school to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to learn that great truth, ‘The Lord is risen indeed.’’

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

John’s account gives us the full story, John 20:10-18.

Joyfully, the disciples returned home, no doubt to tell the other disciples of the good news, John 20:10. ‘The beloved disciple’ was the first one to believe that Jesus had risen, this without seeing Him, John 20:8, Mary of Magdala was the first to see Him after His resurrection. She is the woman who Jesus drove out seven spirits from her, Luke 8:2 / Mark 16:9.

Mary however stayed at the tomb, even though she had seen the angel earlier on, Matthew 28:5-6, she still didn’t understand or believe. Mary stood outside the tomb ‘crying’, sobbing, weeping aloud, John 20:11.

As she sobbed, she glanced inside the tomb, she saw two angels sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the corpse had laid, the angels looked like young men, Mark 16:5 / Luke 24:4 / John 20:11-12.

They asked why she was in such obvious distress, John 20:13. It’s important to note that she makes reference to Jesus as ‘My Lord’, John 20:13, indicating continued faith in Him, even though He is no longer about.

With these words, she turned around and notices Jesus standing, although she didn’t know it was Jesus, John 20:14. Jesus asks her, ‘woman’, said Jesus, ‘why are you crying? Who are you looking for?’ John 20:15.

Two things should be kept in mind here.

1. She was crying bitterly, blinded by grief.

2. It was only when He spoke her name that ‘she turned’ towards him, John 20:16.

Until this moment she wasn’t looking at the speaker. These two facts alone would account for her not knowing it was Jesus. Perhaps Christ’s body is so changed as not to be recognised at once even by those who had known Him well. It has new powers and a new majesty, John 21:4 / Luke 24:16 / Luke 24:37 / Matthew 28:17.

Notice here words, ‘Sir, tell me and I will take Him away,’ John 20:15. How was she to carry a corpse, and where would she take it? Her loving devotion does not measure her strength. This is a beautiful example of the self-forgetfulness of love.

Why she even turned around at that point is open to speculation, but she is now facing an unknown man. He asks why she is crying, the same question the angels had just asked, John 20:13 / John 20:15.

In her upset state, thinking Jesus was a gardener, Mary gives Him a brief answer, asking if He had anything to do with Jesus’ disappearance, John 20:15. The whole conversation with this man is running along very similar lines to the one held moments before with the two angels, John 20:13-14.

Jesus now reveals Himself with one word, ‘Mary’, John 20:16. It must have been in the tenderness of His tone, or the gentleness of His voice that sparks a memory in the mind of Mary and she realises who she is addressing, John 20:16.

The word, ‘Rabboni!’ is the Aramaic form of ‘Rabbi’, and it means ‘my great Master’, John 20:16. Jesus tells her, ‘do not hold me,’ ‘do not touch me,’ John 20:17, but we must remember He allowed women to touch Him after His resurrection, Matthew 28:9. He even told Thomas to touch Him, John 20:27.

He isn’t talking here about mere touching, but holding, in other words, He is saying, ‘cease clinging to me’. Her instinctive desire would be to hold on the Jesus, to keep Him and not to let Him go, that wasn’t possible.

She couldn’t keep Him physically with His disciples, a completely new period was to begin, involving His ‘going to his Father and her God’, John 20:17.

After that, His ascension, a new kind of fellowship, spiritual, would be available to all His followers. This couldn’t be interrupted by any event. Conditions had changed, and the relationship between the disciples and their ‘Didaskalos’ and ‘Kurios’ must also change.

She must of ran to Him and embraced Him, as He gently tells her not to hold to Him, not to cling to Him, John 20:17, referring also to the fact that His current reappearance was just a short and temporary stay.

What did Jesus mean when He said, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God?’ John 20:17. Remember on the cross, Jesus promises the penitent thief, ‘today you will be with me in paradise,’ Luke 23:43.

The intermediate state was transformed by Jesus’ emphasis on being with him ‘today.’ There’s no denying where Jesus was going, He was going to ‘paradise’, Luke 16:22 / Luke 23:43 / 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 / Revelation 2:7.

If we’re say He went to heaven when He died, how do we understand what He said to Mary? Jesus is telling Mary not to crutch on to Him because there is work to be done.

She needs to tell others what has happened and so there’s a sense of urgency. She wanted to hold on and not let go but Jesus wouldn’t allow her.

Remember He allowed women to touch Him after His resurrection, Matthew 28:9. Later Thomas was invited to touch Jesus, John 20:27.

Could it be possible that when Jesus speaks to Mary, He speaking in terms of now clinging onto His new glorified body? He hasn’t ascended to the Father in His new everlasting body. Isn’t that what the resurrection is about? 1 Corinthians 15:35-44 / 1 Corinthians 15:51-54 / Romans 8:23 / Philippians 3:20-21.

We know from these verses that we will be reconciled with our bodies at the resurrection, but they will be new, in terms of glorious. If we know this, then surely, it’s possible that this is what Jesus meant when He spoke to Mary in terms of Him going to the Father.

No longer is paradise just an anticipatory condition awaiting the messianic presence at the end of the age. Those who die in faith will ‘be with Christ,’ Philippians 1:23-24. The dead in Christ will not experience life diminished, but life enhanced, as Jesus’ words to Martha in John 11 imply, John 11:23-26.

Jesus now charges Mary with the responsibility of telling the disciples this vital news, He is returning to God the Father, and her God, a reference to His victory, John 20:17.

Gladly Mary must have run the road to the disciples to tell them the news and the message, John 20:18. Jesus first appeared to the women, and He treated them as always beautifully, notice the first person to tell about the risen Christ was a woman.

The Significance Of The Empty Tomb

The importance of the resurrection of Jesus is summed up by Paul, 1 Corinthians 15:14-15 / 1 Corinthians 15:17. Jesus died to atone for our sins.

But we could not know that He did so unless we also knew that He arose from the grave, for one who did not have the power to conquer death would not have the power to forgive sins. Only in the light of the empty tomb does the cross have significance.

Furthermore, the resurrection of Jesus demonstrates the possibility of our resurrection. If He could conquer death for Himself, He can overcome it for His disciples. The Christian’s hope of eternal life is inseparably connected with the resurrection of Jesus.

The resurrection of Christ also shows that Jesus brought an end to the old covenant and its law when He died on the cross. The Mosaic Age in which Israel had been living for 1500 years ended at Calvary. There Jesus blotted out ‘our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.’ Colossians 2:14.

From that time forth all men, Jews and Gentiles, have lived in the Christian Age and are subject to the laws of Christ as recorded in the New Testament.

The Guards’ Report

‘While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priest’s everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.’ Matthew 28:11-15

As the women leave the site, the chief priests were told by the guards what had happened and as we can imagine, they weren’t very happy.

The chief priests and the elders decide to come up with some devious plan, that is, they would bribe the guards with a large amount of money. They were to tell the governor that someone had come along during the night and stolen Jesus’ body.

There’s no way the guards could deny what happened at the tomb and under Roman law, the soldiers would have been executed for letting a sealed and guarded tomb be entered. This is why the chief priests and elders told them they would keep them out of trouble.

The religious leaders basically promise that they will lie on behalf of the soldiers in order to discourage belief in the resurrection. This lying rumour succeeded, as it was spread among the Jews.

The good news is, the disciples believed, and they went on to preach about the resurrection of Christ, Acts 2:36, and later Jew named Saul would have a personal encounter with the risen Lord, Acts 9:1-16.

Keeping His Appointment

‘Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.’ Matthew 28:16-17

If you remember Jesus had not long appeared to His disciples to reassure them that He had indeed been raised from the dead. During that time, He promised them that He would meet them at a mountain somewhere in Galilee, Matthew 26:32 / Matthew 28:7 / Matthew 28:10. It would have been a very long walk from Jerusalem to Galilee.

It’s interesting that when they saw Jesus, they worshipped Him, but some still doubted. The reason for the doubt here is possibly because Jesus must have been a little distance away, maybe some of them didn’t recognise Him at first, as we shall see in Matthew 28:18. It’s important to point out that the ‘doubting’ here isn’t in relation to their faith but in relation to identifying Jesus from a distance.

It’s a sad truth that within many of our congregations, we always have those who are late, they’re late for worship, late for Bible study, late for any event that the church has planned. They’re never late for work or family events, which does beg the question of priorities.

Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.

‘Christ made an appointment to meet His disciples in Galilee, and that appointment He kept.’

He kept it in spite of:

1. His sleeping disciples

2. His betrayal

3. They’re forsaking Him

4. His death

5. His burial

6. Peter’s denial

7. The big lie

8. The unbelief of many.

The only persons who didn’t meet Christ on that mount in Galilee are those who didn’t go there to keep their appointment.

Coffman, in his commentary, goes on to say.

‘In like manner, now Christ keeps His appointments with His disciples, despite similar lapses on their part, and what are those appointments?

They are:

1. To meet him in baptism

2. At the Lord’s table

3. In the trials of life

4. In death

5. In the judgment to come.

Only those who will not obey Him shall miss the joy of meeting the Lord in those appointments, but in the case of the judgment, all shall keep that appointment, whether they desire to do so or not.

The time for excuses is over, if Christ can keep His appointment after enduring everything He went through, then surely, we can keep our appointments and come together at the appointed time to worship Him and study His Word!

The Great Commission

‘Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.’ Matthew 28:18

It’s here we find the possible reason for the doubting of some, Matthew 28:17, notice Matthew records, ‘then Jesus came near’, this suggests that He was a little distance away.

This would explain why some doubted, they didn’t recognise Him from a distance, whilst others recognised Him straight away. The good news is that when He did come closer to them, the doubts would have gone, and all would have believed.

All Authority

When Jesus says, ‘all authority’ has been given to Him, He means exactly that, all authority, not some but all. The word ‘authority’ comes from the Greek word ‘exousia’ which Thayer defines as, ‘the power of him whose will and commands must be submitted to by others and obeyed.’

It was Jesus who gave up the riches of His heavenly home to become human, 2 Corinthians 8:9 / Philippians 2:5ff / John 1:1ff. it was Jesus who was tempted but yet didn’t sin, Hebrews 4:15.

It was Jesus who remained faithful to God the Father all the days of His life, despite going through the suffering and shame of the cross, Philippians 2:8ff.

As proof of His faithfulness, God raised Him from the dead, which is why He can now say that He has been given all authority over heaven and earth.

Because Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth, then surely this speaks loudly about His Deity, He really is God, He really is the Son of God, John 1:1 / John 20:28 / Acts 20:28 / Romans 9:5 / Philippians 2:6 / Hebrews 1:8 / Titus 2:13 / 2 Peter 1:1 / 1 John 5:20 / Revelation 1:8 / Colossians 2:9 / John 14:9.

This means that every person is subject to Jesus’ authority with the exception of the Father, 1 Corinthians 15:27.

When Jesus ascended to the Father, He sat down on His right side. Then He poured out the Holy Spirit onto His apostles which proved that His reign as King had begun, Acts 2:1-36.

The kingdom which is His church began on the day of Pentecost and Jesus is its head on both the earth and in heaven, Ephesians 1:22-23. He has all authority over heaven and earth, hence why He’s called, the ‘King of kings and Lord or Lord’s’, 1 Timothy 6:15.

The Scriptures clearly teach that He is reigning over His kingdom right now with all authority and that He will hand over His kingdom to the Father when He comes again, 1 Corinthians 15:24ff.

He will continue to reign until all His enemies have been put under His feet, notwithstanding, the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death, 1 Corinthians 15:24-25.

‘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.’ Matthew 28:19

In all four Gospels we see that Jesus commissions the disciples to take the good news to the world, Matthew 28:19 / Mark 16:15-16 / Luke 24:46-47 / John 20:21-23.

Go

The word ‘go’ here carries with it the idea of continuous action, they were to continually go, it wasn’t a one-off act but a continuous act. to keep on going.

Make Disciples

Notice that they were to make disciples, the word ‘disciple’ comes from the Greek word ‘matheteuo’, which Thayer defines as ‘to be the disciple of one; to follow his precepts and instruction; to teach’.

In other words, a disciple is someone who is taught and follows the teaching of another. Surely this teaches us that people need to be taught before they become a disciple, Luke 14:25-33.

All Nations

The Greek words, ‘ta ethne’ means every ethnic group. Jesus wants the disciples to make disciples in every ethnic group of the world, Mark 16:15 / John 20:21. And please know that ‘all nations’ means exactly that, we can’t pick and choose who we share the Gospel with, it means all people from every country there is in the world, despite their ethnicity or background.

No one is to be exempt from hearing the good news, Acts 10:34-35 / Galatians 3:28ff / Colossians 1:6 / Colossians 1:23 / 1 Timothy 2:4 / 2 Peter 3:9.

Baptising Them

For the life of me, I simply don’t understand why so many people are resistant to be baptised when Christ clearly teaches here and in other places, Mark 16:16, that they need to be. If baptism is an option and not really needed, then why would Christ command it?

Why does the New Testament teach the importance of baptism over and over again if it wasn’t necessary for salvation? Anyone who wants to truly follow Jesus must be baptised in order not only to have their sins forgiven but also to receive the ‘gift’, not ‘gifts’ of the Holy Spirit, Acts 2:38.

In The Name Of The Father And Of The Son And Of The Holy Spirit

In the Book of Acts, we see that people were baptised ‘in’ the Name of Jesus, Acts 2:38 / Acts 10:48 / Acts 19:5, which simply means by the authority of Jesus.

But here Jesus says people are to be baptised ‘in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’.

Take a moment to look at the word ‘in’ and then look at the footnote in your Bible where it tells us that the word used is actually the word, ‘into’.

Do you see the difference this makes? In Acts, the Greek word used is the word, ‘en’ which refers to a person being with the authority of the name of Jesus.

Here in Matthew, it’s the Greek word, ‘eis’ which is used which means ‘into’, in other words when a person is baptised, they are baptised ‘into’ a relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

And so, when a person is baptised, they are baptised with the authority of Christ and at the same time they enter a relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Please note that although three names are given, they are one name. In other words, the unity and oneness of God are being taught in this verse. There are three persons in the Godhead, and each has a name, but their name is one

‘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 28:20

Teaching Them To Obey Everything I Have Commanded You

If anyone claims to be a Christian, the proof is seen in their obedience to Christ’s teachings, John 14:15 / 1 John 4:19. It’s such a shame that some so-called Christians, just pick and choose which teachings they will follow. Obeying everything means obeying everything, 1 Corinthians 4:6 / 2 Peter 1:3 / Jude 1:3.

We also see that everything which Christ taught His disciples was to be taught to others. This shows us the importance of Bible study and getting to know exactly what Christ taught, in order words, for us to teach others what Christ taught.

Yes, it’s true, in its context, the Great Commission was given to the apostles, but we still have a responsibility to share that same good news with others today, 2 Timothy 2:2.

Before His ascension, Jesus gave His disciples this commission. It’s recorded in different forms in the first three Gospels. Although He had previously given them a limited commission to go only to the Jews, His new commission was worldwide in its scope, Mark 16:15-16.

Unlike the law of Moses, the gospel story is intended for those of every race or nationality who will accept Jesus as their Saviour. Christians cannot allow racial prejudice to confine their efforts to proclaim Christ.

The conditions of salvation as given in the commission are simple. A sinner must believe in Christ, repent and then be baptised. Baptism is to be into the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit rather than into the Name of Jesus only.

The blessings of forgiveness of sins and salvation come as a result of one’s baptism rather than preceding it. Jesus states, ‘He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved,’ Mark 16:16.

Notice that Jesus gave them ‘signs’ to confirm their message, Mark 16:17-18, it’s very important to remember that Jesus is speaking to His disciples and He gave them signs to confirm the message.

What was the purpose of miracles in the ministry of Christ, or the apostolic age? Their design must be consistent with the lofty theme of redemption.

Of the early disciples who were endowed with spiritual gifts, Mark declares, ‘Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.’ Mark 16:20.

The function of the ‘signs’ was to ‘confirm’ the revelatory process, i.e., the word of truth being communicated from God to man, Hebrews 2:3-4.

Of special interest in these passages is the term ‘confirm,’ ‘bebaioo’. The word denotes evidence that establishes the validity of the divinely-given word.

The supernatural gifts of the primitive age, therefore, had as their design the establishment of the credibility of Christ and His spokesmen, and so ultimately, the validation of their message, namely, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Saviour of the world!

Now observe this very important point. If it can be established that those early miracles do corroborate the testimony of Christ, and those commissioned by Him, and further, that the recording of these events in the New Testament was designed to perpetually accomplish that function, then it stands as demonstrated that the repetition of such signs is not needed today.

The fact is, that’s exactly what is affirmed by the apostle John. He declares that the ‘signs’ of Christ, which he records in his Gospel account, ‘are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.’ John 20:31.

Even those who claim that God is working miracles today when asked if they believe that the recorded miracles of Christ in the New Testament are sufficient to establish faith in Him will answer affirmatively.

It ought to be abundantly clear, therefore, that since the miracles of the Bible continue to accomplish their original purpose, there is no need for a repetition of them today. They are not being replicated in this age!

If these verses only apply to the apostles, then what about the Great Commission? Would that only apply to them and not to us today? Matthew 28:19-20 / Mark 16:15-16.

Well, the apostles have given the Great Commission, but we have the responsibility to share that good news with others too, even today, 2 Timothy 2:2.

The Gospel of Mark closes with a note about the results of the great mission Jesus entrusted to the apostles. After He had ascended back to heaven, they went out and began to preach everywhere, just like Jesus told them, Mark 16:19-20. The Lord blessed their revelation of the Gospel message with signs to confirm it, just as He said He would.

I Am With You Always

Jesus knows exactly what’s coming next for the apostles, it wasn’t going to be easy, prison, persecution, and even death were all awaiting them in the not too distant future and so Jesus promises them that He will be with them through it all, He wouldn’t abandon them, Acts 12:1-2 / Matthew 18:20 / Acts 18:10.

The same promise is for us today as Christians, God is omnipresent and powerful, He knows exactly what’s going on in each of our lives, Hebrews 1:3 and He promises never to abandon us, Romans 8:28 / Hebrews 13:5-6 / 1 Peter 3:12.

To The Very End Of The Age

Jesus here isn’t saying that He will be with His disciples until they die, this promise goes way beyond this, after all, wouldn’t He be with them when they do eventually die anyway? Luke 20:38 / John 14:1-3 / 2 Timothy 1:10. He’s referring to the end of the Christian age, judgment and the end of the world.

The time is coming when the world will come to an end, 2 Peter 3:1-13, no one knows when this will happen, Matthew 24:36, but until it does the church has the huge responsibility to take that good news, concerning Jesus out to the masses, Mark 16:16.

Although at times this seems like an impossible task, we need to remember that Jesus would never have commissioned it, if it wasn’t possible.

It’s all too easy to get comfortable with the salvation that we have in Christ and to look forward to eternal life, but at the same time, there is a sense of urgency to try and reach the lost. When we look at our world, it can sometimes feel overwhelming, and we begin to think there’s no way we can reach everyone.

Maybe we should focus on the people who are in our ‘world’, our families, friends and neighbours, our work colleagues etc, whilst remembering we’re not responsible for making Christians, Acts 2:47 / 1 Corinthians 3:7-8, we’re responsible for sharing the message.