Day 199.
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Mt 28:18-20)
There is so much to these verses. I just want to scratch the surface with my observation this morning, which is Jesus’ preface to the command: “All authority on heaven and on earth has been given to me.” This is why Jesus is able to give such a grand command, and at least partly why he will send the Holy Spirit. The Spirit stands beside us both to empower us to fulfill the calling and be a second witness to the message that we proclaim about Jesus. This was Peter’s claim to the Jewish council that had him arrested for speaking in Jesus’ name.
And we are witnesses to these things, and so is e Holy Spirit, whom the Father has given to those who obey him. (Acts 5:32)
The presence of the Holy Spirit was visible through the miracles that he performed. With us, the Holy Spirit is visible by the fruit of of our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control. We forget the role that the Holy Spirit plays in the effectiveness of our witness. Let us not grieve the Holy Spirit.
McCheyne’s Bible Reading Plan: Jd 1, Acts 5, Jer 14, Mt 28
