Great Commission Exegetical Assignment

HISTORICAL ANALYSIS
Text: Matthew 28:16-20
Introductory Matters
Matthew, the author was one of the twelve disciples with Jesus in this passage. Therefore he experienced this commission firsthand. It is likely that he himself understood the command and what it meant to fulfill it in his life. Therefore, he may be the best one to look to so that we can understand the literary, theological, cultural context of the passage.
The book was likely written to a Jewish audience, the largely Jewish populated church.
The Jewish people were intended to be the beginning of the growth of the church and the kingdom of God, since the commission was given to Jewish believers.

Matthew quotes the OT more than the other gospels. Matthew’s purpose was to show how Jesus was the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets – that He was the Messiah.
The great commission may be a parallel of an OT pattern or the fulfillment of an OT prophesy.

His purpose was to also remove the expectations that the Jewish nation had that the Messiah would usher in a new earthly kingdom and establish the spiritual nature of the kingdom of God advancing through the gospel as well as prepare the Jews for the admission of the Gentiles into the church.

It seems that the great commission is the final and most comprehensive proof of the intention of God in the church fulfilling the purposes of Christ on earth by ushering the kingdom of God.

Historical-Cultural-Religious Details
Research “baptism”

The idea of Baptism was familiar to the disciples and all the Jews. The Levitical law taught and commanded ceremonial cleanness and washing. It was necessary to wash to become ceremonially clean, which was known as purification. [1]

The act of baptism for converts was established before Jesus and John the Baptist. When Gentiles sought to become Jews in order to gain admission to the nation, they were required to accept the Mosaic Law and covenant and repent of their pagan religion. This conversion was accompanied by immersion in water, which symbolized religious, moral, and ceremonial cleansing from pagan defilements. [1]

In the Septuagint, the Greek word for “baptize” was used to describe Naaman “dipping himself” in the Jordan River and in Isaiah “overwhelming”.[2]

This background gives perspective on what the disciples and Jesus thought about baptism. Their carrying out of His command to baptize the newly made disciples had to have been somehow consistent with this prior understanding of what baptism was. Jesus intended for them to remember this parallel to Israel’s history and His plan for using it to bring in people to the newly established Kingdom of God. It is also helpful to understand what it looks like to become a disciple of Jesus, to be cleansed of former idolatry and life and embrace a new allegiance to God.

Though the teaching of baptism for the church begins here in this passage, the practice of baptism and its doctrine is explained further in the NT.
 
LITERARY ANALYSIS
Text: Matthew 28:16-20
Context
General Context:
How does the overall book relate?

As a narrative account, this final passage comes after nearly all conflicts have been resolved. Therefore what takes place and what Jesus teaches is built on the foundation of all the things that have happened to this point.

This passage falls within at the very end of the last section of the gospel of Matthew, which is of the resurrection account. Jesus has finished His work on the cross and His sufferings on earth. He has fulfilled His own earthly purpose and the purpose that Matthew describes as coming Messiah and fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. The book also ends similar to how it began with Jesus the son of David being described as the king with all authority granted to Him. Also, Jesus commands the disciples to go to all the nations to make disciples, thus fulfilling the promise that God gave to Abraham (whom Jesus is the descendant of) to bless all the nations.

This is also at the end of the training of the disciples, and so Jesus gives them His final teaching and command to fulfill their discipleship and following of their Rabbi. At this point they have followed Him for about three years. This is the last teaching of Jesus in the book, and Jesus commands them to teach the new disciples all that He taught them.

Immediate Context:
How do the paragraphs before and after relate?

This takes place right after Jesus meets Mary and the other women at the tomb. There, He tells them to go and get the disciples to meet Him in Galilee. It seems that Jesus had told the disciples prior to this meeting where exactly to go in Galilee to meet Him and where on the mountain. These details are not clear. There is no indication in Matthew that this is the first time that they see Jesus after He was raised, but it is a possibility, given that they saw Him on several different occasions.

It is also clear that the news of Jesus’ resurrection had already begun to spread even outside of the disciples and among the Jews. The scene with the elders and the soldiers shows further Jewish opposition to Jesus even after His crucifixion as well as foreshadowing of the persecution of the disciples and the church.

LITERARY ANALYSIS
Text: Matthew 28:16-20
Grammar
Conjunctions
• “But the disciples” – Adversative - Continues from the last paragraph. The Jews were seeking to keep Jesus’ resurrection a secret and were still against Him. This contrasts what the disciples did in coming once again to Jesus.
• “Go therefore” – Explanatory - The previous statement is the grounds for the following command. His authority is the reason and foundation for why how He can command the disciples to do what He wants and accomplish His mission.
• “And make” – Continuative - Continues the commands in parallel. They each must happen, but not necessarily in sequence.
• “And lo” – Continuative – Continues Jesus’ declarative statement before the command.

Prepositional Phrases
• “In Heaven and on earth” – Describes the extent of Jesus’ authority
• “Of all the nations” – Describes the extent of the command to go and the kind of disciples He wanted made. Describes the extent of the mission.
• “In the name of…” – Describes the kind of baptism He wanted and what the baptism meant
• “To the end of the age” – Describes the extent of Jesus’ presence with the disciples and the extent of the mission

Verbs
• “Worshipped” – Past, Declarative – states that the disciples did worship. They worshipped for a period of time.
• “Were doubtful” – Past Progressive, Declarative – describes that the disciples were doubtful (adj.) while the worshipping was happening.
• “Has been given” - Present Perfect, Declarative - describes that Jesus was granted authority at an indefinite time in the past and now that authority continues in the present.
• “Go” – Present, Imperative – Jesus commands them to go, leave, move, act.
• “I am” – Present, Declarative – Jesus states a fact that is still true

Rhetorical Features
Emphasis by Repetition
“All authority…all the nations…all that I commanded…with you always …”

Jesus through Matthew intends to show the enormity of the command. Every bit of authority is His, Every single nation is to be disciple, everything that He commanded is to be taught, and every day through all of time He promises to be with His disciples.

It seems that Matthew wanted the reader to know that this is really the ultimate and final command for discipleship, which is to follow in Jesus’ intention to make many more disciples through His initial earthly ministry and teaching. By using this repetition, the breadth and size of the mission is explained.

Emphasis by Interjection
“and lo, I am with you…”

Jesus seems to want to grab the disciples’ attention and reassure them that even though this command is great, His promise to be with them is great also. It seems to be an encouragement and strong truth for them to lay claim to, even though He would leave them on earth without His physical presence.
 
LITERARY ANALYSIS
Text: Matthew 28:16-20
Focus the Meaning
“Authority” Strong's G1849 - ἐξουσία – exousia
Occurs 102x in NT and 9x in Matthew. Translated as “power” 69x and “authority” 29x.

Matthew’s Usage:
1) Power and Ability, or Influence – a strength or ability over something
Mat 10:1 - Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.
2) Permission or Right – the ability or right to declare truth
Mat 7:29 - for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
Mat 9:6, 8 - "But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority (right, ability) on earth to forgive sins" --then He said to the paralytic, "Get up, pick up your bed and go home."
Mat 21:23-24, 27 - When He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?"…
3) Governing Rule – the right to reign or execute law and commands
Mat 8:9 - "For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another, 'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it."

Matthew’s Definition:
It is both a permission granted and a right to govern and rule. This word is used in both senses within the book of Matthew.

Jesus’ authority means His God-given right to reign absolutely.

God granted Him absolute authority over all things “in heaven and on earth”. There seems to be a combination of the contexts where Matthew uses the word in this passage. God has given Jesus the right to rule.

Illumine the Meaning
OT :28x in NASB

Old Testament Usage:
1) Governing Rule or Rights
Num 27:20 - "You shall put some of your authority on him, in order that all the congregation of the sons of Israel may obey him.
Job 34:13 - "Who gave Him authority over the earth? And who has laid on Him the whole world?
Dan 11:3 - "And a mighty king will arise, and he will rule with great authority and do as he pleases.


The combination with the context of Matthew along with where the word is used in the OT is very helpful for this passage. The OT usage primarily focuses on the one who has authority being a kingly ruler or one who has been given authority by God. In these accounts God grants authority to whomever He chooses to rule and judge (e.g. Moses, David, and Nebuchadnezzar.)

Matthew seems to draw from this idea of the word authority and apply it to Jesus throughout the gospel. His usage of the word is very consistent with that of the OT. This also is consistent with his description and portrayal of Jesus as coming king of the kingdom of heaven and the chosen Messiah of God.
 
THEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS
Text: Matthew 28:16-20
Biblical Theology
John 20:19-28 - There are some parallels and contrasts between this passage and Matthew. This describes another occasion that the disciples saw Jesus after His resurrection. Jesus also in this commands the disciples to go out into the world and teach them of Himself and the Father. He also confronts the disciples’ unbelief and specifically, Thomas’ doubt. In this scene however, Jesus allows Thomas to have all his doubts relieved. The focus of the passage seems not to be His sending of them, but instead of building their faith and confirming their belief in Him.

Luke 24:36-49 - Again, Jesus is with the disciples after His resurrection and again He confronts their doubts and confirms their belief. He allows them to see His scars and then proves that He has a complete and working body. This passage focuses on Jesus’ bodily resurrection and how it was to fulfill the Law and the Prophets and the Psalms. Jesus commands them to proclaim His name and the things that they have seen, but unlike Matthew He promises the power of the Father to come to them to allow them to accomplish the task of bringing the message to all the nations.
These two parallel accounts focus on the purposes of Jesus reappearing to His disciples before He ascended. There seems to be two main elements He wanted them to understand: His bodily resurrection and His mission for them to reach the nations with the gospel.

Joshua 1:1-9 - This passage, though not parallel in historical account, is parallel in how it foreshadows the coming of God’s kingdom. God speaks directly to Joshua and several times commands him to go and conquer the land and to be bold and courageous. Also, several times God promises Joshua of His presence with Him and commands him to follow all His commands in the Law.
Both, God’s promise to Joshua and His command to go and conquer are paralleled with Jesus’ commands and promises to the disciples. Jesus in the very same way promises to be with them always, just as God assures Joshua that He will be successful because He is with him.

Systematic Theology
Missiology
This passage focuses primarily on Jesus’ command to the disciples. This doctrine is heavily emphasized in the book of Acts and the entire ministry and letters of Paul. It is also paralleled and prophesied in several passages in the OT. Jesus’ command for the disciples to go and make disciples is the clearest definition of the function of the church and all disciples of Jesus. The ministry of Christ and the growth of the church is directly linked to this command being given and fulfilled by the apostles.

Cross References: Mark 16:15, Acts 1:8, Gal 3:7-8, 2Cor 5:19, Rom 10:14-18, Isaiah 49:6

The OT foundation for the message of the gospel is set in God’s promise to Abraham. God was preaching the gospel to Abraham when He foretold of the blessing that all the nations would receive through Jesus (Gal 3:7-8). Then in Isaiah, God speaks prophetically of the spreading of the influence and impact of the disciples, “it is too, small a thing for you to be my servant… I have made you a light for the nations,”(Isa 49:6).

In Acts 1:8, Jesus gives the disciples a very clear command for their course of action in going to the nations, by beginning with Jerusalem and moving outward. And again He promises the help and power of the Holy Spirit to be with them. The apostle Paul gives the guiding example of a life that is spent on making disciples and bringing the gospel to the Gentiles. His reasoning in Romans 10:14-18 serves as the guiding passage for how the nations will be reached, by the calling and going and preaching of ministers of the gospel.


 

THEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS
Text: Matthew 28:16-20

Theological Difficulties
The Problem:
How did the disciples doubt and worship Jesus also?
Who exactly was it that doubted?
What or why did they doubt?

Suggested Solutions (with evidence):
Who doubted?
1. Probable: The eleven disciples were accompanied by others who were the ones who doubted while the disciples themselves only worshipped without doubt.
Reason: The “some” may not be referring to the group of the eleven, resulting in their being another group of people there with them.

2. The eleven disciples were the only ones with Jesus. So some of the disciples doubted and did not worship and the others only worshipped without doubting.
Reason: v.16 says that the disciples came to Jesus; it doesn’t mention others coming with them. Therefore, the only ones who could possibly doubt were from the eleven disciples.

Why specifically did they doubt?
3. They doubted that the person they saw was actually Jesus.
Reason: Jesus’ body may not have been recognizable, since in other post resurrection accounts people were not able to quickly identify that it was Jesus.

4. They doubted that Jesus was actually the Messiah.
Reason: They had not fully grasped what Jesus intended to teach them about Himself and God and so they didn’t think it was appropriate to worship Him.

5. They doubted that Jesus was actually alive again and not just a Spirit.
Reason: They did not yet know if Jesus’ full body was raised from the dead. They may have assumed that what they saw was actually a ghost that had the appearance of Jesus.

6. They were ashamed of their denial of Him and doubted that they were worthy to worship.
Reason: The disciples had abandoned Jesus and Peter had denied that he knew Him, so the shame that they felt was so much that they could not worship Him.

My Preferred Solution (with reasons):
I think that the only ones who were with Jesus were the eleven disciples, because v. 16 does not mention any other group of people nor was there any other group mentioned within the paragraph. It would be an assumption to think that there were more people present.

I think that the disciples actually doubted whether or not Jesus had bodily raised from the dead. They may have assumed that what they saw of Him was actually a Spirit. Thomas, for example, was not ready to believe that it was Jesus until He saw His wounds and touched His hands and knew for certain that it was Him.

Rate the Solution (with reasons):
(Certain, Probable, Uncertain, I don't know)
Probable, only because my solution is based on what things the gospel writers made clear in their accounts. To include much more, to me, seems to be assuming too much.

SYNTHESIS
Text: Matthew 28:16-20
Exegetical Outline



I. The eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee.
A. Place: The mountain Jesus had designated
II. The disciples worshipped and were doubtful.
A. Time: Seeing Jesus
III. Jesus came and spoke to them.
“IV. Principle: All authority belongs to Jesus.
“V. Command: Go and make disciples.
A. Place: All the nations
“VI. Command: To baptize.
“VII. Command: To teach.
A. Result: To observe all His commands
“VIII. Promise: Jesus is always with His disciples.
A. Time: Until end of the age


SYNTHESIS
Text: Matthew 28:16-20

Biblical Coherence
Passage's Basic Message:

Jesus calls His disciples to Him and commands them to go out and make disciples from all nations who will be committed to God and who know how to obey all of His teachings, which is all made possible because of His supreme authority and presence with them to complete the task.





Promotion of Book's Purpose:

Matthew shows that in the giving of Jesus’ promise and commandment to the disciples He was able to bring fulfillment to the Davidic Covenant and the Abrahamic Covenant. These two themes run throughout the book as Jesus is shown as the coming king of the kingdom of heaven and the awaited Messiah who was the means of God fulfilling His promise to Abraham. The great commission is the final and most comprehensive proof of the intention of God in the church fulfilling the purposes of Christ on earth by ushering the kingdom of God. This was done through fulfilling His purpose as the Messiah and fulfilling of the promise to bless all the nations of the earth through the message of the gospel.





Place in Salvation History:
Place the passage in salvation history 1 – 2 sentences

The Great Commission of Christ is part of the promise being fulfilled. Specifically, it is the catalyst and explanation of the mission of Christ, the proclaiming of the gospel, through His church.





Place in Biblical Thought (with reasons):

The whole of the passage is foundational. Jesus explicitly gives His command and direction for what He wants His disciples to do. While this is not the first time the Bible presents God’s intention of bringing salvation to the whole world, it is the first time we see a clear directive for men to be the agents of it. The rest of the progress of the early church in the NT is because of the disciples’ obedience to Jesus’ command and His faithfulness to bring it into effect.

SYNTHESIS
Text: Matthew 28:16-20
Contemporary Culture
Communication:
To what ideas in the passage can people today relate?

Authority:
People seem to have a natural understanding of what authority is and what implications it has for someone who either has authority or is under authority.

Doubting:
Doubt is a natural reaction and state of mind that all people will experience at some point. It may be easy for someone to identify with the disciples’ initial doubt of Jesus upon seeing Him after His death.

Teaching:
The ability to teach and the need to be taught seem to be common throughout the culture. Progress and production is dependent on workers learning how to complete the task.

Assurance and comfort:
It is a natural thing for people to desire comfort and assurance as they attempt to do difficult things. Jesus’ promise and claim to be with the disciples meets this need for them.





Correction:
What is the harsh reality for people today?

It is necessary for the work of the mission to be faithful and obedient to all the commands and teachings of Jesus. It is not our place to pick and choose what we would like to obey and what we think is not true or meaningful for us. Jesus’ teachings are meant to have weight and authority in our lives.





Capture the Significance:
What is the good news for people today?

All Authority:
Jesus having all authority is a significant truth that must be acknowledged and understood. His authority includes His power and His immutable decrees. His plan must be accomplished and it is His plan and power that will bring it to completion. Therefore, our obedience to the Great Commission must be based on these truths. Our responsibility is rooted in His sovereignty.

With us always:
Jesus promise to His disciples then is the same promise to His disciples today. We should be able to draw significant confidence through our closeness and relationship with Him. His power and love and wisdom is accessible to us because of His willingness to avail Himself to us.
APPLICATION
Text: Matthew 28:16-20

How can the truths of the passage be lived out by men and women who hear its message?
Principlization
Principle:
Disciples of Jesus know and obey His commands.

This principle is built on Jesus’ command to make disciples and to teach them to obey all His commands. The disciples themselves understood what it meant to be taught by Jesus Himself, and had experience obeying Him. Jesus was the design and the eleven were the prototypes. Within the commission is the blueprint of what it means to be disciple.

The disciples learned first-hand from Jesus how to be like Him and obey Him. Once this was established Jesus intended them to fulfill their role as a disciple and make more disciples, just as Jesus had already made them disciples. The process was intended to be continued. Jesus even establishes the scope of the principle of discipleship – making disciples of all the nations. The disciples then had the responsibility to bring the example and teachings of Jesus throughout the entire world. For whomever they intended to teach, they themselves were to be the guiding example of Jesus, so that their disciples would know exactly how to obey Jesus.

Identification
How this applies:
For us who have identified with Jesus as His own disciples, we have now the same responsibility to fulfill the Great Commission. It is not merely enough to say that it is all of the church’s responsibility, but it is necessary to accept the responsibility on an individual level – in each one of our lives.

The influence of the gospel has had far reaching effects ever since the early church began to grow, but the mission is far from completion. Also, the work that has been done in the past is not enough to rely upon, the proclamation of the gospel; the discipling of the nations is not a “one-and-done” assignment. It is a process that must be fostered and continued wherever followers of Christ are present already. The task on the individual level is never completed until we die or Jesus returns to earth.

It is imperative that each of us look faithfully at the word of God and the teachings of Christ to apply them to our lives and then seek out to make new disciples who will then be able to do the same thing in their lives.


Implementation
Specific Steps:
First it is necessary to test oneself and know if one is committed to Christ and would be identified as His disciple. Before we are able to teach this command we must know them, and before we can teach another to obey them, we must be obedient to them ourselves. If you have never been taught by anyone how to follow Him and be His disciple it is wise to ask God and seek out someone who could be this kind of teacher for you personally.

Next is to identify an individual for whom this is not yet a reality. Prayer is the primary and sustaining component in the entire process of identifying and then establishing. Whether they do not know Jesus at all or are not yet fully committed to obey Him and follow Him, we must depend on the help of Christ to make this process begin in their hearts. The goal we seek is life change in another, but this cannot be done merely through our own efforts to teach and obey. It is completely dependent on the work of God to bring it into effect. Therefore, we must rely on the two promises that Jesus gives: His complete authority and His presence with us to bring the task to completion. Only then will our personal efforts to teach and guide another produce true discipleship in them.
 


Personal Response
What Changes will I make in my attitudes and or actions as the result of my study of the passage?
• Is there praise to offer?
• Is there sin to confess?
• Is there an attitude to correct?
• Is there an action to take?
I know that I have committed myself to Jesus to be a follower of Him, and I have made it my goal to be obedient to the great commission and make disciples for the rest of my life no matter where I am at.
Lately however, I have been made more aware of how I fall short of actually seeking to be obedient to all that Jesus has commanded. And my focus has strayed from coming to the word as a whole and seeking to apply it daily to my life. Since it is the direct teaching of Christ to love Him by obeying His commands, and since it is my goal to produce this kind of obedience in others. I know that I have to have awareness and a change in my attitude every day to be committed to actually obeying the teaching of Christ that I have received.