And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore 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.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
Jesus said to go into all the nations, make disciples of them, baptize them, and teach them to observe all that he’s commanded. This would be a discouraging commission, except for one thing – the one who has all authority on heaven and earth has promised that he will be with us, even until the end of the age. This presence is the bedrock of our confidence and our only assurance of success. Like Moses, who said, “Who am I to lead this people?” and God’s response was, “I will be with you” (Ex. 3:11-12) Who are we? Christ Jesus is with us. This is echoed in Philippians 4:6-9, where Paul says, “The Lord is near.” Therefore, we need not be anxious but give our cares to him. The peace of God will guard us in Christ. Let us dwell on the good, doing what we have been taught by the apostles and prophets, and “the God of peace [not just the peace of God, but the God of peace himself] will be with you” (Phil 4:9).
Father, this is your mission first and foremost. You sent your Son and to him will be the gathering of all nations. Lord, equip us to be a part of this great work, and to experience the joy of serving you for achieving the obedience of all nations for the sake of Christ’s name. And grant more grace, knowledge, wisdom, comfort, boldness, and opportunity to those who are already out there, who have already committed to the task you’ve given us. Thank you Father for permitting us to share in the glorifying of you Son among all the peoples of the earth.