JMA Newsletter Missions Mid-Month Feb 2024

The Great Commission in Luke, the Gospel of the Son of Man

Luke 24:44-49, 44"Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me." 45And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. 46Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48And you are witnesses of these things. 49Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."
            Each of the four Gospels has its own specific focus. Last month, we looked at Matthew, the Gospel of the King. This month we look at Luke, the Gospel of the Son of Man.
            Luke mentions many events that are unique to his Gospel; (1)the birth of John the Baptist, (2)the announcement of the angels, (3)the visit of the shepherds, (4)the transfiguration, (5)Christ before Herod, (6)the penitent thief, and (7)the men on the road to Emmaus.
            It was on the road to Emmaus that Jesus appeared to Cleopas, and maybe Simon Peter was the other guy (no one can be sure), but v34 seems to indicate that. v33-35, when those two men realized that they had been walking and talking with the Lord, they ran into Jerusalem to find the other disciples and tell them what happened.
            As they were telling the story in v36, Jesus appeared in the room with them. I believe we should not overlook the simplicity, and importance, of the message here. Men who have had a dynamic encounter with the risen Savior run to tell their friends, and as they were still talking, Jesus confirms to them that He is real and alive by showing up in the room! I believe that is a promise found in the Great Commission that we can take comfort in, believe in, and trust Him to keep, "I am with you always." (Matthew 28)
            In this life, we will have plenty of struggle, heartache, and disappointment. And that includes the missionary life, ya'll. None of us are walking on water around here! But we all have the promise that He will never leave us or forsake us.
            v44, Jesus reminds them again of all the things He had been teaching them, and gave them source material- Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms- all the Messianic prophesies of the Old Testament.
            v45, In my opinion, this is a critically important step, without which we will turn His missionary calling into a religious export business, or a social gospel, in which there is no spiritual life or regenerative, resurrection power. He opened their understanding. This should be our daily prayer!
            v46-47, The foundation stones of the Gospel story are not randomly stacked together. "It was necessary" that all the pieces of the redemptive act be foretold well in advance, and be carried out exactly like they were prophesied. And the message of the Great Commission is 'turn away from your life of sin, turn to Jesus, and He can remove your guilty stain, and the burden of sin from your life.' Luke's Great Commission also reiterates the geographical mission field from Matthew- "to all nations (GK: ethnos, or people groups and tribes), beginning at Jerusalem."
            v49, "The Promise of My Father" refers to the infilling and baptism of Holy Spirit. He is the empowering key to the success of the Kingdom of God. He is the anointing we need to do the work we are called to do.
            We always have His promise, the promise of His presence. We might not always feel it, but He is there! The key is faith in Him, purposefully trusting in Him sometimes when we don't feel like it. We bring our feelings into subjection to the Promise, and to the Great Commissioner!
            

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