Matthew 28:16-20 - Homiletics

The great meeting in Galilee.

I. THE APPEARANCE OF THE LORD .

1 . The place. This was the one only meeting by appointment. The other appearances of the risen Saviour were sudden and unexpected. Both St. Matthew and St. Mark tell us that the Lord, just before his agony, had announced to his apostles that, after he was risen again, he would go before them into Galilee. After the Resurrection the angel first, and, then the Lord himself, had made the same appointment. Evidently it was a meeting of especial importance; the preparation for it, its striking circumstances, the fact that it is the only meeting with the apostles recorded by the first evangelist, invest it with peculiar solemnity. The Lord had chosen some mountain in Galilee as the place of meeting. Thither came the eleven disciples—probably only the eleven. Some have thought that this meeting is the appearance mentioned by St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:6 , when more than five hundred disciples, most of whom were living when St. Paul wrote, saw the risen Savior. But it seems altogether improbable that the presence of so great a number should have been left unnoticed, that the evangelist should have mentioned only the eleven apostles, when there was an assembly of more than five hundred gathered round the Lord.

2 . The effect of the Lord ' s first appearance. They worshipped him. Before the Resurrection we read from time to time that others worshipped him; we are not told that the apostles did so. Now they felt the majesty of his Person. "When they saw him, they worshipped." We know not how he appeared, whether suddenly, as at other times, or standing afar off on the mountain-top, or possibly in the air above them. Certainly he appeared in the glory of his resurrection body—the body of his glory ( Philippians 3:21 ), the same, yet not the same, with that body which was born of the Virgin Mary, which had hung upon the cross, which had lain in the tomb of Joseph; the same, as the risen bodies of his saints will be the same with their present corruptible bodies; yet not the same, as the spiritual body will differ from the natural body. The Lord appeared; and the glory of his presence filled the hearts of the apostles with unwonted awe and reverence. They prostrated themselves before him in lowliest adoration, offering up that worship which the kneeling Church offers to the risen Lord at all times, especially on that day which is his; and with deepest thankfulness, with most devoted love, with most fervent adoration on that greatest of festivals, when we commemorate the resurrection of Christ our Lord from the dead. But, the apostle tells us with the characteristic truthfulness and simplicity of Holy Scripture, "some doubted." We are not told what their doubts were. It was not sinful, obstinate doubt; for the Lord came nearer and dispelled it; he did not reprove them. It may possibly have been doubted whether worship should be offered to him; and, if so, the Lord's first words, "All power is given unto me," may be regarded as an answer to that unspoken doubt. More probably it was doubt of his identity when they first saw him. None of the eleven could then doubt the fact of the Resurrection. But when they first saw the glorious form in the distance, some of them failed to recognize the Lord; just as they knew him not at first on the Sea of Galilee, when he came to them walking upon the water; as Mary Magdalene "knew not that it was Jesus," when first she saw the risen Lord. He came nearer in his gracious love, he came and spoke unto them. None could doubt longer, when they saw him close at hand, when they heard the well known tones of that much-loved voice. So Christian men doubt sometimes now whether the Lord has really called them, whether they have the high privilege of his presence. He will not leave them in doubt if they love him and keep his word. He will come nearer; he will fulfil his blessed promise, manifesting himself to them as he doth not unto the world.

II. THE LORD 'S WORDS .

1 . He talked to them. The Greek word implies more than a short, set speech. He said, doubtless, much more than the evangelist has recorded. We know that the Lord did and said many things which are not written in this book; but God has provided for the preservation of all that is necessary for our faith and for our salvation. "These things are written, that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing we might have life through his Name."

2 . The mediatorial kingdom. "All authority was given to me," said the risen Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, perfect God and perfect Man. It was given long ago in the eternal purpose of the blessed Trinity. It had been announced in prophecy, more or less clearly, from the time when sin first entered into the world, when it was foretold that the Seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head. Now it was given. "To this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be the Lord both of the dead and living." That kingdom was won by his death, sealed and ratified by his resurrection. It was because he took upon himself the form of a servant, and became obedient unto death, that God highly exalted him, and gave him the Name which is above every name, that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. He is King over the kingdom of heaven which he established. "He must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet." His authority is unlimited; he is "the Head of all principality and power." His authority extends over the heavenly host: "Angels, authorities, and powers are made subject unto him" ( 1 Peter 3:22 ). The angels were bidden to worship him at his incarnation ( Hebrews 1:6 ). They are his ministers; his angels he called them, even in the days of his flesh ( Matthew 13:41 ). He employs them for the service of his kingdom, for the saving of souls. His authority extends over all the earth. All souls are his, bought with his blood; all are bound to render to him obedience, honour, worship. In his Name every knee must bow. All hearts must be yielded up to him in willing love and reverence, for the cross has lifted him up to the eyes of the world as the Incarnate Love, and the Resurrection proves that that Sacrifice of holiest love has been accepted by the Father.

3 . The apostolic commission. As the Lord's authority extended over all the earth, so should the commission of his apostles. The limits assigned to their first mission ( Matthew 10:5 ) are now withdrawn. Because all authority was his, they were now to go forth in his Name and in virtue of that worldwide authority. They were to "go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature;" they were to "make disciples of all the nations." It seems a strange injunction when we think that it was delivered to eleven poor, humble, unlearned Jews; but not strange when we remember who gave that solemn charge—the Lord whom all the angels worship, "who is over all, God blessed forever." His servants speak in his Name by his authority; the humbler they are, the more deeply they abase themselves and feel their own weakness and sinfulness, the more effectually does his grace work in them: "My strength is made perfect in weakness," saith the Lord. And the answer of his servants, in faith and self-abasement, is, "I can do all things through Church that strengtheneth me." From this time the Church of Christ was to be catholic, universal, open to all who would believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations." The apostles were to begin the work of gathering all nations into the kingdom of heaven, which is the Church of Christ. And that:

4 . The last promise. "Behold, I am with you always." It is a repetition of the promise made before his sufferings: "I will come again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you." The Lord had come again. He would never again leave his servants; he would be with them always, all the days, all the appointed days of the world's history, to the consummation of all things. Not one day would he be absent from them. Though after the Ascension they would see him no more with the outward eye, he would be with them by his Spirit, dwelling in their hearts, present always, every day; present in the administration of the sacraments which he had ordained, giving by that presence virtue and efficacy to those outward visible signs which without that presence could convey no inward and spiritual grace; present in their teaching, guiding them into all truth, filling them with zeal and ardent love for souls, giving them the eloquence of deep conviction, the inspired eloquence which comes from the promptings of the Holy Spirit; present always in the daily life of faith and obedience and self-sacrifice, and that forever—unto the end, not only in apostolic times, but present now; present with us, if we are faithful; present as surely and certainly as he was with the apostles whom he had chosen; present with those who have succeeded the apostles in the ministry; present to help them in the administration of the sacraments, in their public teaching, in the daily ministrations; present with all faithful Christians, and that all the days, at all times, in joy and health and prosperity, in sorrow, in sickness, in bereavements, in the hour of death; present always, guiding, teaching, comforting, encouraging, making all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. The Church may well say "Amen" to that gracious promise. "Amen, even so come, Lord Jesus; be with us always according to thy blessed Word; for without thee we can do nothing, and in thy presence is the fulness of joy."

LESSONS .

1 . The soul that sees the Lord falls down before him in adoring worship. Oh, may we see him now by faith, that we may worship in spirit and in truth!

2 . If we come to him in earnest supplication, he will draw near to us, he will remove our doubts and perplexities.

3 . All power is his: in earth,—then let us obey him and imitate him in love and reverence; in heaven,—then let us trust in him in the full assurance of faith. He can prepare a place for his chosen in the many mansions of his Father's house.