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Galilee was inhabited by a great variety of nations. The fact that the Great Commission was given here suggests the world-wide character and scope of the present Gospel election. As the coming kingdom is to obtain under the whole heaven, it must be proclaimed under the whole heaven. (Matt. 24:14). The mountain which Jesus had appointed for meeting with his disciples may have been the Mount of Transfigura tion where He had first revealed how the living could enter glory. As the little company of disciples journey toward this place, they tell believers on every hand as they pass along that the Lord is risen from the dead, that He is about to reveal Himself upon the holy mount, and de clare His plans and purposes; The little band increases in numbers until about five hundred reach the appointed place. His appearance may have been a miniature re hearsal of His Second Coming. Upon the mountain they breathlessly await His coming, wondering when and how He will appear. Will He come armed and mounted as a mighty warrior to restore at this time the Kingdom to Israel? Suddenly from the clouds that gather around the moun tain slopes is seen a form like unto the Son of Man. Some cry, “He is here,” but some doubted because the sight was so different from what they had expected. He came near and every doubt is set at rest. He speaks and gives ut terance to the Great Commission which spans the world and reaches even unto the end of the age.' The character of the Great Commission is three-fold. In the first place, the message is to all the nations. The word “teach” is not often used elsewhere. It means in effect, “instruct the nations of my purposes. Win them from their vain ambitions which can never be realized to miy perfect plans. There will never be perfect or per manent government on earth as long as the prince of this world fills the human heart with ambitious pride. The nations are always butting against and contending with one another. Let them become My disciples and enter into My plans, then their lawful desires of sovereignty and pos session shall be gratified when I come.” In the second place,—they were to baptize them, not the nations (as the Greek gender indicates), but those who accept God’s plan. This Is evident from Mark’s ver sion. Baptism testifies that those who believe are dead to all the ambitions of the present age, and alive to the resur rection life of the age to come. In the third place, they were to be taught to observe, (or to "watch”) all things, not only pertaining to life and conduct, but all the signs that show the end of the' present age and the beginning of the age to come. The fulfilling of this Commission will lead those who obey it to the ut most bounds of the earth and into antagonism with the course of this age, but the assurance of the Divine presence is given to prove that obedience will be crowned with suc cess. John 17:18 As thou didst send Me even so send I them—“The Lord contemplates the coming mission of His apostles, In the fulness of grace and truth, as a thing so certain and so im minent that it is as if the command were already given and the messengers sent out. He COMMENTS from the speaks as if it were already that COMMENTARIES moment, some seventy-two won- H, G. Dean derful hours later, when, in that same upper room where the Pass- over had just been eaten, He came and stood among them in His risen power, and spoke ‘Peace’ to them, and said, ‘As My Father hath sent Me, I too send you,’ and breathed on them, and bade them receive the Spirit for their work. To His inner eye they are already ‘preaching everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with
his only Son down here to be our Saviour, to save us from sin, and give us everlasting life, when we believe in Him. Let us bow our heads and say “Thank you” to God. Dear heavenly Father we do thank thee for sending Jesus down to earth to save us from our sin, and help us to love Him and serve Him every day. Lesson Story.-^How many of you are going to stay to church this morning with father or mother? James, do we know who is going to preach for us today? Yes, --------- |-------- (Use minister’s name). Now suppose when we got in church we saw a man in the pulpit whom we had never seen before, and nobody around us knew who he was, and just before he stood up to preach, one of the officers of the church walked up to the pulpit and said words something like these:—“We are the most fortunate church in all the world today, in having the greatest preacher the world ever knew with us, and his name is, JESUS.” Do you think it would be very quiet when Jesus began to preach? Would you want to read your Sunday School paper or have something to play with while He was preaching? Now when Jesus lived down here on earth he went about the country and in the cities preaching. Sometimes he preached in the church, and sometimes on the hillside when the crowds gathered around him. Some of our preachers today would think they would have to have a pulpit, but Jesus preached to the people when ever he could. One time he was on the seashore, and the crowds gathered close around him. He asked Peter for his boat which was there, and. got into it, and asked Peter to pull out just a little way from the shore, and then he preached a wonderful sermon to them. He made a pulpit of the boat. Many sick, blind and'crippled people were brought to Jesus and he healed them. People with blind eyes made to see. Lame boys able to run and jump and play. Sick girls made well and strong. No wonder he had to get in a boat to get away from the people, whom he had helped. They wanted to show their thanks by getting close to him. But best of all wicked hearts made clean from sin, and people taught about God. You know that was why God sent Jesus down to earth, to save people from their sins. To know God and tell others of him is »the best work on earth. (Teach M. V.) November 25, 1923 Christians Called to Be Missionaries Golden Text: “Go ye, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations.” Matt. 28:19. Lesson Text: John 17:18; Matt. 28:16-20; Acts 1:6-8; (Read Matt. 5:13-16; John 15:8; Rom. 10:14, 15). De votional Reading—Isa. 52:7-12. Introduction: The Saviour puts His servants into the same relationship with the Father and the world that He had Himself by saying, “As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also hent them into the world.” “As” and “so” correlate the mission of Christians to EXPOSITION the mission of Christ. (Cf. John 15:9). Dr. F. W. Farr Since we are under the same commis sion as our Master, what manner of persons ought we to be? The Great Commission was given in “Galilee of the Gentiles," apparently to the whole company of disciples. It is not to be confined to the apostles. All other obligations are secondary to this. When we put first things first, this takes precedence of every other claim. It Is a post resurrection message coming from the glorified Christ. This invests it with unique authority.
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