Matthew 28: The Last Words of Jesus

Last words are important. Jesus is exceptional in the fact that he shared last words on the cross and before ascending to heaven.

In the last chapter of Matthew, we find Christ’s parting words are:

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

His focus? Making disciples, or followers, of Jesus. How? Going, baptizing, teaching.

Matthew began by calling Jesus the Messiah. He ends by calling us to help others discover Jesus as Messiah.

The Messiah, the Son of God, Jesus, lived, died, rose again, ascended to heaven, and has promised to return. These essentials distinguish Christianity from other spiritual traditions. In fact, Christians are called to share these truths with others as part of our calling.

Part of me was simply thrilled to finish handwriting the first book of the New Testament (Only 26 more to go!). But more importantly, I found myself challenged to follow Christ’s call and communicate it to others in every manner possible.

May we use every moment of our day to communicate Christ’s love and message.

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Dillon Burroughs has written, co-written, or edited over 60 books, including the upcoming devotional work Thirst No More (October 2011). He served as an associate editor for The Apologetics Study Bible for Students and is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary. Find out more at DillonBurroughs.org.