March 29, 2015 – The Great Commission – A Study of Matthew – Authority and Mediation

Matthew 28:18-20 – New International Version (NIV) – The Great Commission

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.”

Authority and Mediation

Matthew 21:23-27 – New International Version (NIV)

²³ “Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”

²⁴ Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. ²⁵ John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”

They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ ²⁶ But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”

²⁷ So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

Who came to Jesus as He was teaching in the temple courts (verse 23)?

In your opinion, why did they ask Jesus “By what authority are you doing these things” and “And who gave you this authority” (verse 23)?

How did Jesus respond to the questions (verse 24)?

What did Jesus ask about John’s baptism (verse 25)?

Why did they not want to say “from heaven” (verse 25)?

Why did they not want to say “of human origin” (verse 26)?

In your opinion, what can we learn about what was important to them from their discussion of how to answer Jesus (verses 25 and 26)?

How did they answer Jesus (verse 27)?

In your opinion, why did Jesus say “neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things” (verse 27)?

In your opinion, what does this passage from Matthew 21:23-27 show us about the Great Commission?

Joshua 24:2-15 - New International Version (NIV)

² “Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods. ³ But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him throughout Canaan and gave him many descendants. I gave him Isaac, ⁴ and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I assigned the hill country of Seir to Esau, but Jacob and his family went down to Egypt.

⁵ “‘Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and I brought you out. ⁶ When I brought your people out of Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as the Red Sea. ⁷ But they cried to the Lord for help, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians; he brought the sea over them and covered them. You saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time.

⁸ “‘I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I gave them into your hands. I destroyed them from before you, and you took possession of their land. ⁹ When Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, prepared to fight against Israel, he sent for Balaam son of Beor to put a curse on you. ¹⁰ But I would not listen to Balaam, so he blessed you again and again, and I delivered you out of his hand.

¹¹ “‘Then you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The citizens of Jericho fought against you, as did also the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites, but I gave them into your hands. ¹² I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove them out before you—also the two Amorite kings. You did not do it with your own sword and bow. ¹³ So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’

¹⁴ “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. ¹⁵ But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

What did the ancestors, “including Terah the father of Abraham and Nabor” do “beyond the Euphrates River” (verse 2)

Who did God take from “the land beyond the Euphrates and led him throughout Canaan” (verse 3)?

How did God treat the Egyptians (verse 5)?

Who pursued the Israelites to the Red Sea (verse 6)?

What did the Lord do when “they cried” for help (verse 7)?

In your opinion, why did the Lord say “you saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians” (verse 7)?

How did the Israelites obtain victory over the Amorites (verse 8)?

Why did Balaam bless “you again and again” (verse 10)?

What did God do the “the citizen of Jericho . . . the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites” (verse 11)?

What drove out the “two Amorite kings” (verse 12)?

In your opinion, why did God say “I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build” (verse 13)?

What were the Israelites to do with “the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt” (verse 14)?

Who were the Israelites to serve if “serving the Lord seems undesirable to you” (verse 15)?

What were Joshua and his household going to do (verse 15)?

In your opinion, how is the decision that Joshua was asking the people of Israel to make between “the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River” and the Lord in Joshua 24:2-15 similar to the question that Jesus wants “the chief priests and the elders of the people” to answer in Matthew 21:23-27?

In your opinion, what does this passage from Joshua show us about the Great Commission?

Acts 4:1-22 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ “The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. ² They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. ³ They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. ⁴ But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.

⁵ The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. ⁶ Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. ⁷ They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”

⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! ⁹ If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, ¹⁰ then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. ¹¹ Jesus is

“‘the stone you builders rejected,
    which has become the cornerstone.’

¹² Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

¹³ When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. ¹⁴ But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. ¹⁵ So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. ¹⁶ “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷ But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”

¹⁸ Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹ But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! ²⁰ As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

²¹ After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. ²² For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.”

Who came up to Peter and John (verse 1)?

What were the apostles proclaiming (verse 2)?

Where did Peter and John spend the night (verse 3)?

What question were Peter and John ask (verse 7)?

What filled Peter (verse 8)?

How does “this man stands before you healed” (verse 10)?

In your opinion, how did “the stone the builders rejected” “become the cornerstone” (verse 11)?

Where else can salvation be found (verse 12)?

Why were they astonished (verse 13)?

In your opinion, why did they want to “stop this thing from spreading any further among the people” (verse 17)?

What command is given to Peter and John (verse 18)?

What question do Peter and John ask (verse 19)?

Why were Peter and John not punished (verse 21)?

In your opinion, how does the question of Joshua to the people of Israel to choose between the Lord and the “gods your ancestors worshiped” in Joshua 24:2-15 become even stronger in Acts 4:1-22 when Peter and John ask “the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law” “which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you or to him”?

In your opinion, what had changed from Matthew 21:23-27 when the chief priests and the elders were unwilling to answer the question that Jesus ask about John the Baptist’s authority to Acts 4:1-22 when they are publicly opposing the witness of Peter and John for Jesus?

In your opinion, what does this passage from Acts show us about the Great Commission?

1 Timothy 2:1-7 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— ² for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. ³ This is good, and pleases God our Savior, ⁴ who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. ⁵ For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. ⁷ And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.”

Who are “petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving” to be made for (verse 1)?

Why are “petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving” to be made for kings and all those in authority (verse 2)?

What does “God our Savior” want (verses 3 and 4)?

How many mediators are there between God and mankind (verse 5)?

Who did the mediator give “himself as a ransom” for (verse 6)?

Who was Paul “appointed a herald and an apostle” to (verse 7)?

In your opinion, how is the statement that “salvation is found in no one else” in Acts 4:1-22 expanded on in 1 Timothy 2:1-7 in the statement that “for there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people”?

In your opinion, how does the statement in Joshua 24:2-15 that outlines some of the things that God has done and then asks the people of Israel to throw out “the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living” foreshadow the statement of Paul in 1 Timothy 2:1-7 that “there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people”?

In your opinion, how does the question that Jesus ask in Matthew 21:23-27 about John’s baptism, “was it from heaven, or of human origin” outline the decision that each of us needs to make about the truth of Paul’s statement in 1 Timothy 2:1-7 that “there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people”?

In your opinion, what does this passage from 1 Timothy show us about the Great Commission?

Next, back to Matthew 21:28 – (sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)