“He isn’t here. He is risen from the dead, just as He said would happen” (v.6). The joy that fills my heart when thinking of the empty tomb moves me to worship Him as the women in verse nine. It is the resurrection that confirms Jesus as Savior. He rose from the dead just as He said He would. It is because of the resurrection, everything else He said can be believed. It's the reason we believe He frees us from sin and we can stand confidently before God -spotless. The reason we believe the promise of eternity with our Lord. It is also the reason we are to share the love of Jesus with others. In verse 18, Jesus gave us the great commission:
18 “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
We are all charged with sharing the good news and helping people grow in their faith. For some of us, evangelism is an intimidating word, something we know we are to do but not quite sure how. I believe God has placed us right where we need be to introduce people to Him.
Reading Matthew 28 reminds me of how I came to know Jesus. God used several people through the years the witness to me. Some people were complete strangers who would say something like, “Have you heard Good News today?” or “Jesus loves you.” Then they would disappear, not literally, they would smile and walk away. Others were people I knew who would invite me to church or a Bible study. It was through interactions like these that enticed me to learn more about this Jesus. Finally, through a women’s bible study that I accepted Jesus as my Savior.
Since then I’ve had to ask myself how I was living out the great commission? If you know me, you know I’m relatively introverted. I like spending time with people but the way I’m wired makes meeting new people challenging. I didn’t feel prompted to walk up to complete strangers. Through the years I’ve discovered my favorite way of sharing the Gospel is with children. I’ve volunteered in elementary schools after school and summer programs. These are wonderful opportunities to meet children who have never set foot in a church before. Through games, new relationships are formed that open the door to talk about Jesus. It brings me to tears when I tell children God loves them and it's the first time they have heard it. On Sundays, it is a joy to create activities and lessons to help kids grow in their faith, to make it fun and meaningful, for me, there is nothing better.
If you find yourself wondering what living out the great commission should look like in your life today. Pray that God will reveal how he wants to use you. Chances are you are already where He wants you to be. You have what you need. He’ll guide you to someone who desperately needs to know how much the God of the universe loves them.