2026 Reading Plan Reflections - Day 47

"Jesus came near and spoke to them, 'I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth. 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, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.”Matthew 28:18-20 CEB

N.T. Wright once compared the final chapter of Matthew’s Gospel to the closing bars of a great symphony—those last moments where everything swells and resolves at once. N. T. Wright is right. Matthew 28 moves fast, but it carries enormous weight.

Resurrection. Fear and joy. Guards and rumors. Authority and mission. And finally, a promise that steadies the whole thing: “I am with you always.”

The defeat of death is not a routine event. Jesus is not one of many who slipped back into life. He is the firstfruits. Lazarus was raised, yes—but Lazarus would die again. Jesus rises never to die again. The resurrection is not resuscitation. It is victory.

That’s why Matthew includes the uncomfortable details about the guards and the religious leaders. Power structures do not yield quietly. If resurrection is true, everything shifts. Rome executed Him publicly to make a statement. The religious leaders sought to contain Him to preserve order. But when the tomb is empty, both systems are exposed. Of course they needed a counter-narrative. Resurrection disrupts the status quo. And yet, notice the providence of God.

The same Roman Empire that crucified Jesus also built the roads that carried the gospel across the known world. The empire meant for domination became the infrastructure for proclamation. What looked like ultimate defeat became the doorway for global redemption.
God wastes nothing.

Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection are so decisive that history itself pivots around Him. We measure time by it. More importantly, eternity hinges on it.
Then comes the commission.

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples…”

Notice the order. Authority first. Mission second. We do not go on our own strength. We go under His authority. This is not advice for the spiritually ambitious. It is a command from the risen King.

And the mission is not merely to make converts. It is to make disciples. That means formation. Obedience. Baptism. Teaching. A people shaped into the likeness of Christ. The gospel is not just information to share—it is a life to embody.

For those of us shaped by a Wesleyan vision of holiness, this matters. The Great Commission assumes that transformation is possible. Jesus would not command us to teach obedience if obedience were unattainable. Grace does not only pardon—it empowers. The risen Christ forms a holy people who reflect His character in the world.

But here is the anchor that steadies everything:
“I am with you always, to the end of the age.” The One who sends is the One who stays. The disciples standing on that mountain had doubts. Matthew tells us that plainly. They worshiped—and some doubted. That tension still exists. Faith does not eliminate questions. But mission does not wait for perfect certainty. It rests on the presence of Christ.

The resurrection means:
Death does not have the final word.
Power does not belong to empires.
The church is not an institution of maintenance, but a movement of formation.
And we are never alone in the task.

Worship with honesty. Bring both faith and doubt to Jesus. He can handle both.
Live under His authority. Ask yourself: Where am I resisting the rule of the risen King?
Commit to making disciples, not just attending church. Who are you intentionally helping grow in Christ?
Remember His presence. Before every conversation, meeting, or challenge this week, pause and remind yourself: He is with me.