January 30 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

The work that Christ has accomplished by his death and resurrection is complete. Therefore he speaks in absolute terms when he meets with his disciples as their risen Lord. Notice how he uses the word all. All authority has been given to him in heaven and on earth. All nations must become his disciples. All the remaining days Jesus will be present with his people. Actually, he uses the word a fourth time, when he says that we must be taught to observe all that he has commanded. "All" leaves nothing that is not included.

Christ assigned his disciples an unlimited task: Make disciples of all nations. Disciples must go and make disciples. When someone believes, he must be baptized in the Name, and then he must learn to live as a disciple of Jesus. There may not be disciples of Peter, churches of John, or followers of Andrew. The task of every apostle and of every missionary is to make disciples of the one Master, Jesus Christ.

We must never forget that the task is assigned in the context of Christ's power. It would be impossible for the church of Christ to fulfill the commission of Christ, because we have no power of our own. But Christ lifted the shield of his power over his followers: I have all authority; therefore go and make disciples of all nations. And if this is not yet enough to make us lose our feeling of inferiority in view of the unlimited (and unfinished!) task, the King himself assures us of his presence. Not only does he lift the shield of his power over his missionaries, he himself goes with them.

To be disciples and to make disciples—that is our task. To believe in his power—that is our strength. To trust in his presence—that is our comfort.

Reflections

How do you feel about the task Jesus outlines in the Great Commission? What hope and strength do you find in this passage as you seek to follow Jesus?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.