16<\/sup> Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.<\/p>\n 17<\/sup> When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.<\/p>\n 18<\/sup> And Jesus came and said to them, „All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.<\/p>\n 19<\/sup> Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,<\/p>\n 20<\/sup> and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.“<\/p>\n (Mat 28:16-20 NRSV)<\/p>\n Brothers and sisters in Christ, grace and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.\u00a0 Amen.<\/p>\n Today we celebrate The Holy Trinity, one of our major festival Sundays.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Our Gospel for this day is the final five verses of Matthew\u2019s account of the Gospel, and is often called \u201cThe Great Commission.\u201d\u00a0 It follows the appearance of the resurrected Jesus to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary.\u00a0 In that meeting, Jesus told them to tell the disciples to go to Galilee where they would see him.\u00a0 The scene that we have as our Gospel today is the appearance of the resurrected Jesus to the disciples in Galilee, as Jesus foretold, and is the only one that Matthew records between Jesus and the eleven.\u00a0 Although brief, this encounter not only brings to a close Matthew\u2019s account of the Gospel, but also lays out Jesus\u2019 instructions for the disciples and the church as they live into a new day.\u00a0 These five verses are a fulfillment story, more specifically the story of Jesus as told by Matthew and the establishment of the church as we know it today.<\/p>\n The first part of this text that echoes the theme of fulfillment is the location:\u00a0 a mountain in Galilee.\u00a0 Many times throughout the Bible God meets his people on a mountain.\u00a0 Whether it was on the trip out of Egypt to the Promised Land to give the law or Jesus teaching his disciples (the Sermon on the Mount) or Jesus\u2019 transfiguration or now His post resurrection appearance; big godly things happen up on the mountain.\u00a0 Location is important, and gives importance to what it happening.\u00a0 As God gave the law via Moses up on a mountaintop, now Jesus gives instruction for the church via the eleven.\u00a0 This fulfills his earthly ministry and transitions to the work of the Spirit that is given to the church on Pentecost.<\/p>\n Second, we have his instructions to the disciples (and therefore the church) in verses 19 and 20:\u00a0 19<\/sup> Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20<\/sup> and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.\u201d\u00a0 I had a seminary professor that always talked about this verse and how if we were to parse out the original Greek we would see that the word make<\/em><\/strong> is the only command.\u00a0 That is what we do, the rest describe how we do it.\u00a0 We make disciples by going, baptizing, and teaching.\u00a0 That is the pattern of the church that still exists today.\u00a0 The church exists because the Spirit empowers us to fulfill Jesus\u2019 command to make<\/em><\/strong> disciples.<\/p>\n Third, Matthew ends his account by reminding the readers who Jesus is.\u00a0 Back in Matthew 1 we find the accounts of Mary and Joseph, and how they navigate the fact that Mary is pregnant by the work of the Holy Spirit.\u00a0During this time, an angel of the Lord comes to Joseph in a dream.\u00a0 Matthew recounts that dream for us:<\/p>\n „Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21<\/sup> She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.“ 22<\/sup> All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:<\/p>\n 23<\/sup> „Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,“ which means, „God is with us.“ 24<\/sup> When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, 25<\/sup>but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus. (Mat 1:20-25 NRS)<\/p>\n As we read and hear the final verses of Matthew\u2019s account today, we hear Jesus tell the disciples:\u00a0 \u201cAnd remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.“ (Matthew 28:20)\u00a0 Here we find the fulfillment of Matthew 1:23: „Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,“ which means, „God is with us.“<\/p>\n On this Holy Trinity Sunday, we are reminded that God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is a God of fulfillment.\u00a0 God has been, is, and forever will be.\u00a0 In the beginning He created all things and has continued to be present throughout the history of creation.\u00a0 Jesus has promised to be with us to the end.\u00a0 He has sent his Holy Spirit to empower and guide us as we walk all the days of this life.\u00a0 God has not abandoned us or the world, but instead constantly worked to fulfill his good promises to those He calls his own.\u00a0 In the name of the Father, the +Son, and the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 Amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Holy Trinity – Sunday\u00a0 June 7, 2020 | A sermon on Matthew 28: 16-20 | by the Rev. Dr. Judson F. 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