Let us pray.
Our Lord and Master, as you have called a people from every nation, tribe, and tongue by your grace, so work in us by the power of your Holy Spirit that we may delight in the rich promise of your presence which you have given, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Already in today's divine service we have celebrated the promises of God in Christ. We have looked to our Lord in repentance and claimed his promise of forgiveness. We have prayed that our Lord would work in this world, bringing his mercy to us gathered here and those far abroad. We have read the Scriptures and trusted that in the hearing of the Word our Lord will create and sustain faith in our hearts. We have applied water in accordance with the Word to our little brother here and have welcomed him as a saint in Christ's kingdom. There's plenty to be thankful for. Yet our Lord is not finished with us today, not by any stretch of the imagination.
In the Gospel reading for today we see that Jesus is not finished with us. Just as he was not finished with his disciples on that day in Galilee, he is not finished with us. He still has a promise for his people. What is this promise? Jesus claims the ultimate authority, all authority in heaven and on earth. And then he ties that authority to a command and a promise. In this command, Jesus tells the eleven to go and disciple all nations. Why are Christ's servants to go and disciple all nations? Jesus connected his statement of authority with his command using the word "therefore." Because Jesus has all authority, he gives his disciples a command. This command to disciple all nations is based on our Lord's love for his people. He loves the world in such a way that he gives himself for us, so none might perish. To Jesus, our salvation is a matter of life and death - our life and his death. Because he has all authority, he sends his people to make disciples, to call people to Christ in faith. And that's exactly what Christians in all ages have done. We have about twenty centuries of Christians going and discipling other people.
There's even more to the promise than that, though. We disciple all nations by doing two things, baptizing and teaching. See the order in which Jesus gives those means of grace? We don't withhold baptism from people. Our desire is to pour out the washing, the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit through this very concrete proclamation of the Gospel known as baptism. We are given that means of grace to be applied to everyone who will receive it. Are we deserving of baptism? Is there anyone in this room who is deserving of baptism in himself? Not one. All have sinned. We don't deserve baptism. We need baptism. That's different. We need it specifically because we don't deserve it. But it's what we need, and what our Lord has given to be applied to all nations. So we go and disciple people, baptizing them. And how do we baptize them? We baptize them literally "into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." Baptism seals people, it claims them as God's possession. It puts his name tag onto us. And what's the one name on that name tag? The one name is the triune name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We'll let the Athanasian Creed that we confess shortly unpack some of that. But we see that there are not three gods, but one God, trinity in unity. It's a matchless name, this triune name of God, because it can only ever apply to one God. But this is the name of God placed upon us in baptism. It is the name of God in which we receive forgiveness of sins and blessing of every kind. We are unabashedly trinitarian, claiming the name and authority of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, into whose name we have been baptized.
What about the teaching? There's a reason I'm so very serious about ongoing lifelong study of the catechism, the confessions, and the Scripture. Our Lord claims people into his name, and he tells us to teach them to obey everything he has commanded. All our God has given us in Scripture is for our good. All Scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for teaching, correction, reproof, and training in righteousness. This is how God prepares his servants. This is how we know the God who has claimed us, who has put his name upon us.
How are these promises? Is baptism a promise? It most certainly is, for our Lord has claimed us as his own in baptism. He promises to take us as his own in baptism. That is doubtless a promise. Is teaching about God a promise? It sure is. After all, God has revealed himself in Scripture. He promises that we can know him as he has revealed himself in Scripture. These are great and precious promises from our Lord and Savior. But there's another promise here, the one Matthew closes with, the one Jesus closes with, and the one I will close with. Jesus promises to be with his disciples always, to the end of the age. Forever, Jesus will be with his disciples, with their disciples, with all those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. He will never leave us. There is no situation we can find ourselves in without him. He will be with us. We are not left as orphans. We are not stranded. We are not left behind. The Lord our God is with us, wherever we go. And he is the mighty Lord, the one with all authority. He is the one who has sealed us with his name. He is the one who will defend us to the end. Our hope in the promises of God is sure. We can have every confidence that our Lord will do all he has promised. He has conquered death. Is there anything he cannot do? No, there is nothing our Lord can't do. There is nothing that can stand against his great love for his people. There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Nothing at all. Jesus, the giver of the great promise, is able to keep every promise he has made.
Go therefore! Make disciples by baptizing and teaching! Know that the Lord will be with you wherever you go. This is the Gospel of our Lord. Thanks be to God.
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