Tag Archives | great commission

On Fertile Ground

From a cursory understanding of Middle-Eastern history, it is apparent that the empires that formed were superseded to bring about the arrival of Christ on Earth. Conditions were sovereignly orchestrated as each empire rose to power and fell to usher in the fulfillment of Messianic prophecies that culminated at the beginning of Christendom. Both Scripture and early historical records give us the specifics about what occurred during the apostolic age to include the epic backdrop that preceded it.

Throughout the recorded biblical and apocryphal world before the arrival of Christ, the sequence of macro-historical events included the capture of the Northern Kingdom by Assyria in 722 BC., the capture of Jerusalem and Judea by Babylon in 586 BC, the fall of the Babylon empire to Persia in 539 BC, the fall of the Persian empire to Alexander the Great beginning in 480 BC, then finally the fall of the Greek empire to the Roman empire at about 146 BC. This historical sequence of upheaval was recorded by the prophet Daniel (chapters 2 and 7) to fulfill prophecies about kingdoms that would come and go to shape the forthcoming conditions for the arrival of Yahweh as incarnated through Jesus our Messiah.

During the rise and fall of empires across time, the development of the biblical world was underway. The direct and inferred meta-narrative of the preparation of Christ’s arrival and the spread of the gospel involved the infrastructure and social systems set in place to facilitate the dissemination of Yahweh’s good news. The great commission of Christ was not given to His apostles absent the conditions able to help propagate the good news.

Specifically, infrastructure and social systems included language, written communication, trade, local and distributed governments, merchant sea routes, roads, social classes, economies/currencies, transportation, agriculture, fisheries, and so forth. When the time was right, and just before the world’s population began its geometric growth, Christ arrived on the world stage to complete His work with the gospel He charged His followers to spread. Under the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus’s teachings, Scripture, growing Church tradition, and apostolic instructions, the fertile ground was tilled to sow the seeds of the gospel for the growth of the Kingdom of God, for His glory, and the redemption of His people throughout humanity.


Words Cherished & Spoken

What would it look like if every command that Jesus spoke was isolated and identified in Scripture among their separate and individual verses? To get at Jesus’s words cherished and spoken in this way for a narrower and more specific view of what He requires. That is, mostly to understand with clarity what He has said and to desire Him in a better way. Yet also to set a center point in which biblical context is read and understood. That is what this table of verses below does.

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. ” – Jesus

Here are the words as spoken during His time here with us. With correlated verse references for ease and convenience of lookup and comparison. The table gives you the ability to sort and filter for search and retrieval.

When we are able to recognize what He has said, we begin to see a pattern. A pattern of love and obedience that brings us closer to Him. Wherefrom the beginning of our eternity in the Kingdom of God, it will become proclaimed for His glory. He was and is worthy of all honor and blessings.

Once we read and understand what He has said in these New Testament passages, we can further recognize meaningful implications and how they relate to what it is we are doing to fill them. As an effort to demonstrate that we are interested in serving Christ while honoring His word. To satisfy what He wants of us. With specificity, we are then, in turn, able to identify and track what it is we have done to demonstrate our love for Him. Again, with joy, to honor what He wants of us.

NumberCommand of ChristVerse (ESV)Reference
1Repent"From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."Matthew 4:17
2Let not your heart be troubled“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"John 14:27,
John 16:33, Matthew 6:25-26, Philippians 4:6-7
3Follow Me"And he said to them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19
4Rejoice“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. ‎Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. "Matthew 5:11–12
5Let Your Light Shine"In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. "Matthew 5:16
6Honor God’s Law“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. "Matthew 5:17
7Be Reconciled"So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. "Matthew 5:23–25
8Do Not Lust"But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. ‎And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. "Matthew 5:28–30
9Keep Your Word"Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil."Matthew 5:37
10Go the Second Mile "You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. ‎And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. "Matthew 5:38–42
11Love Your Enemies"But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ‎so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. ‎For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? "Matthew 5:44–46
12Be Perfect"For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? ‎And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? ‎You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."Matthew 5:46–48
13Practice Secret Disciplines “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven."Matthew 6:1
14Lay up treasures in heaven“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, ‎but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ‎For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. "Matthew 6:19–20
15Seek first the kingdom of God"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."Matthew 6:33
16Judge not“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. "Matthew 7:1-2
17Do not throw your pearls to pigs“Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. "Matthew 7:6
18Ask, seek, and knock“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. "Matthew 7:7-8
19Do unto others“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."Matthew 7:12
20Choose the narrow way“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. "Matthew 7:13-14
21Beware of false prophets"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. "Matthew 7:15
22Pray for those who spread the word"Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Matthew 9:37-38
23Be as shrewd as serpents“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. "Matthew 10:16, Romans 16:19
24Fear God. Do not fear man"And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell."Matthew 10:28, Luke 12:4-5
25Listen to God’s voice"He who has ears to hear, let him hear."Matthew 11:15, 13:9,
13:43, Mark 4:23, Luke 14:35, 1 Kings 19:11-13
26Take my yoke"Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ‎For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:29-30
27Honor your parents"For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ "Matthew 15:4
28Beware of false teaching"How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” ‎Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. "Matthew 16:6, Matthew 16:11-12
29Deny yourself"And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. "Luke 9:23, Matthew 10:38, Mark 8:34
30Do not despise little ones“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. "Matthew 18:10
31Go to Christians who offend you“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. "Matthew 18:15, Galatians 6:1
32Forgive offenders"Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” ‎Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times."Matthew 18:21-22, Proverbs 19:11
33Beware of covetousness"And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15
34Honor marriage"So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” Matthew 19:6, Matthew 19:9
35Lead by being a servant"It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, ‎and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:26-28
36Make the church a house of prayer for all nations"And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” Mark 11:17
37Pray in faith"And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. ‎And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”Matthew 21:21-22, John 15:7
38Bring in the poor"He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” Luke 14:12-14
39Render unto Caesar"Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. ‎And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Matthew 22:19-21
40Love the Lord"And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment"Matthew 22:37-38
41Love your neighbor"And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. "Matthew 22:39
42Be born again"Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’"John 3:7
43Await my return"Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. "Matthew 24:42-44
44Celebrate the Lord’s supper"Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” ‎And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, "Matthew 26:26-27
45Watch and pray"Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41
46Keep my commandments"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. "John 14:15
47Feed my sheep"When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” John 21:15-16
48Make and baptize disciples"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, "Matthew 28:19
49Teach disciples to obey"teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
50Receive God’s power"And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” Luke 24:49

Road of Redemption

Along Israel’s coastal plain, adjacent to the Mediterranean Sea, there is an ancient geological route formation from Egypt to Mesopotamia. A route through the Fertile Crescent and into Iraq between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers far to the North East of Israel. Placed along this route is a road recognized and entitled the “Via Maris.” The etymology of the Via Maris name comes from Latin as the “way of the sea.” This interpretation appears in both the Old and New Testament rendering of the prophecy concerning the LORD’s arrival and ministry (Isaiah 9:1, Matthew 4:15).

A Roman Road – Nicolas Poussin – 1648

But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.

The people who walk in darkness
Will see a great light;
Those who live in a dark land,
The light will shine on them.

Isaiah 9:1-2

As the LORD has centered the nation of Israel upon the earth, one could surmise that He has shaped the land through natural processes over time. To position the arrival of His ministry from Galilee, where people become subject to His redemptive plan. From where “the light which will shine upon them” appears between the Mediterranean Sea and beyond the Jordan River. Through the entire length of the Israeli coast along the Via Maris, the King’s Highway, and the Ridge Route. Written in scripture, the LORD’s message and glory go forward as the light that shines in the shadow of death (Isaiah 9:2 NKJV).

What Israel gains in terms of wealth and power through the Via Maris route and topography, the LORD’s purposes prevail. While we recognize the Via Maris as having economic and defense advantages, Israel can collect tariffs, conduct trade, and accept tribute from its citizens and visitors. Routes are controlled to direct traffic and regulate supply for military campaigns in its defense along the Via Maris.

So, it would appear under the new covenant, the strategic placement of the Via Maris is outward going and not only a source for wealth and power Israel’s prosperity and security. It is for the LORD’s purposes in support of His redemptive mission.

The Via Maris is a strategic route of geocentric convergence among nations. For His chosen people within Israel, along the Way of the Sea and outward. Beyond the Jordan by the Via Maris to the gentiles. The coming and going of people centered around the gospel and the LORD’s mission, beginning in His ministry with His Apostles.


Take Up Your Cross

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” – Matt 16:24-25

Here is what it means to follow Jesus. It is to join Him in what He came to do as it is to gather with Him (Lk 11:23). That is, to gather followers for the glory of his Father. Furthermore, following the LORD Yeshua also means that those who are His share in his suffering. He knew that His pain would also spill over onto those who follow Him (Jn 15:20).

As John Piper puts it, His followers will also experience ruptures in their relationships with people, possessions, and vocation. There will be a loss of friends and family, setting aside treasure, objects, and belongings. And, at times, an abandonment of career pursuits and what others view as worldly aspirations. It is the overall decrease of self-interest in exchange for His interests and what He came to do.