And Jesus came up and spoke to them saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” (Matthew 28:18 NASB)
This preamble to the Great Commission is often omitted when quoting this famous command. In preparing His disciples to hear their final mission, Jesus reminds them of who He is before He imparts the specifics of His plan.
Jesus is above all kings, emperors, and presidents-no court can overrule His judgments. In essence, Jesus says, “I am the highest authority in the entire universe, and this is what I want you to do, ‘Go and make disciples…'”
As a police officer, one of my normal duties was serving arrest warrants. The warrants all began, “To any authorized officer: You are hereby commanded in the name of the Commonwealth of Virginia….” The authority to put someone in handcuffs came from a higher authority than me-namely the state of Virginia.
In the same way, the highest of all authorities has spelled out exactly what He wants us to do as His followers. With His authority behind us, we can boldly march forward in full obedience to His mandate.
