Matthew 28:19-20 (NASB1995)
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
The week between Christmas and New Year’s Day has always struck me as a strange and difficult week. We have just spent about a month ramping up excitement in anticipation of Christmas, one of the biggest holidays of the Christian faith, and now it’s over. We took some time out of our busy schedules to celebrate the birth of Jesus, and now it’s time to return to normal. But not until after we write down all our New Year’s resolutions and throw another party first.
It is very easy to slip back into routine after the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season. The decorations come down and get put away, and the newness of the gifts we received wears off faster than we would like. Before we realize it, we are back to our regularly scheduled programming. It’s familiar and comfortable because this is the life and schedule we are used to. But that is not what we are called to do. The whole reason Jesus came down to Earth from Heaven was to change the way we relate to our Heavenly Father. If we allow ourselves to return to the same routines with the same attitudes and mindsets we had in November simply because the calendar has turned another page, then we are not living out the calling placed upon us. After the resurrection at the end of Matthew, Jesus Himself tells His disciples to “go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you” (Matt. 28:19-20 NASB1995). He did not tell them to go back to whatever they were doing before He came into their lives and carry on as if nothing happened. We need to do the same.
It is good to take the time to celebrate the first coming of Jesus, but we also need to keep our eyes on His second coming. We do that by not only spreading the Gospel, but also encouraging one another, fellowshipping together, and caring for one another. Think back to the candlelight service earlier this week. The world is so much brighter when we gather together and share our light with one another.
One of the ways we can continue to show our light in the coming year is through 37 Days. This is when we as a church family bring our tithes of our time, focus, and mindset to God, and we take the first 10th of the year to concentrate on our own spiritual growth. If you have not already done so, I encourage you to pick up a 37 Days workbook at the next service and follow along as we explore what freedom in Christ looks like.
In closing, I would be remiss if I did not talk about the last sentence in our passage today: “And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20 NASB1995). Jesus does tell His disciples, and us, to go, but He does not send us out alone. He will always be with you.
