9/8 Our Mission: Walking in the Authority of the Risen Christ

Our Mission: Walking in the Authority of the Risen Christ

There are moments in life when we find ourselves going through the motions — showing up, doing the right things, checking the right boxes — without fully understanding why. For many followers of Jesus, faith can quietly drift into routine. We gather, we worship, we serve, and yet somewhere beneath the surface, a question lingers: what are we actually here to do?

The answer is not complicated. But it is powerful enough to change everything.

The Significance of a Mountain

Throughout Scripture, mountains are not mere geographical features. They are places of encounter, revelation, and divine declaration. It was on Mount Sinai that God descended in fire and thunder and gave His commandments to Moses. It was on Mount Carmel that the prophet Elijah stood before the prophets of Baal and called down the fire of the one true God, proving beyond all doubt that Yahweh alone is worthy of worship. Mountains, in the biblical narrative, are portals where heaven touches earth and God speaks with unmistakable clarity.

It is no accident, then, that in Matthew 28:16-20, the risen Jesus gathers His disciples on a mountain in Galilee — a place historians believe may have been called Arbel, meaning "God's hidden place" — and delivers what has come to be known as the Great Commission. Standing on that mountain, the resurrected Christ makes three sweeping declarations that define the mission of every believer who has followed Him since.

Declaration One: His Cosmic Authority

Before Jesus gives a single command, He establishes His credentials. He declares in Matthew 28:18 that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. Not some authority. Not regional authority. All authority.

This is not the statement of a teacher offering helpful advice. This is the decree of a King whose jurisdiction knows no boundary. Paul captures this reality in Colossians 1:16-17, where he describes Jesus as the one through whom all things were created — visible and invisible, thrones, powers, rulers, and authorities — and in whom all things hold together. In Philippians 2:9-11, we are reminded that God has exalted Jesus to the highest place and given Him the name above every name, so that every knee will one day bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord.

This matters deeply because it means that whatever you are facing right now has a name. And the name of Jesus is above it. Anxiety has a name, and Jesus is above it. Addiction has a name, and Jesus is above it. Fear, depression, sickness, grief — every one of them has a name, and not one of those names outranks the name of Yeshua.

There is a story of a missionary team that spent a year in prayer before traveling to a mountain in Haiti known as the center of voodoo practice — a place where people gathered from around the world to perform rituals and sacrifices in a cave system deep in the hills. When the team finally entered that cave, those inside were not emboldened. They were shaken. Because what they saw was not just a group of people. They saw the authority of God walking in. And in that darkest of places, people gave their lives to Christ. That is what cosmic authority looks like when it is actually believed.

Declaration Two: The Eternal Mission

Because all authority belongs to Jesus, He issues a command. And the first word of that command is simply: go.

The gospel is not stationary. It is not meant to be contained within four walls or kept comfortable within familiar circles. It flows outward, like the rivers of living water Jesus describes in John 7:37-38, springing up from within those who believe in Him and pressing outward into the world.

Jesus calls His followers to make disciples of all nations — not just converts, but genuine disciples. The word disciple speaks of someone who follows so closely that they begin to resemble the one they are following. As Jesus puts it in Luke 6:40, a disciple, when fully trained, will be like his teacher. The mission of the church is not simply to fill seats or grow programs. It is to produce people who look like Jesus — who love like Him, speak like Him, and carry His presence into every corner of the world they inhabit.

This mission is not optional. It is not a suggestion extended to those who feel particularly called or spiritually gifted. It is a mandate issued from the mountain by the King of kings. And because it carries the weight of His authority, no force on earth can ultimately stop it. History bears this out. Empires have risen and fallen trying to silence the church. Persecution, political opposition, and cultural pressure have all taken their turns. And yet the church keeps going, because the One who said go has never taken the word back.

Declaration Three: His Unstoppable Presence

The Great Commission closes with what may be its most personal and sustaining promise. After the command to go, to make disciples, to baptize and to teach, Jesus signs His marching orders with these words found in Matthew 28:20: surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Always. Not occasionally. Not when things are going well. Not when faith feels strong and the path is clear. Always. Every ordinary Monday. Every difficult Tuesday. Every Wednesday when the weight of life makes showing up feel impossible. He is there.

This promise is what makes the mission sustainable. It is what keeps a believer praising when circumstances say there is nothing to praise about. It is what sends someone back into a hard conversation, a broken relationship, or an intimidating situation, knowing they do not go alone. The same Jesus who declared His authority on that mountain in Galilee declared that He would never leave those He sends.

The Invitation

So the question is not whether the mission is real. It is whether we believe it enough to live it. The disciples on that mountain worshipped Jesus, but the text notes that some doubted. And still, Jesus gave them the commission. He did not wait for perfect faith. He spoke into their uncertainty and said: go, because I have all authority, and I am with you.

That same word is spoken over you today. Whatever has made you feel disqualified, discouraged, or too far gone — the command still stands. The authority behind it has not diminished. And the presence that was promised has not departed.

Go. Because He said so. And He is with you.