After + Math – “Residents and Renovators”

We’ve been talking about the “aftermath” of the Resurrection – what happened after Jesus rose from the dead. What did Jesus expect his followers to do in light of the fact that he’d been raised from the dead? As a start, Jesus wanted us to see that there are two kingdoms – the old kingdom of darkness and the new Kingdom of God – the kingdom the Jesus the King had brought to earth. Jesus now has “all authority” – and he wants us to exercise that authority on his behalf in our time here on earth as residents and renovators of the “fixer-upper” house that he purchased for us with his blood.

1.  Renovation Project (Matthew 28:20)

• After announcing to his disciples that he now, because of the Resurrection, has “all authority in heaven and on earth,” Jesus gave them their marching orders: to spread the word about his kingship and invite the whole world to follow him – and then baptize them when they made the decision to trust him. But the passage continues: once they decide to follow Jesus, these new believers were to be taught to live like Jesus – “to obey everything I’ve commanded.”
• Jesus’ followers (new and old) are called to live like him. But what, exactly, does that look like? What does it look like to live out the hope that we have because we follow the Risen King of the world? N.T. Wright offers three broad areas that capture what people should see in our lives as we live like Jesus:
  
  1. Justice (Matthew 5:6) – Since the fall of mankind in the garden, God has been pushing us toward doing what is right. Jesus echoed this push in the Beatitudes at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount: “God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice.” And the Holy Spirit clearly draws us toward the “kingdom work” of justice and righteousness, and reminds us that we have no hope of doing justice without his power and his transformation of our hearts and minds.
  2. Beauty (Psalm 19:1; Romans 8:22-23) – The beauty we create and appreciate here on earth is a reflection of God’s creative power – a power that brings us natural beauty as a gift. God the Creator (Jesus) creates mountains and sunsets and oceans as beautiful gifts to us, so our appreciation of that beauty – through our awe and through our own creative work – is “Christ-like.” Christians should be uniquely positioned as artists; as people of the ultimate hope, we should create “heavenly” beauty, even when we’re surrounded by darkness and ugliness.
  3. Evangelism (Matthew 28:19) – Jesus couldn’t have been more clear: we (his followers) are to “go and make disciples” throughout the world. But the word “evangelism” can make us nervous – and be repulsive to those we’re trying to evangelize. Perhaps that’s because we miss the point of the word; it was never meant to be an argument or a sales pitch – it was meant to be a natural spreading of the “Good News” about King Jesus as we live like him and others see the beauty of that. That’s the way the church grew for the first 300 years or so after Jesus resurrection.

2. The Owner’s Promise (Matthew 28:20)
   
   • Jesus’ Great Commission – our commission to begin the “renovation project” – ends with a promise: that Jesus will be with his followers “…always, even to the end of the age.” Note that this wasn’t a promise that, if we do everything right, the world will become heaven on earth; “renovation projects” rarely turn out that way. No, the promise is simple: “Don’t give up on living and loving the way I’ve called you and taught you to. I know it’s not easy, but keep it up, because I’m with you, and I’m at work in this worle in ways you can’t yet see or understand.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE

These passages may provide additional insights related to the subject of this week’s message. All verses are NLT unless otherwise noted.

Micah 6:8; Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:10; Philippians 4:8-9; Colossians 1:11-14; 1 Peter 3:15^NIV

Video of the Week: The Beatitudes by the Bible Project

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

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1. When you made the decision to trust and follow Jesus (assuming you have), did it feel to you like you’d become a citizen of a new “kingdom.” Why or why not? 

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2. Read Matthew 28:18-20 one more time. Why do you think the act of baptism is so important to the Christian faith – so important that Jesus specifically directed it in the Great Commission?  

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3. In verse 20, Jesus tells the disciples (and us) to “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.” If someone unfamiliar with Jesus asked you “what commands is he talking about?”, what would you say?

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4. How would you define the word “justice”?  As the words are used in the Bible, are “justice” and “righteousness” the same thing or different things?

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5. Would you say that the concept of “beauty” (natural or man-made) is proof of a creative God who loves us?  Why or why not?

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6. Do you believe that all followers of Jesus are called to be “evangelists”?  Why or why not?  If so, what should that “evangelism” look like?

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