699 million

Consider this:

There are 4.5 billion non-Christians in the world. Of those, 1.9 billion are unevangelized. In other words, they have no clue who Jesus is.

In the world, those followers of Jesus who know and attempt to obey his commission number about 699 million.

Those figures may challenge you or overwhelm you. After all, 1.9 billion people live in places that haven’t yet seen a missionary or heard a biblical text. And, of the 699 million Christians defined as “Great Commission Christians,” many are unable to go to an obscure place to talk about Jesus and his work.

But consider this:

After his resurrection, Jesus met 11 men on a mountain in Galilee. Some worshiped but some doubted.

Than came the kicker. Jesus sent these 11 men, even the doubters, to the world. They didn’t have 699 million other believers to help. They were sent:

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations
Matt 28:19

How did 11 men make a difference in the world? That charge may have overwhelmed them like 1.9 billion overwhelms us.

But that’s looking at the wrong resources. Today, we look at the world and say, “that’s too big for me.”

But here’s what we need to learn. These 11 men, even the doubters, did change the world. How? Jesus went with them, just as he promised.

At Pentecost, the Spirit of God chose to live within those who follow Jesus. And look what they did.

When we look at those who have not yet heard about Jesus, the numbers can look impossible. But we’re looking at our resources, not God’s.

If 11 men could impact the world by trusting God’s resources, think what 699 million could do.

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.

hen Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

herefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

nd surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Matt 28:16-20

Dive In: Matthew

Why the book of Matthew?

The Gospel of Matthew, probably written by Mathew who was one of the “lesser” apostles and also a tax collector (not exactly an honored profession in first-century Palestine), reveals the viewpoint of a man familiar with money, organization, and vice – a tax collector.

The most common assumption is that the evangelist wrote to Jews to convince them that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Yet the book is not that simple. On one hand, there are many references to Old Testament text to prove Jesus fulfilled prophecy. Matthew stresses Jesus’ role as son of David, His genealogy, Jewish customs and traditions.

Yet Matthew also emphasizes the universalism of Jesus’ ministry, including four Gentile women (and some with questionable pasts - like Matthew) in Jesus’ genealogy and recounting parables that predict the end of the Jewish leadership. The Great Commission at the end of Matthew shows the disciples sent to “all nations” not just Jews. Those don’t seem like the approach of a man focused only on the Jews. Was he writing to Jews or to all?

Scholars debate Matthew’s purpose, since he doesn’t specifically list it, as did Luke and John. Matthew may have been written to evangelize the Jews. Or perhaps as a manual to help disciple new believers. Was the gospel written as an apologetic manual to debate the Jews? Or as a church manual? Perhaps the gospel was meant to be a help for the persecuted church. Many scholars think it is an intricate weaving of most, if not all, those purposes.

Matthew brought a distinct viewpoint, that of a disciple rescued from a stained past where he had been rejected by his own people. Did his gospel reflect a second chance?

Who would be drawn to such a treatment of Jesus’ life? Would an artist? An engineer? A free spirit? Would the family downtrodden by tragedy rush to Matthew for some compassion and insight?

What do you think?

Tomorrow, we’ll look at Mark.