Following Jesus: Focus On The Message – Matthew 28

Last Updated on September 20, 2024 by Rocklyn Clarke

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Description

Welcome to Focus On The Message – the first component of our Following Jesus discipleship program. This web page contains the lessons for:

Matthew 28

Purpose

Follow this link for information about these key aspects of our training: Purpose, Goals, Habits, Ministries, and Assignments.

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Matthew 28

This chapter has 3 lessons. You should ideally cover one chapter (with all of its lessons) in a week, but please don’t let a week go by without completing at least one lesson.

Lesson 1: Jesus Has Risen

Main text and related passages:

• Matthew 28:1-10 – Bible Gateway
  • Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-10; John 20:1-8
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Checkout the following:

• • ?

Topics to explore:

• • Reconciling all 4 resurrection accounts presents some challenges.
  • No one sees the actual resurrection

  • Jesus first appears to women:

    • Matthew reports: Mary Magdalene and the “Other Mary”.

    • Mark reports: Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome
    • Luke reports: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them.
    • John reports: Mary Magdalene who, when reporting Jesus’ missing body to Simon Peter, said “we don’t know where they have put him!”
  • Jesus appears to them on the first day of the week (i.e. Sunday).
  • The angel removes the stone:
    • His appearance scares and immobilizes the guards at the tomb.
    • Not so that Jesus can get out – he’s already gone.
    • So that the witnesses can get in to see that Jesus is no longer there.
  • The women are told to tell the rest of the disciples that he has risen from the dead.
  • On the way, Jesus greets them. He has a body that they can touch and hold.

Additional resources to check out:

• • Matthew for Everyone, Part 2 (The New Testament for Everyone) by Tom Wright – Amazon.com
  • Easter Enigma: Are the Resurrection Accounts in Conflict? by John Wenham

Training assignment (do this yourself, and use it to help train someone else):

• • Read the main passage and related passages above.

Lesson 2: The Guards’ Report

• Matthew 28:11-15 – Bible Gateway

Checkout the following:

• • ?

Topics to explore:

• • Reconciling all 4 resurrection accounts presents some challenges.
  • The guards report the the angel moving the stone to the chief priests and elders.
  • The chief priests and elders devise a “cover story” that was still in circulation at the time that the Gospel of Matthew was written down.

Additional resources to check out:

• • Matthew for Everyone, Part 2 (The New Testament for Everyone) by Tom Wright – Amazon.com
  • Easter Enigma: Are the Resurrection Accounts in Conflict? by John Wenham

Training assignment (do this yourself, and use it to help train someone else):

• • Read the main passage and related passages above.

Lesson 3: The Great Commission

• Matthew 28:16-20 – Bible Gateway
  • Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:14-20; Luke 24:36-53; John 20:19-31

Checkout the following:

• • The eleven disciples (remaining apostles) meet Jesus on a mountain in Galilee. They worship him, but some doubt.
    • Yet another occasion when Jesus allows people to worship him.
  • Jesus announces that he has all authority in heaven and on earth.
    • This is an extraordinary statement!
    • Jesus has authority over:
      • other spiritual beings (e.g. ancestors, angels, demons)
      • nations & flags
    • Jesus takes precedence over:
      • astrology, palm reading, and other forms of divination
      • occultism, spiritism, witchcraft, seances, voodoo, vodun, orishas, etc.
      • crystals, burning sage, new age rituals
    • Beware of how people use terms like:
      • dimensions, energy, frequencies, vibrations
  • He commissions his disciples to make disciples of all nations.
    • Baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
    • Teaching them to obey everything that he has commanded them.
    • He promises to be with them as they go – always and everywhere.
  • In his Beyond Awkward evangelism training, Beau Crosetto points out how the Great Commission contrasts with three of our key social rules:
    • Key social rules 
      • Don’t talk to strangers.
      • Don’t do anything that makes people feel uncomfortable.
      • Don’t press people about what is true or real.
    • Great Commission:
      • Go everywhere – as opposed to knowing your place and staying in your lane.
      • Make disciples – as opposed to minding your own business and making conversation pleasant.
      • Teach them to obey my commands – as opposed to religious and behavioral liberties.
      • Summary: Talk to everyone, tell them what the truth is, and make them follow it.

Topics to explore:

• • The resurrection of Jesus was the foundation for what the 1st century believers proclaimed! In the Book of Acts, notice that the resurrection is featured in the first several proclamations of the gospel.
  • Jesus allowed people to worship him. How does this compare with other great leaders you have known or learned about?
  • Jesus declared that he has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. How does this compare with other great leaders you have known or learned about?
  • What relationship, if any, does your allegiance to Jesus have to your allegiance to your country?
  • Have you ever engaged in spiritual practices unrelated to the Bible?
  • Have you ever sought knowledge or help from spiritual beings other than the God of the Bible?
  • What impact do the key social rules above have on your day to day life?
  • What impact do those social rules have on the way you discuss Jesus and God’s Kingdom with others?

Additional resources to check out:

• • Matthew for Everyone, Part 2 (The New Testament for Everyone) by Tom Wright – Amazon.com

Training assignment (do this yourself, and use it to help train someone else):

• • Read the main passage and related passages above.

Proclaiming Good News:

Now that we’ve reached the point in the Gospel of Matthew at which Jesus commissions his 12 apostles to make disciples of all nations, it’s time to continue exploring our own evangelism. Remember that you can only disciple someone who has already made a commitment to following Jesus. In order to have someone to disciple, you or someone else must first win them to Christ.

Evangelism —-> Conversion —-> Discipleship

Our evangelism curriculum is designed to help you and the members of your life group develop your ability to do this:

Following Jesus: Good News!

You can pursue this Good News material in a variety of ways:

• Use it directly to train a disciple.
• Use it to train your entire life group (including someone you are discipling) in evangelism. Talk to your life group leaders to plan this.
• Participate in one of our  Good News classes that we will offer from time to time.

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Congratulations On Completing:

Following Jesus: Focus On The Message!