The Great Commission

 

So far we have seen that God’s unchanging purpose has always been for a multitude in the image of God ruling over the works of His hands.

 

Man diverted from God’s original plans when they sinned, but God promised that one day a Seed would be born Who crush the serpents head, bring blessing to all nations and establish a never ending kingdom.

 

 

Jesus came to earth as a man born of a woman, was filled with the Spirit of Life which made Him the image of God, demonstrated how to rule and how to multiply and crushed the enemy at the cross.

 

After rising from the dead, Jesus appeared to the disciples…

 

Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

John 20:21-22 (KJV)

 

 

Jesus sends us out to bring reconciliation and restoration. This is only possible if we are reconciled and restored ourselves.  So Jesus breathed on the disciples just as God had breathed on the man He had created from dust.  Jesus was restoring the image of God in man.

 

Jesus spent 40 days appearing to the disciples and explaining the scriptures.

 

And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

Luke 24:27 (KJV)

 

Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures,

Luke 24:45 (KJV)

 

Then just before He ascended to the Father, Jesus gave the disciples the great commission.

 

Many Christians, when quoting or referring to the Great Commission only quote the second part,…

 

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Matthew 28:19-20 (KJV)

 

…but if we read the previous verse as part of the Great Commission, we see an awesome confirmation of God’s unchanging purpose.

 

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Matthew 28:18 (KJV)

 

 

Unfortunately many missionary organisations and missions training institutions only focus on the multiply side of God’s vision.  Much of the teaching used is only based on the promise made to Abraham, neglecting the restoration of the image of God and the authority which has been restored to man.

 

Many Christians also live in bondage to fear of the devil and the works of the devil, but look closely at the first part of Jesus statement.

 

Jesus approached and, breaking the silence, said to them, All authority (all power of rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.

Matthew 28:18 (AMP)

 

All power (Gk Exousia = authority) has been given to Jesus. All authority in heaven and earth! So if all authority in heaven and earth has been given to Jesus, how much is left for the devil? Think about that!

 

We have been sent by Jesus in His authority to take this good news of His kingdom, the good news of reconciliation and restoration, to all nations! 

Jesus our example of how to Rule

 

Over and over again Jesus was called upon as the Son of David to demonstrate His authority:

 

And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.

Mark 10:47-48 (KJV)

 

Jesus demonstrated to us what it is like to rule and reign out of an overflow of a perfect relationship with the Father. Jesus ruled over all the works of God’s hands just as God intended for Adam to do.

 

If there was a storm He said: “Be still.” and the wind and rain had to listen to Him.  If someone was sick He said: “Be made whole.” and the disease had to leave and the body be restored. If He wanted to walk on the water the water had to obey Him and keep him up. All of creation had to submit to Him. He had complete authority or dominion. When the disciples cast there nets into the sea, He controlled the fish of the sea, when they threw their nets on the other side He allowed the fish to get into the nets. Jesus had complete authority over the fish of the sea the birds of the air the beasts of the field over all the earth and everything that creeps upon the earth.

 

Maybe now we can better understand what it was like for Adam to rule and reign before sin came in.

 

Psalm 8 pointed ahead to the coming of Jesus and the restoration of the authority to man, it gives us a deeper understanding of the extent of this authority.

 

When I view and consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained and established, What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of [earthborn] man that You care for him? Yet You have made him but a little lower than God [or heavenly beings], and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yes, and the beasts of the field, The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

Psalms 8:3-8 (AMP)

 

Jesus the Son of God is Lord of all, He has all authority, but He accepts us as His brothers, sons of God, and sends us out in His authority. He is our example of how to rule and expects us to exercise that authority as we walk in fellowship with Him.

 

I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father.

Joh 14:12 (AMP)

 

Jesus gave us an example of how to multiply in the spirit and how to rule over the work of His hands. He reconciled man to God and restored man to God’s original intentions through the finished work of the cross. We who believe are now the multitude, the sons that God always desired.  We are the multitude that is meant to be clothed and crowned in God’s glory and ruling and reigning in life.

 

It has been solemnly and earnestly said in a certain place, What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You graciously and helpfully care for and visit and look after him? For some little time You have ranked him lower than and inferior to the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor and set him over the works of Your hands, [Ps. 8:4-6.] For You have put everything in subjection under his feet. Now in putting everything in subjection to man, He left nothing outside [of man's] control. But at present we do not yet see all things subjected to him [man]. But we are able to see Jesus, Who was ranked lower than the angels for a little while, crowned with glory and honor because of His having suffered death, in order that by the grace (unmerited favor) of God [to us sinners] He might experience death for every individual person. For it was an act worthy [of God] and fitting [to the divine nature] that He, for Whose sake and by Whom all things have their existence, in bringing many sons into glory, should make the Pioneer of their salvation perfect [should bring to maturity the human experience necessary to be perfectly equipped for His office as High Priest] through suffering. For both He Who sanctifies [making men holy] and those who are sanctified all have one [Father]. For this reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren;

Heb 2:6-11 (AMP)

 

For if because of one man’s trespass (lapse, offense) death reigned through that one, much more surely will those who receive [God's] overflowing grace (unmerited favor) and the free gift of righteousness [putting them into right standing with Himself] reign as kings in life through the one Man Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

Rom 5:17 (AMP)

 

Jesus our example of how to Multiply

 

God has always been looking for a multitude.

He said it to Adam,…

 

And God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it [using all its vast resources in the service of God and man]; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves upon the earth.

Gen 1:28 (AMP)

 

He said it to Noah,…

AND GOD pronounced a blessing upon Noah and his sons and said to them, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.

Gen 9:1 (AMP)

 

He promised it to Abraham,…

In blessing I will bless you and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants like the stars of the heavens and like the sand on the seashore. And your Seed (Heir) will possess the gate of His enemies,

Gen 22:17 (AMP)

 

…but because of sin, no one was able to multiply in the spirit, until Jesus came. 

 

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Joh 3:3-8 (KJV)

 

Jesus, the image of God, Who knew no sin and was able to multiply in the Spirit and the church, the body of Christ, was born.  

 

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

John 1:12 (KJV)

 

Jesus gave us the example of making disciples; an example of how to multiply.

 

And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

Mat 10:1 (KJV)

 

He chose a small group of disciples, took them through a process of transformation by renewing their minds and empowered them with the Spirit of Life.

 

Before He ascended into heaven, Jesus breathed on His disciples just as the Father had breathed into Adam, so that they could receive the guarantee or down payment of the Spirit of Life.  He was sent to restore the image of God in man and He expects His disciples (that’s us), the Church, to continue with the work.

 

Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

John 20:21-22 (KJV)

Jesus, the Christ, Son of the Living God

And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Matthew 16:16 (KJV)

 

We often hear people say, “That boy is the image of his father.”

Jesus the Son of God was the image of His Father. 

Like Father, like Son!

 

Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

Joh 14:9-10 (KJV)

 

In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

2 Corinthians 4:4 (KJV)

 

In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

Colossians 1:14-15 (KJV)

 

Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Hebrews 1:3 (KJV)

 

He is the sole expression of the glory of God [the Light-being, the out-raying or radiance of the divine], and He is the perfect imprint and very image of [God’s] nature…

Hebrews 1:3a (AMP)

 

But what made Jesus the Image of God?

It was the same as Adam. He was full of the Spirit of Life; the Spirit of God.

 

And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

Luk 3:22 (KJV)

 

Many people teach that man is created in the image of God.  While this was originally true, we have seen that mankind lost that image when they lost the Spirit of Life because of sin.  If we have a look at mankind today we do not see a reflection of the God of the Bible, but if we look at Jesus we see that He was the image of God.  Jesus had something that made Him different to other men. He had the Spirit of God. He was the Christ, the Anointed One, the Son of God.

 

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

Luk 4:18 (KJV)

 

Being the image of God, Jesus was in perfect communion with the Father.

 

Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

John 5:19 (KJV)

 

Walking in perfect union with the Father, having the fullness of the Spirit, the glory of God, Jesus revealed Himself to be the long awaited Anointed One (Messiah or Christ).

Jesus the Seed

Jesus Christ is the Seed of David, the Seed of Abraham and the Seed of the woman. 

 

The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Matthew 1:1 (KJV)

 

Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Matthew 1:22-23 (KJV)

 

And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Luke 1:31-33 (KJV)

 

The Seed of David

Again any one of the children of Abraham may be that seed, but following Abraham’s line through Isaac, the child of promise, we eventually come to King David and once again find that God has made a very special promise to him and his Seed.

 

After becoming king, David captured Zion or Jerusalem, from the Jebusites and made it his headquarters. Next, he led an expedition of 30 000 men to retrieve the Ark of the Covenant which had remained in Kiriath-jearim for many years and brought it up to Zion which he had called the City of David.  After David had returned home, and was sitting in his own house, he felt that he should build a house for the presence of the Lord. The Lord, however, said to David through the prophet Nathan that he would not build a house for God, but one of his sons after him would be the one to build it. God also revealed that this son would rule for ever.

 

And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build me a house, and I will establish his throne forever.

1 Chronicles 17:11-12 (KJV)

                                                                                      

 

Just as the promise made to Abraham emphasised the multiplication aspect, so the promise made to David emphasises rule and authority.

A casual reader may assume that this son or seed of David is Solomon, since he built the Temple after David’s death, but we will soon discover that although Solomon built a temple, he did not build the temple.  We must look for One greater than Solomon, a greater Son (Seed) of David, Who, unlike Solomon, has a throne that is established forever.

The Seed of Abraham

Any one of Eve’s offspring is potentially the Seed of the woman we are looking for.

After the fall of man we find to main family trees, the offspring of Seth and the offspring of Cain. In Cain’s linage we find polygamy and murder, while in Seth’s linage we find righteous men who walked with God. It appears that Seth’s descendants sought after God, found grace in His sight and were again apportioned a measure of God’s Spirit.  Cain’s descendants are later called the children of men while Seth’s descendants are called the sons of God.  After the sons of God started to marry the daughters of men, it seems that even the descendants of Seth become corrupt and violent. They lost there position as sons, God withdrew His Spirit from man and sent a global flood. Noah a righteous man found grace in God’s sight and was saved with his family to begin to replenish the earth.  As they increased they remained in one place and eventually began to build the city of Babel which had a tower reaching up towards heaven.  (We will return to these interesting accounts at a later stage.)

After God confused the languages of the people of Babel and they began to spread out over the face of the earth, we see the Genesis story begins to focus on a specific man and his descendants.

 

Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee:

Gen 12:1 (KJV)

 

Abram had to leave his land, his people or nation and his father’s house, which is the place where he would have found his identity (being the image of his father.)

 

God then made a threefold promise to Abraham.  This promise was firstly that he would become a great nation and that his offspring would be innumerable like the dust and like the stars. Secondly, the Lord promised to Abraham that he and his descendants would inherit the land. Finally God promised that Abraham and His descendants would be blessed and this blessing was far more than just material blessing, but included all the spiritual blessings of the heavenly realm.

 

And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Genesis 12:2-3 (KJV)

 

And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there built he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.

Genesis 12:7(KJV)

 

 

This threefold promise directly reflects God’s original intentions. The land or the earth which is to be inherited or possessed, relates to God’s original intention that man should have dominion over all the earth. The innumerable offspring refers to God’s intention that man must multiply and fill the earth and the blessing of Abraham is fully manifested when man is completely restored back into the image of God.

 

Although the promise is threefold and includes the inheritance of the land and the blessing, greater emphasis seems to be placed on the multiplication of the offspring.  This is understandable since Abraham was alone at the time of receiving the promise.

 

And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.

Gen 13:16 (KJV)

 

And He brought him outside [his tent into the starlight] and said, Look now toward the heavens and count the stars–if you are able to number them. Then He said to him, So shall your descendants be.

Gen 15:5 (AMP)

 

That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

Gen 22:17 (KJV)

 

It is also interesting that the renaming of Abram to Abraham also emphasises multiplication.

 

Nor shall your name any longer be Abram [high, exalted father]; but your name shall be Abraham [father of a multitude], for I have made you the father of many nations.

Genesis 17:5 (AMP)

 

God promised that Abraham would multiply into innumerable offspring, but He also spoke of a single Seed through Whom the blessing flows.  This is the Seed through which restoration will come.

 

And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

Gen 22:18 (KJV)

 

 

 

 

Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

Galatians 3:16 (KJV)

 

We are now no longer looking for just any seed of the woman, but we have narrowed down our search to the seed of Abraham.