The God who created the universe and ladybugs and you and me is extending invitations to something grand. And, as the title of this blog post suggests, you are invited. Take a moment to consider the implications of this invitation. Yahweh, the great I Am, the only God with all knowledge in existence and power over death, has extended His hand and asked you to be a part of something greater than yourself.
This invitation is found in Chapter 28 of Matthew. This passage normally is known for the Great Commission, where Jesus commands His followers to go into all the world and make disciples, etc. (verses 19-20). However, the invitation I’m referring to actually precedes the infamous GC.
You probably are familiar with the Easter story: Jesus was crucified, laid in a tomb, and then rose from the grave three days later. Although these major details are highlights of the Christian faith, this year God emphasized different details of the story I’ve never noticed before.
Let’s back up to the beginning of Chapter 28. A few women came to Jesus’s tomb to anoint Jesus’s body with spices according to appropriate burial customs (Mark 16:1, Luke 24:1).
- The fact that they came to do this was already a testament of their love for Jesus, because His tomb was sealed with a large stone and heavily guarded at the command of the governor Pontius Pilate (Matthew 27:62-66). How would they even get in? (Mark 16:3) Even though this feat seemed impossible, they admirably stepped out and believed that something miraculous would have to happen so they could see the body of their Savior.
- What this act says about their faith, however, is not as admirable; Jesus had said He would rise from the grave in three days, yet the women were going with the goal of anointing His dead body. How often do we insist in settling for ashes when God has promised us beauty? We can learn from these women and understand we should take God at His Word, for He is Truth (John 14:6, Psalm 119:160).
In verse 2 of Matthew 28, we discover that there was an earthquake, and an angel of the Lord descended from Heaven and rolled back the stone from the door. The invitation then comes from this angel’s mouth in verses 6 and 7:
“He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.”
Like the women, we are given the same invitation to come and see – this is the same invitation Jesus gives when He calls His disciples to follow Him.
Responding to this first part of the invitation requires us to stop what we are doing, put our eyes on Jesus, and learn about Him. We do this by reading the Word, having conversations with our Father, and humbling ourselves by believing what He says.
The second part of the invitation is dependent on the first; you cannot go and tell about someone or something that you do not know. That would be like asking you to teach a class about how to construct a rocket; if you don’t know that information, you can’t share it with others. It’s the same with our faith.
One of the reasons why I love YWAM is because their goals are, in the correct order:
- To know God (come and see)
- To make God known (go and tell)
After you have responded to the first invitation, then you are free to respond to the second. Go and tell people at your school, in your neighborhood, at your job, or in the nations. This isn’t a call just for full-time missionaries. We are all called to share the Good News. As you come and see God and get to know Him, He will guide you and show you exactly how He wants you specifically to respond.
The beautiful thing about this invitation, though, is that it’s not a once-and-done checklist. Getting to know Yahweh is a daily pleasure. There will always be deeper layers of Him to seek out. Sharing Him is a constant task, too, for as you get to know Him He will give you new testimonies and new revelations about Himself that people need to hear about. The first time you go and tell, you might share about how Jesus saved you from your sins. The twentieth time you go and tell, you might share about how the peace He provides passes understanding.
So why am I calling this an invitation rather than a command? Come, see, go, and tell are all command words. However, our Maker has given us free will. All throughout our lives we are coming and seeing and going and telling about something, whether that be a job or a person or a pet or a goal. God has invited us to put those things down and give our time and attention to the only thing worth it: our great Inviter. From the beginning of creation He has invited us to dwell with Him, to love Him, to be His people and let Him be our God. So how will you respond to His invitation?
