For those who are not familiar with the story of the life of Jesus, He was born in Bethlehem, raised in Nazareth, and had a very popular and yet, at times, extremely controversial ministry throughout Israel. This ministry culminated in his receiving the death penalty in Jerusalem. He was not just hanged or stoned to death; he was crucified.
This crucifixion, which Matthew and all the other gospel writers focus on, was not a mere martyrdom. It was the means of salvation for God’s people. And the story did not end there. The salvation work that Jesus was doing not only involved receiving the punishment for his people’s sins in their place, but also, his rising from the dead, leading the way for them to do the same…
We too (the people of the church) will rise from the dead one day very soon because Jesus is risen from the dead. And it is this risen Lord Jesus who gives the Great Commission, right at the end of Matthew’s gospel.
