The Adventures of Jesus Christ
Episodes from the Life of Jesus for Young Readers
by Vincent Cheung
[ Contents ]
Chapter 31. Jesus Commanded His Followers
ANYONE WHO HAS FAITH CAN DO THE SAME MIRACLES
After Jesus rose from the dead, he spent time with his disciples, teaching them, comforting them, and reminding them of all that he had shared with them before. The disciples had experienced many emotions over the past days – fear, confusion, sadness, and then the joy of seeing Jesus alive again. Now they had gathered on a mountain in Galilee, and they were listening to him.
Jesus was about to return to his Father in heaven, and he wanted his disciples to continue his work. He had a mission for them, one that would shape the rest of their lives. This moment was not only for the disciples in front of him. It was meant for every follower of Jesus who would come after them. If you are a follower of Jesus, then he was talking to you too. What he was about to say to them is now known as the Great Commission. And it was the beginning of something that would change the world.
Jesus said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
This statement reveals the extent of his power as the King over everything. His authority is not limited to just one part of creation, but it covers all of heaven and all of earth. This means that everything, from the smallest of creatures to the grandest galaxies, falls under his command. Jesus had overcome sin and death through his resurrection, and now he held all authority given by God the Father. Jesus has the right to visit anywhere, and to teach anyone.
For the disciples, this was a powerful moment. Jesus, the same teacher and friend they had walked with, was now the one who ruled over everything. With this authority, he would send them out to carry his message to the world. His words assured them that they would not be weak or helpless. They were working under the power and blessing of the one who rules over all. Jesus would have power over everything forever. This gives his followers in every place and time great confidence as they live for him and spread his message.
Jesus continued, “Therefore, go into all the world and preach the gospel to everyone. Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples.” To preach is to announce, and the gospel means good news. The followers of Jesus must announce the good news to every person and in every area of the world.
Jesus Christ was the hero that God promised to send. He came and succeeded in his work. The good news is that now anyone can believe in him and benefit from what he did. Anyone who believes in Jesus and follows him is forgiven by God and restored to God. This person will not be punished, because Jesus suffered the punishment for sin. In fact, because this person is joined to Jesus, he will enjoy many of the advantages that Jesus himself enjoys. This is indeed good news!
What should we do with the new disciples? Jesus said, “Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
Baptism is a way to show that someone has come to follow Jesus. It is a ceremony that officially welcomes the person into the group.
Jesus told the disciples to baptize people in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This is the doctrine of the Trinity. It means that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There is only one God, and this one God is the Trinity. Notice that the Son is God just like the Father is God and the Holy Spirit is God. Jesus is God. As we have seen, he is the Word and the Son of God that existed since the beginning, becoming human to save his people.
Baptism is also a symbol of being washed clean from sin. When someone is baptized, it shows that he is starting a new life with Jesus. Just like Jesus died and rose again, baptism is a picture of dying to our old, sinful ways and rising up to live a new life for God. It is a reminder that, through Jesus, we are forgiven and given a fresh start.
But baptism is only a symbol. It is a picture of the real thing. The reality is always in Jesus and in our faith, with or without the symbol. Suppose someone takes a picture of you. The picture can remind people of you, but the picture is not you. You exist even if the picture does not exist. In the same way, you become a follower of Jesus by faith only.
Faithless people like to exaggerate the place of baptism. They do not have faith, so that there is no reality of Jesus in their lives. But they still want to feel religious and spiritual, and to have something to make them feel better about themselves. Therefore, they commit to symbols and rituals, instead of to reality by faith. Stay away from this trap.
Jesus also said to teach the disciples to obey everything that he commanded. Although we have looked at many of the things that Jesus said and did, there are still many more teachings and amazing things that we have not talked about. As a follower of Jesus, continue to learn and grow in your understanding of his teachings. Find out more about what he said and what he did.
Jesus taught people about loving God and others, about forgiveness and humility. He explained the value of being merciful, of standing up for what is right even when it is hard, and of trusting God completely in any situation. He said many things about the kingdom of God, such as how it grows like a tiny mustard seed into something great, and how it is more valuable than any treasure.
He spoke about the importance of faith, saying that faith like a mustard seed can move mountains. He also warned about the dangers of greed, encouraging people to store up treasures in heaven. And he exposed the religious hypocrisy of many people. They pray and do good deeds so that other people can see them and admire them. He taught about the Holy Spirit, who would come to be a helper and guide for his followers.
He said many other things that you can read about in the Bible, and each time we read his words, we can learn something new. Even though we have learned a lot already, there is so much more to explore, and it is exciting to know that we can keep growing and learning with Jesus every day. Baptism happens to a person only once, but teaching is something that is never finished.
There is more to the Great Commission. Jesus also said, “These miracles will follow those who believe.” We will mention only two. He said, “In my name they will cast out demons” and “They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Remember the evil spirit who took the boy and threw him down to the ground? Remember how the spirit tried to throw him into the fire and water? The disciples tried to cast out the demon but they could not. Jesus told them that it was because they did not have enough faith. Now he said that anyone who has faith is able to cast out demons.
Jesus healed many people during his ministry by putting his hands on them. Sometimes he would say a prayer or command, and sometimes the people were healed as soon as he touched them. Now he said that anyone who has faith is able to do the same thing.
Many followers of Jesus have done this throughout history. I have also done it. I would put my hands on sick people, and the sickness would leave them, and they would get well. The miracles happened right under my hands and as the people around us watched. This should be a regular practice when followers of Jesus gather.
Both preaching the gospel and healing the sick belong to the Great Commission. If you heal the sick but do not preach the gospel, you are not obeying the Great Commission. Likewise, if you preach the gospel but do not heal the sick, you are not obeying the Great Commission.
Miracles are so important to Christian doctrine, Christian living, and Christian ministry. Jesus did not want miracles to become less powerful and less frequent as his disciples continued his work. In fact, the opposite was true. When people commented on a remarkable miracle that Jesus performed, he would often say that anyone who had faith could do something even greater.
One time, Jesus said that no one should eat fruit anymore from a certain tree, and the tree died! When the disciples pointed that out, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what I did to the tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Throw yourself into the sea,’ it will happen.”
Jesus wanted to break the limitations in our thinking. He even said, “I tell you the truth, whoever believes in me will also do the miracles that I have done. He will do even greater miracles than these.” He did not want us to be limited even by the miracles he did. He said that we can do greater miracles by faith.
This does not mean that we are greater than Jesus. No! It is possible for us to do greater miracles, if we have faith, because Jesus will be the one who actually does them. In the same teaching, he said, “I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
Do you see that? Jesus said, ‘And I will do it.’ When we ask for miracles as followers of Jesus, he is the one who causes them to happen. Of course Jesus himself can do even greater miracles than those he did during his ministry. Jesus is alive, and he is with us, so even greater miracles can happen. He can always do greater things than he did before.