Matthew links on, it is evident, to the Lord's power and service shown in Galilee. Specially compare Isa. 9:11Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. (Isaiah 9:1), where clearly in the desolation and judgment of Israel, and the separation of the disciples, and the law and the testimony being sealed among them, the light (in the utter desolation as distinguishing it from other desolations) is shown to spring up, to have a remnant just because it was utter desolation. This is applied, Matt. 4:1515The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; (Matthew 4:15), to the Lord's sojourn in Galilee. The kingdom of heaven is declared at hand, and repentance called for then according to the prophecy.
On the smiting of the Shepherd and the scattering of the sheep as so held together by Him, He tells them that when risen He will go before them into Galilee. Jerusalem having rejected Him, He returns into His own prophetic title in which blessing is to flow from Him. He is to be the center and source, whatever blessing may hereafter be conferred on Jerusalem. Hence according to Isaiah and His service [shown] in Matthew, Galilee was the place for this: so chap. 28:10. But when there, it was no longer a Messiah in the flesh Himself presenting the gospel of the kingdom, according to the prophets, to the nation, and to Jerusalem. All power was now given Him in heaven and on earth; and they were to disciple to Him all the Gentiles. It was the extension of what was His Messianic power, connected with the title of power over heaven and earth He held as risen, to the whole world. It was not establishing His reign over Israel; He had been rejected there.
The remnant had the testimony sealed to them; Jehovah hid His face from the house of Israel (though to be waited for); and the testimony of Galilee, so rejected, was now identified with all power in heaven and earth, and sent to bring all nations into discipleship. It was power and authority, yet of this character, but with the further revelation of what now, Jesus being risen, was necessarily brought out—the common name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (common yet distinct), and Christ's injunctions were to be the rule of the Gentiles so discipled. With this is connected the promise to be with them “to the end of the age “; so that this connects itself with the age and the service rendered, till it closes. And we get the important principle that the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost is continued “to the end of the age,” or at any rate the service which declares it is supposed in duty to continue.
Next in Mark we have the gospel carried on. Christ had served in the gospel. Mark's account is the beginning of the gospel of the Son of God. Here (chap. 16) this gospel of the risen Son of God is carried on; and he who believes and confesses it, in being received by baptism, will be saved, and he that believes not will be lost. The fate of every creature on hearing it is attached to the preached gospel. It is a general principle and commission as a matter of life—eternal life and salvation, attached to the gospel of the Son of God, thus sent out by His messengers, and to which the Lord gave testimony by signs.
In John it is another thing, as in all the latter part of that Gospel, the Lord puts the disciples in His own place, deriving it from Him only, as He from the Father. “As my Father hath sent me, so send I you.” It is intrinsically connected with their position, and this as united to Him. It is derivative identification with Him, not authoritative mission merely here, which constituted the commission. Thus He first pronounces peace, then sends them from Himself, as the Father had sent Him (also He is in the midst of the gathered saints). Hence He breathes on them, and communicates to them the Holy Ghost; not now merely natural life breathed of God into their nostrils, but the Holy Ghost in living power from Him, giving them spiritual competency to take and as taking His place, and thus to effectuate in His name that remission of sins which the Holy Ghost can administer down here in the name of Jesus, as He did as Son of man in His place. There was real administrative forgiveness, as Paul and the church in Corinth with the incestuous man (2 Cor. 2). It is a living spiritual commission, putting them (by receiving one Spirit with and from Him) in the place of service according to what He had accomplished, in His place, only with what He had done and was as risen its source; but to do it for Him in His place and name, looked at as in the church, and the spring and source of union and the giver of spiritual power; not as sending down in power, externally declaring what He was—Son of man, but spiritual competency from and by Himself who breathed the Spirit, His breath upon them, that they might act by it.
In Luke it is different. There is not properly a commission. The Lord first presents to them His real resurrection in flesh and bones, eating before them; then shows how, according to His words, all things which Moses, &c., had written concerning Him were to be fulfilled. Next, He opens their understanding to understand the scriptures, and how, according to the mind of God there revealed, these things should have been, and the gospel preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Here then we get thus far the counsels of God as to this matter revealed, and their minds brought to rest on, and draw from, these counsels as so revealed, which they now understand: so Paul uses Isa. 49. It was then intelligence of the mind of God in the scriptures opened to them by Christ, and His words confirmed, and they acting on this intelligence, and this being their intelligent service. The source from which they acted, “It behooved” (compare chap. 24:25, &c. where the Lord expounds; here He opens their understanding). There was a further thing before they acted publicly by this knowledge, namely, power. They were to tarry in Jerusalem (they could not go out of this circle, as it were), till they were endued with power from on high. It is not then properly a commission, but the opening the understanding to understand the scriptures, and connecting them by Christ's teaching with “the Christ “; and then power enabling them to act upon it—this by the Holy Ghost coming down as the promise of the Father.
The same general truth, specially as to power and further the return of Jesus, is found in Acts 1. This power we need. The commission in ver. 8 or rather what the Lord says would happen in them, so endued with power, has the same character as to order. It recognizes the administration first—Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria, the ends of the earth. This is what we find in the blessed Paul's ministry: to the Jews first, and also to the Gentiles; and the knowledge of God's mind. From this he both speaks and acts. “We have the mind of Christ.” He speaks from Christ's glory; and this is what we are led to as the terminus in Luke 24 (knowledge and power); and the power of the Spirit is Paul's whole spring and power (and so for others): only [remembering] this that, while it substantially remains the same in these two points, the beginning at Jerusalem has no place—this had been done. He receives his commission from Christ on high and nowhere short of it; nor does he return to Jerusalem nor go up there; but he goes on from the point of starting, Christ's heavenly glory. It is the Just One that is the link with the Jews. The righteous Jew is maintained; but Paul is a witness of what he has seen directly from the Lord. It has no other root or connection as such for him. Only he receives the Holy Ghost in the church, because he was there now, and thus the link with the previously existing church, and its recognition. Hence we have two points in Paul's ministry, the glory of Christ (and so universality), and then the one that is in Christ (see Col. 1).
The glory, or glorification, ended Peter's witness; it begins Paul's; and the unity of the church is a fresh revelation. J. N. D.