How does Ezekiel 33:9 connect with the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20? Key Texts Aligned • Ezekiel 33:9: “But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way and he does not turn from it, he will die in his iniquity, but you will have saved yourself.” • Matthew 28:19-20: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” One Message, Two Settings • Ezekiel: God appoints a “watchman” to sound the alarm so the wicked can repent and live. • Matthew: Jesus appoints His disciples (and, by extension, every believer) to proclaim the gospel so all nations can repent, believe, and obey. • Common thread: divine commissioning to speak truth that rescues from judgment. Shared Themes • Responsibility – Both passages place personal accountability on the messenger. – Failure to warn (Ezekiel) or disciple (Matthew) brings guilt; obedience brings freedom of conscience (cf. Acts 20:26-27). • Urgency – Ezekiel’s warning concerns impending death; the Great Commission concerns eternal destiny (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:20). – Silence is never neutral; it withholds life-saving truth. • Scope – Ezekiel’s field: “the wicked” in Israel. – Jesus broadens the field to “all nations,” reinforcing that God’s heart has always been global. • Content of the message – Ezekiel: call to “turn from his way.” – Jesus: call to repent, believe, be baptized, and “observe all” He commanded. – Both center on turning from sin to obedience under God’s lordship. Practical Implications • Embrace the watchman-disciple identity – Every believer is a spiritual sentinel, positioned in family, workplace, neighborhood. – We do not create the warning; we relay God’s already-spoken word. • Speak with clarity and compassion – Warn of sin’s consequences (Romans 6:23) yet hold out the gift of life in Christ. – Gospel proclamation fulfills Ezekiel’s warning mandate and Jesus’ teaching mandate simultaneously. • Depend on Christ’s presence – The Great Commission includes the promise, “I am with you always.” – The same God who empowered Ezekiel empowers us through the Spirit (Acts 1:8). • Evaluate faithfulness, not results – Ezekiel’s hearers might refuse; Jesus’ disciples will encounter rejection (Matthew 10:14). – Obedience is measured by our willingness to warn and disciple, not by response statistics. Encouraging Reinforcements • 1 Corinthians 9:16 – “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” • Romans 10:14-15 – People cannot believe unless someone is sent to tell them. • Acts 20:26-27 – Paul echoes Ezekiel, declaring himself “innocent of the blood of all men” because he proclaimed the whole counsel of God. Conclusion: A Continuous Commission Ezekiel 33:9 provides the Old-Testament template of a watchman’s duty; Matthew 28:19-20 extends that duty to the entire church, assuring divine presence and global scope. Obedient believers sound the alarm, offer the cure, and rest in the promise that their faithful warning and disciple-making “will have saved” not only others but also themselves from the guilt of silence. |
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