How does Isaiah 56:6 connect with the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19? Setting the Scene • Scripture consistently presents one unfolding plan: God’s covenant blessing flowing out to every ethnicity. • Isaiah 56:6 anticipates that flow; Matthew 28:19 activates it under the risen Christ. Isaiah 56:6 — God Opens the Door to the Nations “ And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD to minister to Him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be His servants— all who keep the Sabbath without profaning it and who hold fast My covenant— ” (Isaiah 56:6) • “Foreigners” – literal non-Israelites, proof that grace was never meant to remain ethnic-bound. • “Join themselves to the LORD” – covenant language of attachment, echoing Ruth 1:16. • “Minister… love… be His servants” – active worship and service, not second-class status (cf. Exodus 19:6). • “Hold fast My covenant” – inclusion depends on genuine covenant loyalty. Matthew 28:19 — Jesus Throws the Door Wide Open “ 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 ” (Matthew 28:19) • “All nations” – panta ta ethnē, the same peoples Isaiah foresaw. • “Make disciples” – the New-Covenant expression of “join themselves to the LORD.” • “Baptizing… teaching” (v. 20) – public covenant sign and instruction, replacing sabbath-sign specific to Israel with the sign of union with Christ (Romans 6:3-4). Key Points of Connection 1. Universal Scope ‑ Isaiah promises foreigners will come; Jesus commands going to them (Genesis 12:3; Psalm 96:3; Isaiah 49:6; Acts 1:8). 2. Covenant Continuity ‑ Both passages emphasize covenant allegiance—first to Yahweh’s Mosaic covenant, then to the New Covenant sealed in Christ’s blood (Luke 22:20; Hebrews 8:8-12). 3. Worship and Service ‑ Isaiah: minister, love, serve. ‑ Matthew: discipling involves teaching obedience to “everything I have commanded” (28:20). Worship leads to mission, mission fuels worship (Revelation 5:9). 4. One House of Prayer ‑ Isaiah 56:7 follows with “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations,” quoted by Jesus in Mark 11:17, tying prophetic expectation to His own mission strategy. Implications for Us Today • The Great Commission is not a new idea; it is the literal fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. • Evangelism is covenant invitation—welcoming “foreigners” of every background into full family membership (Ephesians 2:11-19). • Obedience to Matthew 28:19 honors God’s ancient pledge in Isaiah 56:6; neglect of mission dishonors it. • Every congregation becomes a living preview of the “house of prayer for all nations” when it actively disciples the nations Christ sends to its doorstep. |
    |