How does John 3:11 connect with the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20? Setting the Scene John 3 records Jesus’ nighttime conversation with Nicodemus, where He unfolds heavenly realities. Matthew 28 captures the risen Lord’s directive to His disciples before He ascends. Though set in different moments, both passages center on one theme: bearing truthful, authoritative witness so that others may receive life. John 3:11 — The Pattern of Heavenly Testimony “Truly, truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, yet you people do not accept our testimony.” • “We speak … we testify” – Jesus models collective, corporate witness. • “What we know … what we have seen” – firsthand, experiential knowledge undergirds His message. • “You do not accept” – the responsibility to respond rests on the hearers, not on the faithfulness of the testimony itself (cf. Isaiah 55:11). Matthew 28:19-20 — The Mandate to Extend That Testimony “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, and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” • “Go … make disciples” – an outward movement rooted in obedience. • “Baptizing … teaching” – public identification and ongoing instruction form the visible fruit of genuine testimony. • “I am with you” – Christ’s continual presence guarantees that the same divine authority behind His words in John 3 now backs the disciples’ mission. Connecting the Threads • Same Speaker, Same Authority – In John 3 Jesus asserts, “We testify.” In Matthew 28 He authorizes disciples to continue that testimony. • From Personal Witness to Commissioned Witness – John 3:11 shows Jesus declaring what He personally knows; Matthew 28:19-20 passes that responsibility to believers who have come to know Him (cf. Acts 1:8). • Content Consistency – The truths Nicodemus struggled to accept—new birth by the Spirit (John 3:5-8), faith in the lifted-up Son (John 3:14-16)—are the same truths disciples are to teach every nation. • Rejection Anticipated, Faithfulness Required – John 3:11 acknowledges unbelief; Matthew 28 nevertheless commands global proclamation, trusting God for the results (cf. 2 Corinthians 2:15-17). • Presence of Christ – “We … testify” (John 3) implies divine participation in witness. “I am with you” (Matthew 28) carries that promise forward for every generation of disciple-makers. Practical Takeaways for Today • Speak from what Scripture reveals and what Christ has wrought in your life—the pattern set by the Lord Himself. • Expect mixed responses; remain faithful. Jesus anticipated rejection yet still sent His followers. • Keep the message centered on the triune God, the necessity of new birth, and obedience to all Jesus commanded. • Depend on Christ’s abiding presence; effective witness flows from His authority, not ours. • Let every act of disciple-making—baptizing, teaching, mentoring—be viewed as continuing the very testimony Jesus began in John 3:11 and commissioned in Matthew 28:19-20. |
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