How does Luke 2:17 connect with the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20? Setting the Scene Luke 2:17: “When they had seen Him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this Child.” 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.” The Shepherds: First Evangelists • The shepherds receive direct revelation from heaven (Luke 2:10-12). • After encountering the newborn Messiah, they cannot keep silent. • Their immediate response is to “spread the word,” modeling spontaneous, joyful witness. • Their audience is local—family, neighbors, anyone awake in Bethlehem that night—yet the impulse is the same found later in worldwide mission. Jesus’ Final Command: Make Disciples • The risen Christ sends His followers to “all nations.” • The mandate includes going, baptizing, and teaching—three ongoing actions. • The promise of His presence (“I am with you always”) empowers obedience, just as angelic presence emboldened the shepherds. Connecting Threads • Sight → Speech – Shepherds: Saw the Child → Spoke the news. – Disciples: Saw the risen Lord → Proclaimed the gospel. • Revelation precedes proclamation – Shepherds heard angelic words (Luke 2:10). – Disciples heard Jesus’ words (Matthew 28:18-20). • Joy-filled urgency – “All who heard it were amazed” (Luke 2:18). – Acts 2:41 records 3,000 baptized after hearing the apostolic message. • Inclusive scope – Shepherds reached whoever was nearby—beginning of the ripple. – Great Commission extends the ripple “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Biblical Echoes • John 20:21—“As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” • 1 John 1:1-3—Eyewitness testimony leads to fellowship. • Romans 10:14-15—“How will they hear without someone to preach?” All reinforce the pattern: encounter Christ → proclaim Christ. Theological Significance • Witnessing is not optional; it is the natural overflow of genuine encounter. • God entrusts ordinary people—shepherds then, disciples now—with extraordinary news. • The continuity from manger to empty tomb underscores one unified mission plan. Practical Takeaways for Today • Share what you know now; deep theological training is helpful but not required for basic witness. • Start locally—family, workplace, neighborhood—while keeping a global vision through prayer and support of missions. • Depend on His presence; the same Jesus who stood in Bethlehem’s manger and outside Jerusalem’s tomb is with you. • Expect amazement. The gospel still astonishes hearts (Romans 1:16). Encouragement to Go and Tell From the first Christmas night to the final words of Jesus on the Mount of Ascension, Scripture paints an unbroken line of testimony. The shepherds lit the first spark; the Great Commission fans it into a worldwide flame. Having seen and believed, we now step into their story—spreading the word until “the knowledge of the glory of the LORD fills the earth as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14). |
    |