has been given to Me in heaven and on the earth. Go therefore and make
disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:18-19)
His power to save us is contained in His Divine Human because the
Lord, in the process of glorifying that Human, experienced every temptation
and conquered every evil desire that we will ever face. So now the Lord can
more effectively relate to us than ever before, and be more closely present
with us by means of His Divine Human. This is part of the meaning of “the
Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14)
Now the Writings point out that in the phrase – “All power has been
given to Me in heaven and on the earth” – the Lord specifically uses the
singular “Me” before He instructs His disciples to baptize in the name of “the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” The purpose of this was to demonstrate that His
Divine Human and the Divine Proceeding are one and inseparable from the
Father. Therefore, we are told that no one can be accepted into heaven other
than those who acknowledge the Lord as to His Divine Human and worship
Him as one God. (Arcana Coelestia 10067)
This is why it is so important that we have a correct view of the Lord as
one God – the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, we are told that “all who come into
heaven have their place allotted them there, and thence eternal joy, according
to their idea of God.” (Apocalypse Revealed 224:7)
The significance of this truth – that we all have our place assigned after
death according to our idea of God – gives a special sense of urgency to the
Lord’s final commission to His disciples: “Go therefore and make disciples of
all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded
you.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
In the New Church, Easter is a celebration of the Lord’s life! We don’t
focus on His death on the cross, thinking that His sacrifice has miraculously
atoned for our sins and appeased His angry Father. Rather we turn our
thoughts to His resurrection and glorification. We worship and praise Him
for freeing us from the power of the hells, for rolling away the stone of falsity
that blocks our sight of His Divine Human, and for enabling us to be to be
more closely conjoined to Him in heaven than ever before. (cf. Apocalypse
Explained 400:14)
But as we take such great comfort and joy in knowing that “He is risen as
He said” and that, “All power has been given to [Him] in heaven and on the
earth,” let us not forget His commission to us: “Go and baptize the nations,
teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you.”
Let us teach the nations – our friends, our neighbors – the wonderful
truths we are given in the Writings, which will help them to gain a clearer
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