New Church Life Mar/Apr 2014 | Page 39

    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 135