| Church School Lesson: Provoke One Another! |
"Provoke One Another!"
May 31, 2026
Background: Nehemiah 8:1-12; Micah 4:1-2; Psalm 122:1-9;
Matthew 28:28-20; Hebrews 10:19-25;
Print: Matthew 28:18-20; Hebrews 10:22-25;
Key Verse: Hebrews 10:23; Devotional: Hebrews 1:1-6
Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV)
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Hebrews 10:22-25 (ESV)
22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,
25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Matthew 28/Hebrews 10 (Commentary)
Matthew 28:18-20 These final words of Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel have become known as the Great Commission. In them we find the church’s marching orders. Jesus declared to his disciples that all authority . . . in heaven and on earth had been given to him (20:18). In other words, he said, “I’m in charge.” Indeed, the Father has given the Son all authority up there and down here, in heaven and in history, in eternity and in time. Christianity, then, is no generic religion tied to a generic god. Authority over the universe is in the hands of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
On any football field, the players are more powerful than anyone else. But the referees have the authority. No matter how strong and fast the players are, referees can stop their whole show. The devil is far more powerful than you, but Jesus has all authority. That’s why your association with Jesus is the ultimate determining factor in your life.
In light of Jesus’s all-encompassing authority, he commands his disciples to make disciples (28:19). This is a command, not a suggestion or request. A disciple is a learner who seeks to become like the one whom he is following. The goal of discipleship, then, is to help people become progressively like Christ in character and conduct, in attitudes and actions. Jesus shares his authority only with disciples so that they may see the rule of God in and through their lives.
Discipleship is the key element of God’s kingdom agenda; it’s the visible manifestation of God’s comprehensive rule over every area of life. The effectiveness of a church is therefore evaluated—not in the number of its members—but by its disciple-making. It’s the absence of discipleship that keeps a church impotent and ineffective, because by not taking up Christ’s mission of discipleship, its people cannot draw on Christ’s authority.
We accomplish disciple-making by going, baptizing, and teaching. To make disciples, then, you must go: leave your holy huddle, take your witness with you into the world, and share the gospel.
Next, Jesus commanded them to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (28:19). The presence of the three titles with the singular “name” affirms the Trinity. To be baptized is to commit a covenantal act by which you are publicly identified with the triune God. As sure as wearing a wedding ring identifies you as married, it should be clear to all that you are under Jesus’s authority.
Jesus said to teach would-be disciples to observe everything he had commanded (28:20). The goal of this is not merely to impart knowledge—it’s to help people apply knowledge. Taking notes and memorizing verses is good, but until a learner also obeys God’s Word, teaching has not produced a disciple.
King Jesus closed the meeting with a powerful promise: I am with you always, to the end of the age (28:20). The second Person of the Trinity promises to uniquely engage and be involved with believers and churches that are making disciples. The church’s mission in history, in fact, is possible because of Jesus’s heavenly presence. The one who is called Immanuel—“God is with us” (1:23)—will be with us until the end. Therefore, we are to live our lives as disciples and equip others to do the same. Importantly, Jesus does not have the same level of commitment to believers who refuse discipleship (see John 2:23-25).
Hebrews 10:22-25 Just draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith (10:22). With this kind of access to God, we come into his presence boldly. Prayer becomes vibrant when we become real. Everything changes when you realize that Jesus has already dealt with the things you’re ashamed to discuss. Have you ever heard someone beat around the bush because he is afraid to get to the point and address the problem? We never have to do that with the Lord! God knows our issues, and he’s dealt with our problems. In fact, our hearts [are] sprinkled clean and our bodies [are] washed in pure water (10:22). He’s just waiting for us to start a conversation; he’s waiting for us to draw near to him. So, do it with confidence. Be real with the Father. Boldness in drawing near to God is critical for avoiding divine discipline associated with the willful sin the author is about to address.
Also, let us hold on to the confession of our hope (10:24). Don’t persist in rebellion against God. Pursue Christ and grow in grace! And if you’re wondering how to do that when times are hard, that’s what the local church is for. Connecting to a vibrant, biblically based, loving church is a critical tool that can steer us away from disobedience so that we can avert sin’s consequences and divine discipline. Believers who are not a functioning part of a local church are living outside of the will of God and limiting God’s work in their lives.
Tragically, some of this letter’s readers had started neglecting to gather together Hebrews (10:25). They were avoiding the means God had provided to help them. Remember, when your “get-up-and-go” has gotten up and gone, you need someone who can lift you up. Furthermore, there’s someone ready to throw in the towel who needs you to walk alongside him or her. That’s why the writer of Hebrews says, Let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good works (10:24). It can be hard to be a Christian. We need to be practicing the “one-anothers,” encouraging each other . . . as [we] see the day approaching (10:25).