“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, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28: 19–20
There is no more thrilling event in track and field than the relay race. It’s the one running event where there’s teamwork, strategy, and inevitable drama. But the relay race is not about running at all. It’s about the flight of the baton from runner to runner, start to finish—handed from the tired athlete to the fresh one who’s ready to dash down the track on his leg of the race.
Many teams have lost relay races, even though they were the strongest and the fastest on the track. Their loss did not come because they failed to run well. These teams didn’t fail because someone fell down. No, they lost in the exchange of the baton, from one runner to the next.
Jesus’s final words in Matthew’s Gospel are all about passing the baton. “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth,” Jesus said. The baton was in His hand. “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,” He commanded them (vv. 18–19).
“Reach out to Me,” He was explaining to His disciples. “This baton I’m carrying is about to get slapped into your hand. When it does, you’ll be responsible to run with the message.”
If you’re a dad, you carry the baton. You received it from your Savior, who was sent by His heavenly Father, and now you’re on the track, huffing and puffing down the backstretch. Our children are standing in the exchange area on the homestretch in front of the stands, watching us run and waiting to receive the baton when we’ve finished our lap.
The charge to dads is undeniably straightforward. Run well, and don’t drop the baton when you hand it off to your children. They are counting on you to be faithful in both tasks.
When Jesus handed the baton to His disciples, He was entrusting His ministry to them. He knew they would be representing Him as “Christians”—Christ followers. And on a human level, our children represent us. “You must be Robert’s daughter,” a stranger might say to Missy or Julie.
Our job as dads is to run our race with endurance. Our faithfulness and visible experience of God’s grace will give our children something to watch—a pattern worth emulating when they carry the baton on their own.
In many ways, this is a three-man event. Jesus carries the baton first. His life and power give us a pattern and the power to run the next leg with authority. Then, when we come to the end of our story, our children carry it on.
I told you the relay was exciting.