In his commentary on Christ's great commission found at the end of Matthew's Gospel,

Matthew Henry asked, what is the principal intention of this commission to disciple all nations?

His answer, do your utmost to make the nations, Christian nations.

Matthew Henry was right.

Our task is nothing less than to make disciples not just of individuals as if they were atoms

floating around in space in a homogenous cloud, but nations. We are to disciple nations,

even nations as nations.

Without shame or embarrassment, every Christian should be able to answer the question.

What is the aim of your church?

With the answer, we want to make our city a Christian city, our state a Christian state, our

nation a Christian nation, and our world a Christian world.

We want our city, county, state, nation, and World to be saved and submit to Christ as King.

This is our task.

This is our aim.

Reformer Ulrich Zwingley was a man who could give such an answer. He loved his city, the city of Zurich, so much that he was willing to die for it.

For Zwingley serving as the chaplain of the army, this love was no theoretical exercise. Here was a man who might in a moment need to put down his commentaries in pastoral duties, take up his arms, and go to battle with his men.

October 11, 1531 was such a day.

It was early morning in Zurich, the kind of day

that would have begun countless times before,

the city square, slowly awakening, merchants opening shop doors, windows opening

in stone buildings around the city.

But this day was different.

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