16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:16-20 This section of Scripture is known as The Great Commission. It was the last recorded personal directive of the Savior to his disciples, and it holds great significance to all followers of Christ. The Great Commission is the foundation for evangelism and cross-cultural missions work in Christian theology. Because the Lord gave final instructions for his followers to go to all nations and that he would be with them even until the very end of the age, Christians of all generations have embraced this command. So here comes a major question, Is the Great Commission only in the Gospel According to Matthew ? Well no. It is quoted in the Gospel According to Mark, Luke & John. Here is what they write : The Gospel of Mark 16:15-18 reads: He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." (NIV) The Gospel of Luke 24:44-49 says: He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." (NIV) And finally, the Gospel of John 20:19-23 states: On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." (NIV) The Great Commission spells out the central purpose for all believers. After salvation, our lives belong to Jesus Christ who died to purchase our freedom from sin and death. He redeemed us so that we might become useful in his Kingdom. Now in this blog I will use the reference of The Great Commission from Matthew. Lets look at verse 18. Here Jesus tells them that All authority on Heaven and earth is given to me. Lets take a look at the verse in TPT version of the Bible. 16 Meanwhile, the eleven disciples heard the wonderful news from the women and left for Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had arranged to meet them. 17 The moment they saw him, they worshiped him, but some still had lingering doubts.18 Then Jesus came close to them and said, “All the authority of the universe has been given to me.[a] 19 Now go in my authority and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 20 And teach them to faithfully follow[b] all that I have commanded you. And never forget that I am with you every day, even to the completion of this age.” Jesus says All authority in the universe is given to Him. But he also says something very specific. He says in the very same authority that is given to Him, Go preach the Gospel. That is the one of the major points of the Great Commission. Authority/ Leadership Jesus commissioned us with His authority and Leadership that we may preach the gospel with courage and zeal. So that we may stand up and go into the world and preach the wonderful name of the savior Jesus Christ. The authority has already been given to you. Many of us still don't realize that we have been given the authority and leadership to preach the Gospel. In other words, Many of us still don't know that we are commissioned to preach the Word of God. We still live a complacent life not knowing that we are called for an even greater purpose. Our bodies are designed for Earth. But our souls are designed for Heaven. But what comes next ? He says make disciples of all nations. Here is what is the most important point. He says make disciples, not members. Many of us are called to live the life of a disciple but live the life of a member. We are called to be a disciple. We are called for Action not for Inaction. The next point is Baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. And the final point is to Teach them to faithfully follow everything that Jesus has commanded them to do. We are not just called to Lead but we are also called to Teach. We need to teach our brothers and sisters what Jesus has commanded and help them follow His steps and His Calling.
Here are the 4 parts of The Great Commission :
Authority/Leadership
Make Disciples
Baptize Them
Teach His Ways And the ending note is not a commandment but an assurance. That He will be with us every day. Look at the beauty of the instructions of Jesus. He not only commissions us to Preach the Gospel but also gives us an assurance that He is with us every day, till the completion of this age. What a Savior ! He not only tells us what to do but also assures us that He is with us. It is this assurance that gives us the boldness to preach the Gospel to the world.