The Great Commission
The Church's Unchanging Mission in an Ever-Changing World
"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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."
Matthew 28:19-20
Introduction: The King's Final Command
The final words of a great leader are often their most important. They are the last will and testament, the summary of their life's work, and the charge they leave for those who will carry on their legacy. The closing verses of Matthew's Gospel contain just such a moment. After his triumphant resurrection from the dead, the risen King Jesus gathers his small band of followers on a mountain in Galilee and gives them their marching orders. These words, known as the Great Commission, are not a gentle suggestion or one of many options for the fledgling church. They are a clear, authoritative, and binding command that has defined the core mission of every generation of Christians for the past two thousand years.
The Great Commission is the "why" behind the Church's existence. It is the engine that has driven missionaries across oceans, motivated evangelists to preach in hostile public squares, and compelled ordinary believers to share their faith with neighbors and friends. It tells us that the church is not meant to be a holy huddle, a social club, or a self-help society that exists for its own comfort and edification. The Church is a missional movement, an army of ambassadors sent out from the King with a world-changing message and a global mandate. This article will explore this foundational passage, exploring the authority behind the command, the all-encompassing task of making disciples, and the beautiful promise that empowers us for the mission. Understanding the Great Commission is not just for pastors or missionaries; it is essential for every follower of Jesus, because it reveals our shared purpose in God's grand redemptive plan.
The Foundation of the Commission: The Authority of the King (v. 18)
Before Jesus gives the command, He establishes the authority upon which the command is based. He declares, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me" (Matthew 28:18). This is a breathtaking and all-encompassing statement of cosmic sovereignty.
The Risen King's Universal Rule
As the eternal Son of God, Jesus always possessed divine authority. But through His perfect life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection, He has been exalted by the Father and formally installed as the ruler of all creation. He has defeated sin, death, and Satan. His authority is not partial or limited. It extends over "all" things—every government, every spiritual power, every nation, every ideology, and every human heart. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords.
This declaration is the foundation for everything that follows. The disciples are not being sent out on their own authority or in their own strength. They are being sent out as authorized ambassadors of the one who holds all power. This should give us incredible confidence. We do not go to the world with a tentative opinion or a subjective philosophy. We go with a message from the rightful King of the universe. Our mission is not a human endeavor; it is a divine operation, backed by the full authority of heaven. When we face opposition, fear, or feelings of inadequacy, we must remember that the success of the mission does not depend on our power, but on His.
"And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way." - Ephesians 1:22-23
The Scope of the Commission: "All Nations" (v. 19)
The central command of the Great Commission is "go and make disciples." But the scope of this command is as vast as the King's authority: "of all nations."
From a Jewish Sect to a Global Faith
This was a radical, paradigm-shifting command for the eleven Jewish disciples. For centuries, God's redemptive work had been largely focused on the nation of Israel. While the Old Testament contained promises that all nations would one day be blessed through Abraham's seed, the primary focus was on one people in one land. Now, Jesus blows the doors off that old framework. He tells them that the good news is not just for the Jews, but for everyone. The Greek phrase *panta ta ethne* can be translated as "all the nations" or "all the ethnic groups."
This command makes it clear that Christianity is not an ethnic or cultural religion. It is a universal faith for all of humanity. There is no person, no tribe, no people group, and no nation that is outside the scope of the Great Commission. God's heart is for the world, and His desire is to have a family made up of people "from every nation, tribe, people and language" (Revelation 7:9). This is why global missions are not an optional program for a few interested people in the church; they are at the very heart of the church's mandate. We are to be a people who are passionate about seeing the gospel go to the unreached corners of the earth. For more on this, check out our blog post on finding peace in a world of conflict.
The Task of the Commission: "Make Disciples" (v. 19)
What does it actually mean to "make disciples"? The main verb in the Great Commission is "make disciples." The other verbs—"go," "baptizing," and "teaching"—are participles that describe how we accomplish this central task. Making disciples is a comprehensive process that is far more than just getting someone to say a prayer or make a decision for Christ. A disciple is a learner, a follower, an apprentice of Jesus. Making disciples, therefore, involves the entire process of moving someone from being an unbeliever to becoming a mature, reproducing follower of Jesus.
The Process of Disciple-Making
1. Going (Evangelism)
The process begins with "going." This implies initiative. We are not to simply wait for people to come to us; we are to go to them. This "going" can mean moving across the world to a different culture, or it can mean crossing the street to talk to your neighbor. It is the intentional act of entering into the lives of non-believers to build relationships and share the good news of the Gospel. This is evangelism—clearly and simply explaining who God is, the problem of our sin, the solution in Jesus' death and resurrection, and the response of repentance and faith. Every disciple is called to be a witness, sharing what they have experienced of God's grace.
2. Baptizing (Identification)
When a person responds to the Gospel and believes in Jesus, the next step, according to Jesus, is to baptize them. As we've seen, baptism is the outward sign of an inward reality. It is a new believer's first public act of obedience and their formal identification with Jesus Christ and with His people, the church. It is a public declaration that they are now followers of Jesus, buried with Him in His death and raised with Him to new life. Baptizing is a crucial part of making a disciple because it solidifies a person's commitment and incorporates them into the visible community of faith.
3. Teaching to Obey (Maturation)
This is the long-term, ongoing part of disciple-making. It's not enough to see someone converted and baptized. A disciple must be taught. And the goal is not just the transfer of information, but the transformation of life. Jesus says we are to teach them "to obey everything I have commanded you." This involves grounding a new believer in the whole counsel of God's Word—teaching them the foundational doctrines of the faith and how the Gospel applies to every area of life (marriage, work, finances, relationships, etc.). This teaching and mentoring primarily happens in the context of the local church, through preaching, small groups, and one-on-one discipleship relationships. Making a disciple means walking alongside someone, helping them grow in their love for God, their understanding of His Word, and their obedience to His commands.
Making disciples is a process, not an event. It begins with evangelism, is publicly marked by baptism, and continues for a lifetime through teaching and sanctification.
The Promise of the Commission: The Presence of the King (v. 20b)
The command Jesus gives is staggering in its scope: make disciples of all nations. For the eleven fearful men standing on that mountain, it must have seemed like an impossible task. How could they, a small group of uneducated fishermen and tax collectors, possibly change the world? Jesus anticipates their fear and concludes His commission with one of the most comforting and empowering promises in all of Scripture: "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:20b).
The Promise of His Personal Presence
The King is not sending His ambassadors out on their own. He promises to go with them. This is the promise of His abiding, personal presence through the Holy Spirit. He is not just watching from a distance; He is actively with us as we go. This promise changes everything about the mission.
- It gives us courage in the face of fear: When we are afraid to share our faith or face opposition, we can be confident that we are not alone. The King of the universe is with us.
- It gives us power in our weakness: When we feel inadequate for the task, we remember that it is His power working through us, not our own. The results are up to Him.
- It gives us comfort in our loneliness: Missionaries who leave family and home to go to a foreign land, or believers who feel isolated in a hostile workplace, can find deep comfort in the reality of Christ's constant presence.
- It gives us perseverance in our weariness: When the work is hard and the fruit seems slow to come, His presence sustains us and reminds us that our labor in the Lord is never in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).
An Unfailing, Unending Presence
Jesus' promise is both continuous ("always," literally "all the days") and comprehensive ("to the very end of the age"). There will never be a day, from that moment on the mountain until the day He returns, when His followers on mission will be without His presence. He is with us through every victory, every setback, every season, and every struggle. This promise is the fuel for our obedience to His commission. We can obey His command to go precisely because He has promised to go with us.
Conclusion: Your Part in the Global Mission
The Great Commission was not just for the eleven apostles. It is the standing order for the entire church until the King returns. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you have a part to play in this global mission. You have been enlisted into the greatest and most significant cause in human history: the discipling of the nations for the glory of God.
What does this look like for you, right where you are? It means seeing your neighborhood, your workplace, your school, and your family as your primary mission field. It means building genuine relationships with non-believers and prayerfully looking for opportunities to share the hope that is within you. It means being committed to a local church where you are being discipled and are helping to disciple others. It means praying for and financially supporting the work of global missions, so that the gospel can reach those who have never heard. It means living your whole life with a missional mindset, asking, "How can I leverage my time, talents, and treasure for the advance of God's kingdom?"
The task is great, but the authority behind us is greater. The opposition is real, but the King who is with us is all-powerful. Let us, as His people, rise to the challenge of our commission, confident in His power and resting in His presence, as we work and wait for the day when the mission will be complete and "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea" (Habakkuk 2:14).