The Passage
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshipped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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 all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:16-20
Some Background
The twelve apostles (well, really only the eleven, since Judas betrayed his master and then killed himself) had just witnessed their teacher brutally killed by the Romans at the request of the Jews. They had seen him suffer and die on the cross. They had seen him buried. They had sat cowering in fear in the upper room. At least two of them had seen the empty tomb three days later. They had heard the testimony of the women. They had been in the upper room when Jesus appeared to them…twice. They had touched his hands and his feet. They had seen their risen Lord. He had told them to go to this mountain, to meet him there. What they were expecting, I have no idea. But probably not what took place.
Jesus arrived at the mountain, gathered the eleven around him, and gave them instructions. His last command. Their marching orders. His final words before he was taken up into the clouds, hidden from view, and seated at the right hand of his father.
What was this last charge? We call it the Great Commission. Many in the church could probably quote at least some of it. But I would venture to guess that many in the church haven’t thought much about what it really means for them.
I’ve been doing some thinking about these five verses. I’ve made eight observations about this passage. Some of them are short, some of them are long. Some of them have practical implications, some of them are just observations about the text. My understanding of this passage has deepened and evolved over the years, and I know it will continue to evolve as I learn and experience more. I would like to share these observations with you now.
Observations and Thoughts
First, Jesus claims that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. The implication I see in this: No one can claim higher authority than Jesus. Therefore, no command issued by man has more authority and more weight than the command of Jesus. His commands should be what we are obeying.
Second, this is a command, not a suggestion. We are not told that we “might want to consider going,” we are commanded to go.
Third, the goal is disciples, not mere churchgoers. The goal is obedience, not head knowledge. James 2:19 says: “You believe God is one – good! Even the demons believe – and shudder!” A disciple, in the days of Jesus, was someone who spent a lot of time with his teacher. He learned everything from his teacher and sought to imitate him. In the same way, we ought to be proclaiming the gospel with the goal of making disciples: people who seek to become more and more like Jesus.
Fourth, this is for all nations. Or, in the words of Acts 1:8, we are to take the message of the gospel “to the ends of the earth.” Mark 16:15 says that we are to preach the gospel “to all creation.” No place is to be left untouched by the gospel. We ought to be taking the gospel to the places that have not yet heard.
Next, baptism goes right along with becoming a disciple. I think of the story of Philip and Ethiopian Eunuch: as soon as he believed, he asked to be baptized. This Philip did eagerly. Philip did not tell the man that he had to wait until he was at a certain spiritual level or showing some amount of fruit before he could get baptized. Implication: Maybe, just maybe, our churches are too hesitant to encourage people to get baptized. Maybe, just maybe, we ought to be baptizing sooner.
Sixth, disciples are to learn all that Jesus has commanded the eleven: which includes this command here of going and making more disciples. Whether you have been a believer for two minutes or sixty years, you have a responsibility to be obeying the commands of Jesus – including that of making disciples. Implication: Again, like with baptism, maybe our churches are too hesitant to equip new believers with the tools needed to share with others. I also want to note here that those who are sharing are supposed to be teaching people to do all that JESUS commands, not all that we want. It is important to be sure that we are teaching what is from God and not what is from us.
My seventh point is connected to the sixth. This command was not just for the eleven. This command was not just for the early church. This command is supposed to be passed down to each new generation of believers. So although it was given to the eleven standing on a mountain 2,000 years ago, this command is just as valid for us today as it was for them.
Finally, Jesus is with us. We are not doing this on our power. It is not in our hands to carry out this task. He empowers us to complete the mission that he has given us. What hope! What encouragement!
It is my hope and prayer that these observations have made you think more deeply about the Great Commission. But understanding without action is no good. After all, we are supposed to be active disciples, not just churchgoing believers who are filled with a lot of head knowledge. So let me leave you with a challenge: how are you going to live out the Great Commission in your life this week?