The Great Commision - Matthew 28:16-20
The Great Commission
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.”
Reflection:
As we end the 1st Gospel of Matthew we have one of the most important verses for us in all of the bible. It is the final words of Jesus to his disciples, their marching orders for the rest of their lives. And by application it is the mission and purpose of every church and every disciple of Christ. Though our contexts may vary and the way we might apply and carry it out might vary, the substance and purpose is the same for all time. As someone has said, "We don't get to vote on the Great Commission!
So what is it? Fortunately it is not complicated? It is to make disciples of all nations, or all people groups. A disciple is a lifelong learner and follower of Jesus. Therefore, we are given authority by Jesus, who has been granted authority by the Father. Therefore, we can be sure that not only do we have the authority to do the things Jesus has commanded, but as Jesus promises, He is with us until the end of the age. A lot of the essence of this is in exactly what is a disciple? A disciple is a follower of Jesus who learns through the power of the Holy Spirit to love and live like Jesus did. Dallas Willard has said something that has been helpful to me in this regard. He says,
"As Jesus’ disciple, I am his apprentice in kingdom living. I am learning from him how to lead my life in the Kingdom of the Heavens as he would lead my life if he were I. It is my faith in him that led me to become his disciple. My confidence in him simply means that I believe that he is right about everything: that all that he is and says shows what life is at its best, what it was intended by God to be. “In him was life and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:4 NAS)" - Dallas Willard
And specifically what do we do to make disciples? We baptize and teach. That's pretty clear as well. The two go hand and hand! Baptizing is completely covering someone with everything God is as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is the means of grace through Water and the Word by which we are brought into God's family by His grace to become His children. Then as our identity is given to us and we are made God's children, we are taught what it means to life as disciple. We are taught how to live a life that advances God's kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven. Our identity in Christ fuels who we are and what we do. As we are steeped in God's grace and offer ourselves we begin to be transformed into Christ's likeness not conformed to the world.
It is easy for Churches to get caught in everything but the Great Commission. But at the heart of every church is disciples who make disciples. As such a pastor's job is to preach and teach, administer the sacraments (baptism and communion) and equip disciples to make disciple. Simple but hard!
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.”
Reflection:
As we end the 1st Gospel of Matthew we have one of the most important verses for us in all of the bible. It is the final words of Jesus to his disciples, their marching orders for the rest of their lives. And by application it is the mission and purpose of every church and every disciple of Christ. Though our contexts may vary and the way we might apply and carry it out might vary, the substance and purpose is the same for all time. As someone has said, "We don't get to vote on the Great Commission!
So what is it? Fortunately it is not complicated? It is to make disciples of all nations, or all people groups. A disciple is a lifelong learner and follower of Jesus. Therefore, we are given authority by Jesus, who has been granted authority by the Father. Therefore, we can be sure that not only do we have the authority to do the things Jesus has commanded, but as Jesus promises, He is with us until the end of the age. A lot of the essence of this is in exactly what is a disciple? A disciple is a follower of Jesus who learns through the power of the Holy Spirit to love and live like Jesus did. Dallas Willard has said something that has been helpful to me in this regard. He says,
"As Jesus’ disciple, I am his apprentice in kingdom living. I am learning from him how to lead my life in the Kingdom of the Heavens as he would lead my life if he were I. It is my faith in him that led me to become his disciple. My confidence in him simply means that I believe that he is right about everything: that all that he is and says shows what life is at its best, what it was intended by God to be. “In him was life and the life was the light of men.” (John 1:4 NAS)" - Dallas Willard
And specifically what do we do to make disciples? We baptize and teach. That's pretty clear as well. The two go hand and hand! Baptizing is completely covering someone with everything God is as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is the means of grace through Water and the Word by which we are brought into God's family by His grace to become His children. Then as our identity is given to us and we are made God's children, we are taught what it means to life as disciple. We are taught how to live a life that advances God's kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven. Our identity in Christ fuels who we are and what we do. As we are steeped in God's grace and offer ourselves we begin to be transformed into Christ's likeness not conformed to the world.
It is easy for Churches to get caught in everything but the Great Commission. But at the heart of every church is disciples who make disciples. As such a pastor's job is to preach and teach, administer the sacraments (baptism and communion) and equip disciples to make disciple. Simple but hard!
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