I’ve been thinking a bit about the Great Commission recently – Jesus’ words to His disciples in Matthew 28:16-20. It’s a beautiful set of words and familiar to long-time church-goers, though we can miss some of its significance if we’re not careful, or if we read it with “too-familiar” eyes.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:19-20 NASB)
This beautiful passage is significant in many ways, giving us insight into God’s heart, as well as giving us a fool-proof method for the ministry of the Gospel. We’ll take a brief look at several key words and phrases from the text, but allow me to first point out that this Great Commission has been given to all of Jesus’ followers, not just pastors and other ‘professional’ ministers. In other words, this is for you, not just for other people.
Okay, here we go.
- Go. God doesn’t wait for us to approach Him first. Rather, His Spirit goes before (prevenient grace), wooing and drawing all people to Himself. He initiates. We see this all throughout the scriptures (creation, Noah, Abram, Moses, the prophets, etc.). So ought we to initiate discipleship proactively. We ought not wait for others to approach us (especially if we’ve been a Christ-follower for more than just a few months). This action and commission rebels against our idols of apathy, timidity, and stagnation.
- Make Disciples. This is different and more involved than simply making converts. Jesus didn’t simply convert the 3, 12, 72, or even the masses. Rather, He intentionally and consistently built relationships with each one, teaching and pointing each of these to God. In the same way, we are commissioned to disciple others in this “dust of the rabbi” method. This rebels against our idols of isolation, personal theology without accountability, and stagnation in spiritual maturity, for we must mature in order to help those who follow us.
- All Nations. This seems obvious to us today given the Abrahamic covenant and Jesus’ habit of (inconveniently) ministering to not only the Jewish people, but also to the Gentiles, the Samaritans, the Romans, and so on. The Great Commission is not about throwing on our “blinders” and forgetting the world, but rather, it’s about developing a “world vision” – that is, it’s about expanding our vision. We should seek to bridge the gaps the world makes in so much as we can, and as so much as the Holy Spirit leads us. This rebels against our idols of nationalism, tribalism, complacency, and the possible temptation to blindly dismiss others.
- Baptizing. There is the baptism of conversion, of course, which is most likely what’s intended here. The picture of “dying” to our sinful flesh and then being “raised again” in the Spirit; the picture of a renewed life, full of hope, power, freedom, and victory over sin. Like a marriage ceremony, this form of baptism is an outward symbol of what’s already happened on the inside. There are additional layers to baptism, of course, such as the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and there are other types or occasions for baptism, such as for the inauguration and commissioning of a new ministry, but again, Jesus seems to mean the baptism of repentance, conversion and sanctification in this specific passage. This all helps to remind us that we’re a part of a larger movement (and a part of a larger family). Our life, as disciples of Christ, is not only about us, and neither are we to live as “lone wolf” Christians. This rebels against our idols of individualism, arrogance, and a works-based salvation theology.
- Teaching Them to Observe All that I Commanded You. Jesus came that we might have life, and life abundant. His ministry of teaching offers a new and radical way to experience life – a life of salvation, which is freedom from bondage to sin; freedom to victory, a life of joy, power, and a restored relationship with God. We needn’t think up new things to teach people. We can teach them what Jesus taught – all of it, even the inconvenient parts (you know what I’m talking about). This rebels against our idols of proof-texting, selectively filtering the truth through our own preferences, and even the idol of “analysis paralysis,” which comes from the idea that we are insufficient, and therefore unfit for service.
- I Am With You. Lest we ever forget, we are not in this alone, thanks be to God! We are not responsible for bringing about the inward heart changes of people. We are responsible for trusting God and relying on His Holy Spirit to do His part. This helps to free us from the idols of “lone wolf” pride, depression, anxiety, and any other form of God-complex.
So there we go. Hopefully this brief “dive below the surface” of The Great Commission has been helpful for you, but I encourage you to dive deeper on your own time as well. What else might the Holy Spirit be leading you to do, or to change, based on this passage? How else might He be informing your various works of ministry? How else might we work to improve ourselves and our commitment to the mission of creating disciples?
Just for a Closer Walk 