The Big Story: Jesus' Commission


Matthew 28:16ff says that after Jesus' resurrection, the eleven disciples went to Galilee to the mountain where Jesus told them to go.  When they went there, he appeared to them and gave them a commission.  They were to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey everything he had commanded them.  

One verb in his commission is in the imperative tense, which was like putting it in bold face.  It was "make disciples."  A disciple is a person who comes under the discipline of a master.  In Jesus' time, people learned by attaching themselves to a teacher.  They spent their days with him, following him around and learning from him.  Their goal was to think, speak, and act like their masters.  

Jesus' disciples were to be disciple makers themselves.  This disciple-making process had two components: baptism and teaching.  They were baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, meaning that they were demonstrating their faith in Christ and identifying with him.  Baptism marks a person's entry into the community of Christ followers.  

After baptism came teaching.  They weren't to merely teach about Christ's commands.  They were to teach people to obey his commands.  They were to teach them by their words and actions.  Following Christ involves intellectual information, spiritual practices, and concrete attitudes and actions.

Today, this commission comes to us in a time in which the church in America is in decline.  Today, the fastest-growing religious group is the "Nones."  The "Nones" are people who identify with no religious faith!

One of the reasons this has happened is that many churches have forgotten about the Great Commission.  Involvement in politics and other things have taken the place of evangelism.  

Making disciples should be the top priority of every church.  When a church plans worship services, budgets, and ministries, disciple making should be the top value.

Making this our top priority begins with you.  It begins with you praying to be a disciple maker yourself.  Ask God to give you opportunities to love others in Jesus' name and share his good news with them.  You don't have to go door to door to do this.  You can share your faith lovingly and naturally with those around you.

Someone once said, "Evangelism is one beggar telling another beggar where the food is."  Point the way each day by your words, attitudes, and actions!

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