Year of the Bible: Part Nine of TwelveSample

The Great Commission

"All Authority in heaven and earth has been given to Me... go, therefore" - Jesus.

When God created humans, He gave them authority over creation, but they gave their authority away to the serpent when they obeyed his voice and turned away from following God. Jesus took back the keys of authority when He died and descended into hell. He has all authority to send us out to continue the disciple-making movement!

Today's reading is the "Great Commission," in which Jesus gives three commands:

1. Go! The Greek word here means "go, depart, as you go” and “continue on your journey." Meaning: share the gospel everywhere you go, every day, as you follow Jesus' call on your life.
2. Make Disciples! This Greek word means "teach, instruct, and invite others to be a learner (disciple) of one."
3. Baptize! This word means "to wash, dip, immerse, or to dye with color." It can also mean to "pickle" something—changing it from one form to another.

Finally, Jesus directs His disciples (and us) to carry out these commands in all nations. This Greek word translated to "nations" is ethnos, which is not nations like the countries we know today, but rather every individual people group on earth, even the most remote villages.

Question: Did you know that 42% of the world has little or no access to a Christian, missionary, church, or Bible?

Prayer: Jesus said, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field" (Matthew 9:37-38). Let's pray for this next generation of missionaries to be mobilized, trained, and sent to share the gospel with all creation!