Depth, Diversity, and Divine Promise of the Great CommissionSample

The Great Commission is a common phrase in most evangelical circles. However, in a recent study by Barna research, when asked of churchgoers, “Have you heard of the Great Commission?” 51 % said no, 25% said yes, but “I can’t recall the exact meaning.”

This is an alarming statistic, but we should have known this. The fruit of this statistic has been playing out in the decline of Western Christianity for decades.

When asked about the content of the Great Commission, most people will reference Matthew 28:16-20 or quote a portion of it. This is an excellent Great Commission passage. Although, this provides a narrowed focus of the task Jesus left us. To overcome the lack of knowledge of the Great Commission among churchgoers, church leaders need to expound on the diversity, depth, and divine promise.

Here are five Great Commission passages listed in biblical order.

• Matthew 28:18-20
• Mark 16:15
• Luke 24:44-49
• John 20:21
• Acts 1:8

You may be familiar with these passages above. It’s a common assumption that each passage is the same message recorded differently by each gospel writer. These passages were given at different times over the 40 days between Jesus' resurrection and ascension. You will also discover that the biblical order of the gospels doesn’t provide the chronological order. The passages, once viewed separately and in sequential chronological order, offer some great insight into the task of the Great Commission.

The rest of this study is going to expound on this idea. For today, read through the five Great Commission passages and see if you agree that all of these were given at different times between Jesus' resurrection and ascension. Secondly, see if you can determine which passages happen first chronologically.