Depth, Diversity, and Divine Promise of the Great CommissionSample

The Great Commission is a central theme of God's heart for all the nations from Genesis to Revelation. Yet, Jesus gives specific significance by allowing the gospel writers to record five instances of the Great Commission.

Today, we will look at the third of these five passages chronologically and pull out the emphasis.

The third passage chronologically is Matthew 28:18-20

Look at the context.

• Where did Jesus speak this passage?
  • Mountain in Galilee (v16)
• When was it spoken?
  • Likely 11-14 days after the resurrection (It’s at least eight days because we see that eight days after the resurrection, they were in Jerusalem. It’s approximately 78 miles from Jerusalem to Galilee. So it’s probably three days of travel on foot. Which means, most likely, it’s 11-14 days after the resurrection.)
• Who originally heard it?
  • 11 Disciples (v16)
• What was the mandate?
  • Make disciples (v19)
• What was the emphasis?
  • The Method (v19)

Jesus had spent his 3-year ministry investing in a few. Not only does Jesus tell us that He is our model, but he is emphasizing the method of making disciples, baptizing, and teaching obedience to all nations. In the church today, many equate discipleship to education, knowledge, or passive participation. A look at Jesus' model of disciple-making brings a different picture. Even look at the support words to the imperative "make disciples."

• Go
• Baptize
• Teach TO OBEY (observe)

Disciple-making is best viewed through the lens of knowing, sharing, and obeying. Each of these items is like a leg on a three-legged stool. Equal-length legs are the only way they work, but too often, the knowledge leg is too developed, and the obeying and sharing leg is underdeveloped. This usually gives us underdeveloped disciples who don't know how to make more disciples.

Pray and ask God how you can be a better disciple of Jesus that makes more disciples that know, share, and obey all that Jesus has taught.