In the Life of Christ
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.” — Matthew 28:19, NIV.
When I read the Great Commission, I like to begin two verses earlier. The eleven disciples have gone to a mountain in Galilee, where the risen Jesus told them to meet Him. They worship Him, and Matthew tells us that some doubt. I’m grateful he left that detail in. These are people who have heard Jesus teach and seen Him heal. They have also fled when He was arrested, and now they are trying to take in the fact that He stands before them alive. Douglas Sean O’Donnell puts it this way: “As they are being remade as disciples, their resurrected Lord calls them to make disciples.” I find that encouraging when I think of all I still have to learn. Jesus entrusts His work to people who are still learning to trust Him.
Jesus begins by declaring His authority over heaven and earth. The word therefore matters. The disciples go because the risen Christ sends them. The central command, mathēteusate in Greek, means “make disciples.” Jesus describes the work in concrete terms. Go to people of all nations, baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey what He commanded. As Elisabeth Johnson observes, “Faith in Jesus, trust and confidence in him, results naturally in obedience to him.” I think of Jesus teaching His disciples to pray for those who persecute them in Matthew 5:44. We may understand that instruction the first time we hear it. Learning to pray for the person who hurt us takes practice, and it helps to have someone willing to pray with us. We help people follow Jesus when we give them a place to practice what He teaches.
I think of the day Jesus called Matthew from the tax booth. Soon Jesus was at a table with tax collectors and others whose presence drew criticism (Matthew 9:9–13). Around that table, people could hear Jesus explain why He had come and see the mercy He was talking about. There is room for something like that in an ordinary week. A neighbor may be ready to talk about faith over coffee. A friend who has begun reading the Bible may appreciate an invitation to read one Gospel together. When a question comes, I can answer as Peter urges, with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15). I can tell someone why I trust Jesus, including what His death and resurrection mean to me, and give that person time to ask the next question. I can also call a week later and remember what they told me about their family. The person who hears us speak about Christ should also have a chance to see how we listen, keep a promise, and ask forgiveness.
The reach of this commission is all nations, and that reach should shape whom I notice. Some disciples will cross oceans. Others will cross the room to welcome someone whose background or language is different from their own. Jesus’ promise goes with both: “And surely I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20, NIV). Matthew began his Gospel with Immanuel, God with us, and here he closes with Jesus promising His presence. Think of one person you could make time for this week. If you already have a friendship, ask a question and stay long enough to hear the answer. If someone has shown an interest in Jesus, offer to read a Gospel passage together and talk about one thing you can each put into practice. You may discover that you both need the same lesson.
The Great Commission in Matthew 28:18–20 joins Christ’s authority and presence to the church’s work of making disciples. Baptism marks a person’s allegiance to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching helps that person learn to obey Jesus over time. A conversation at a kitchen table can be one place where that learning begins.
For further reading, see Elisabeth Johnson’s commentary on Matthew 28:16–20.
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