In the forty days following His resurrection, Jesus met with His disciples on several occasions. During some of these meetings, Jesus told His disciples to preach the gospel to the world. We often call this charge to proclaim the gospel the “Great Commission” (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:46-48; John 21:15-17; Acts 1:6-8). There are five places in the New Testament dealing with the Great Commission. In this article, we will examine the first of these references, Matthew 28:18-20.

For All Disciples The original apostles are not the only ones responsible for fulfilling the Great Commission. This is a duty for all Christians throughout all generations until the return of Jesus. If we limit the fulfilling of the Great Commission to the first apostles, there would have been no preaching of the gospel after their deaths. Which historically there has been otherwise, the church would have died out long ago. For people to hear the gospel there must be those who preach the gospel: “For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!’” (Romans 10:13-15; all scriptures quoted are from the New King James Version unless otherwise stated).

Even in the early church the apostles were not the only ones given the job of preaching the gospel. In the book of Acts we find references to those other than the apostles proclaiming the gospel (Acts 6:5-10; 8:1-2, 4-5, 14, 26-40; 11:19-26).

Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

“Make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19) Jesus tells His disciples to go and make more disciples or followers for Him. When we examine the New Testament, we see Jesus’ followers seeking to add new disciples to the church (Acts 2:37-41, 4:1-4; 8:5-6, 12; 9:32-35, 40-42; 11:19-26; 12:24; 13:44-49; 14:1, 21; 16:25-34; 17:10-12, 22, 33-34; 18:1-8; 19:1, 8-10, 20). The apostle Paul tried to “win” (1 Corinthians 9:19-23) people for Christ and to “save some” of his fellow Jews (Romans 11:13-15).

We must remember that it’s God who draws or calls people to Jesus: “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. . . . And He said, ‘Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father’” (John 6:44, 65), but God works through human beings to bring this about: “Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:5-9).

“Baptizing them” (Matthew 28:19) Jesus said that His new disciples should be baptized. The early church fulfilled these instructions, baptizing many new disciples: • The baptism of 3000 on Pentecost (Acts 2:1, 37-41). • The baptism of the Samaritans (Acts 8:5, 12). • The baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-27, 35-39). • The baptism of Saul (Acts 9:17-18; 22:12-16). • The baptism of Cornelius and his household (Acts 10:44-48). • The baptism of Lydia and her household (Acts 16:13-15). • The baptism of the Philippian jailer and his household (Acts 16:25-34). • The baptism of Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his household (Acts 18:8, 1 Corinthians 1:14). • The baptism of many Corinthians (Acts 18:8). • The baptism of Gaius (1 Corinthians 1:14). • The baptism of “the household of Stephanas” (1 Corinthians 1:16) • The baptism of twelve disciples at Ephesus (Acts 19:1-7). • The baptism of the Galatians (Galatians 3:27).

“Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20) Jesus knew that after the baptism of these new disciples, they would need to be taught. This learning process is ongoing throughout a Christian’s life. Peter writes that Christians must “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). Teaching Jesus’ disciples is so vital that God has specially gifted some in the church as teachers (Romans 12:3-7; 1 Corinthians 12:1, 4-8, 28-31; Ephesians 4:7-8, 11-13; 1 Timothy 3:1-2; 2 Timothy 2:1-2, 24-26). Those with this gift of teaching taught their fellow brethren (Acts 2:41-42; 11:19-26; 13:1-3; 15:30-35; 18:1, 8-11; 20:17-21; 1 Corinthians 4:17; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-15; 2 Timothy 3:14-4:4). Further study of the New Testament shows that Jesus wants all His disciples to be teachers (1 Corinthians 14:26-32; Colossians 3:16; Titus 2:3-5; Hebrews 5:11-14).

“I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20) Jesus said that He would be with His disciples right up to the end of the age as they continued to make, baptize and teach new disciples. Christians should follow the instructions given by the apostle Paul to the evangelist Timothy, to always preach and teach: “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2). The Amplified Bible translates this verse as: “Herald and preach the Word! Keep your sense of urgency (stand by, be at hand and ready, whether the opportunity seems to be favorable or unfavorable, whether it is convenient or inconvenient, whether it be welcome or unwelcome, you as preacher of the Word are to show people in what way their lives are wrong) and convince them, rebuking and correcting, warning and urging and encouraging them, being unflagging and inexhaustible in patience and teaching.” Making, baptizing and teaching new disciples is an ongoing responsibility for all Christians. A responsibility Jesus expects us to be doing right up to His second coming.

 ~ Calvin Lashway