The Great Commission in Matthew
For most of the last six months, our city has been in serious lockdown. Overnight the year I had planned disappeared. For much of that time I’ve been on a journey from Genesis to Revelation trying to understand God’s mission and our role in it. The result has been the draft of my next book.
During those months I’ve been neglecting this blog, now it’s time to reengage and share what I’m learning about our part in God’s plan. A great place to start is with the Great Commission.
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).
From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is full of stories, but uniting them all is one storyline — God’s mission to reveal his glory by redeeming humanity and by bringing in a new heaven and a new earth. God’s mission is what he does, but we have a part to play. That’s what the Great Commission is all about, our part in his story.
God’s mission is greater than our contribution. We will never atone for the sins of the world; Christ did that once and for all. God alone will create the new heavens and a new earth. God alone will judge the world and punish evil. What is the part we play in God’s story? We bear witness to God’s mission in Christ. At the beginning of his Gospel, Matthew tells us why Jesus came, it is to “save his people from their sins” (Matt 1:21). He will do that by giving his life as “a ransom for many” (Matt 20:28). At their last meal together Jesus gave thanks for the cup and shared it with his disciples declaring, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins (Matt 26:27).
As Jesus hung on the cross the land was plunged in darkness for three hours. Darkness is a sign of God’s judgment on sin. Out of the darkness Jesus cried, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt 27:46). Jesus didn’t just feel forsaken, he was forsaken. He took upon himself all the guilt and shame of humanity’s rebellion and received God’s righteous judgment in our place. This is his greatest moment, the glory of God revealed in loving sacrifice for our sakes.
When Jesus declared, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me,” it was with the cross in mind. The one who rules is the one who suffered and died and rose again. He is worthy.
“Therefore,” because of what Jesus has done, we are to make disciples of the nations. The whole Gospel of Matthew shows us how Jesus went about making disciples. The disciples are to do for others, what Jesus has already done for them. It’s not easy, but it’s not complicated.
The new element is that this mission will not be confined to Israel. The whole world is now their mission field. The core command is to make disciples of the nations, but that can’t happen unless they “go.” Go means a change of location. The good news of Jesus must cross, social, geographic, language, cultural and religious boundaries; it must be made known to every people group throughout the whole world. It’s as simple as that, but not easy.
The other thing they must do is immerse or baptize — they mean the same thing — new disciples into a relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Immersion takes place when a disciple has repented and believed the good news about Jesus.
Our part in God’s mission is to make disciples of the nations. We do that by going, proclaiming the gospel, baptizing and teaching them to obey everything Jesus has commanded — again, clear but demanding.
Discipleship begins with God’s grace in Christ and always leads to a life of learning to follow him in obedience. Learning to obey is never done alone, always with others. Here are a few of Jesus’ commands: repent and believe, be baptized, love one another, give generously, honor marriage, forgive, celebrate Lord’s supper, fear God, remain in him, make disciples of the nations. Obedience does not earn salvation, but it is always the fruit of salvation. True disciples learn to obey Christ in community.
Note, Jesus did not say, teach them to obey everything I have commanded, except that one command to make disciples. Like the command to love your enemies, the command to make disciples is for every disciple. Disciples make disciples. Maturity in discipleship is evidenced by following the Lord Jesus and learning from him how to fish for people (Matt 4:19).
The Great Commission is so clear and concrete; it’s baffling that we find it so hard to do. Perhaps that’s because we don’t read Jesus’ words to the very end.
The Great Commission begins with Jesus’ universal authority, it ends with the promise of his powerful presence to the end of the age, and to the ends of the earth. As we obey his mandate, we have his authority and we have his presence, wherever we go. There are no other resources promised, just the authority and presence of the living Lord Jesus given to every disciple who obeys the Great Commission.
