‘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… – Matthew 28:18-19 (NIV)
Jesus’ final command, the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), is significant because it encapsulates His instructions to His disciples before His ascension to heaven.
The eleven remaining disciples had gathered to meet Him on a mountain in Galilee. Jesus instructed them to go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them (the nations) in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and teaching us all to obey all that He had commanded.
The Great Commission speaks to the very heart of Christianity. Everything Jesus taught His disciples – love, humility, forgiveness, and servanthood forms the foundation of what we are called to pass on.
Firstly, Jesus makes the very bold statement in Matthew 28:18, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given unto me.” He has authority over everything, everywhere. He is in charge and has the power to guide us and tell us what to do. The great thing to note is that He will be with us always. When we follow Jesus, we are under His authority, and He knows it all.
The fact that Jesus has “all authority” means He has all authority over satan and his demons, who would want to oppose His work, and over governments who may want to persecute those who carry out His work. He also has authority over the unbeliever who may scoff at His work and accuse us, but most importantly, He has authority over us as we carry out His work.
Two very pertinent questions we should ask ourselves are:
- “Are we disciples of Jesus?”
- “When Jesus instructed the eleven disciples, was He speaking to us, too?”
We may even think that being a disciple of Jesus is not for us. You may say, “I’m not qualified, that’s for the pastors and evangelists, the trained, the bold, the confident, the called”. The instruction Jesus gave was to go; it does not matter who you are or your status in life. Once you are a follower of Jesus, the command is to “go and make disciples”.
I am a Disciple of God, and so are you.
Read: Luke 5:8-11; John 13:34-35
Bible Reading Guide: Proverbs 17:15-24; Romans 5:12-21; Amos 7; Amos 8; Amos 9