Richard Roberts
When you hear someone talk about the Great Commission, they are referring to Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV, where Jesus said, “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.”
This command was given at the most critical point of Jesus’ life. He had lived, preached, taught, healed, cast out devils, raised the dead, put money in the mouths of fish, died on the Cross, and risen from the grave. His earthly mission was almost over, and He was ready to return to His Father. Everything He had done while He was on earth was to be entrusted to His disciples. John 8:31 reminds us that if we continue in the Word, we too are all His disciples.
One of the greatest things about the Great Commission is the great faith Jesus demonstrated in us when He gave us the responsibility to carry on His work throughout the earth as His disciples. It’s an awesome thought that He trusts us, but the good news is that He does. And to that faith, God added His faithfulness. He promised to be with us no matter what!
With the Great Commission also comes authority. Jesus said that all authority had been given to Him, and He then turned it back over to us. On the last night of His life, He said, “Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive that your joy may be full” (John 16:24 NKJV). With authority also comes responsibility. We are to go into all the world with the Good News of Jesus. The Great Commission is a message of hope for a lost world and for lost individuals. You can be saved and restored through the knowledge of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world!
