The Great Commission: Matthew 28:18-20
“18) And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19) Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20) teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew‬ ‭28:18-20‬
Jesus wants the Gospel to be shared with all people, in all places throughout the whole world. He wants His followers to make disciples in all nations and from among all people groups.
“16) For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17) For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him.” (John 3:16-17)
It doesn’t matter if you study the book of Romans or the book of Hebrews, God wants all people to hear the gospel, which is His plan for saving lost and sinful people. As Acts 4:12 says; “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
That’s as simple as it gets. Jesus Christ and the simple gospel is Gods only plan of salvation for lost humanity. He wants His people to share the good news with all people in all places. Those who believe and turn to Jesus Christ become children of God through simple saving faith.
That’s when the task of making disciples begins. Teaching them to obey the Word of God and become like Christ in character and conduct is our goal. (See 1 Timothy 1:5) Discipleship is about helping believers become more like Jesus.
We are not alone in this process. The indwelling Holy Spirit does His work of inner sanctification within every child of God. He gifts and empowers every believer to become fruitful in Christian life and witness. (Acts 1:8)
God is the Sovereign orchestrater of this task world wide. He is always active and at work in the world. We need to resist the tendency of putting Him in a box or trying to control the process or the out come. We can grieve the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 4:30)
God wants us to see the world through the lens of the Great Commission. He wants us to become fruitful disciples and join Him in the task of reaching the world with the gospel. He wants His people to be World Changers.
The gospel is for all people, in all places and at all times. It’s for the rich and the poor. It is for the young and the old. It’s for men, women and children. It’s for black, brown and white. It’s for those in the city, in the jungle, in the desert, on the mountains, in the valleys and in the Arctic. It’s for the Communist and for the Capitalist. It’s for the Republican, the Democrat and the Independent. The gospel is for all people, in all places and at all times.
If you fit in the above list, Jesus wants you to know that He loves you and died for your sins. The Gospel is for you! He wants to forgive you and set you free from your bondage, heal your brokenness and give purpose to your life.
He will not force Himself on you, but if you do come to Him, He wants to be both Savior and Lord of your life. He wants you to obey Him. He wants to change you into a new person. He wants you to join His cause and become a World Changer as well.
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global