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The Great Commission
Completion requirements
Matthew 28:18-20 gives us the Great Commission, some of Jesus’ final instructions to his disciples. Today, we see these verses as Jesus’ marching orders to all of us in the church.
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
Rightly, these verses are often read in terms of evangelism: going and winning souls for Christ. Go into the world and bring people to Christ. As much as we can, alert them to their eternal destiny and lead them to repent of their sins, confess Jesus as Lord, and receive him as their Savior. Reading this passage, the emphasis is placed on “go” and “baptize.”
Certainly, evangelism is a core part of what Jesus was commanding here! But the main verb of this commission is neither go nor baptize. It is “disciple.”
The core command in the Great Commission is not to go or to baptize but to disciple.
Let’s break down the various parts of the Great Commission:
Go
In Greek, this is not a main verb but what is called a “participle,” an “-ing” word. You might even translate it as “Going, make disciples.” However, the Gospel of Matthew uses this form more than once in the sense of a light command. So, it is perfectly legitimate to translate it as “Go and make disciples.” After all, you cannot make disciples of the nations if you don’t go there in some way. In New Testament times especially, you needed feet on the ground to connect with those who needed Christ. While technology opens many doors today, discipleship still takes place, ideally face-to-face.
Baptizing
Part of the normal process of making disciples is baptizing them. This is one of two participles in the Great Commission that spell out the process of making disciples: baptizing and teaching. The point is not the baptism as an end in itself but the washing of past sins and the rite of inclusion that it represents. It represents a passing from death to life. It represents going from being outside God’s people to being a part of God’s people. You can go to heaven without being baptized, but the symbolism of baptism is powerful. In fact, Wesleyans historically believe that baptism is more than symbolic. Something happens, something changes in baptism. It is a means of God’s grace to us.
Teaching
If you analyze the time taken for baptizing and teaching, the majority of the time involved in making disciples has to do with teaching. You cannot mentor a disciple in one Sunday morning. As Rev. Megan Koch indicated, the teaching here is not merely informational. It is not merely about a person being able to pass a test on what Jesus commanded. Jesus’ commands to us are nothing if we do not learn to live them. We are not yet Jesus’ followers if we only know his commands. Similarly, if we do them as a ritual or as mere rules, we are not yet truly following his commands. We truly follow Christ’s commands when they are in our hearts, in our attitudes, in the warp and woof of who we are. And Jesus’ command is that we love one another (John 15:12). In fact, all of Jesus’ commands are summed up in “Love God and love neighbor” (Matt. 22:37-40). We become disciples when our hearts and lives are transformed.
Make Disciples
This is the anchor on which all the grammar of the Great Commission hangs. “Going, make disciples, baptizing and teaching.” We “disciple the nations” when we go there, lead them to Christ, and then lead them to be transformed into Christ-followers. The command is to go to all nations, indicating that God wants people of every nation, tribe, people, and language to join the people of God (Rev. 7:9). Discipleship is going to take some time. It is not merely reading the Sinner’s Prayer on the back of a card. In fact, part of making disciples is serving as an example, a model for new Jesus-apprentices to follow (e.g., 1 Cor. 11:1).
We could not do this alone, and we do not have to. Jesus is with us always in every place. He will be with us “to the very end of the age.” The Spirit stands ready and willing to empower us to do what God wants us to do. Not only that, but God has given Jesus all authority over any and all things (Matt. 28:18). That means there is no challenge we cannot overcome. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are with us! And if God is for us, who could possibly matter that is against us (Rom. 8:31)?