Great Commission

Two Sundays ago and last Wednesday, we began looking at the events that took place after Easter.

First we saw Jesus meet his disciples in their doubt, offering peace and calling them to believe (John 20:19–31))

Then last time, we witnessed Jesus restoring Peter after his denial, proving that His love is greater than our failures and calling us to serve Him with love. (John 21:1-19)

Imagine this scene. The disciples are standing on a mountaintop in Galilee, the same place where they had walked with Jesus, listened to His teachings, and witnessed His miracles. They has seen the resurrected Jesus with their own eyes, and their minds were probably still reeling from the wonder and confusion of it all. Just a few weeks ago, they were in hiding in fear, unsure of what the future would hold. Now they are face to face with the one who defeated death, the One who changed everything. Jesus.

In this moment, Jesus does not just leave them with words of comfort or encouragement, He gives them a mission… a purpose… A calling that will carry them forward into an uncertain future with unshakable purpose and divine authority.

Jesus doesn’t command them to go build a monument in His honor. He doesn't’ send them out to prove His resurrection to the skeptics or to retaliate against those who put him to death. Instead, he calls them to go make disciples. To replicate what He had done in their lives… pouring into others, teaching them, baptizing them, and shaping them into followers of Jesus.

A pastor often says that when he first learned of the Great Commission, he thought it meant he should go out and 'commission' everyone he met to do something big. It took him a couple of years to realize that it wasn't about grand gestures. It was simply about loving people where they are, one small act of kindness at a time. Sometimes, we think sharing Christ is daunting, but it’s really about the personal touches we make in everyday life!

So as we look at this passage, I want us to see that the Great Commission is not just something we know, it’s something we live. It’s a calling that compels us to step out in faith. And the most incredible part? We don’t go alone. The One who has all authority in heaven and earth promises to be with us every step of the way.

This is the Great Commission, the charge that would shape the church and define the purpose of every Believer who follows Christ.

Main Teaching

Jesus commands us to go.

Dr. Wilder, a dynamic missionary leader in India, was eating with three naval officers. During the course of the conversation one of the officers remarked, “Why don’t these missionaries stay at home and mind their own business?” Dr. Wilder replied, “Suppose you were ordered to take your battleship to Constantinople tomorrow, would you choose whether to obey or not?” The officer retorted, “If we are ordered to go, we must go, even if every ship is sunk and every sailor killed.” “Quite right,” said the missionary. “I have orders from the divine government: “Go and preach the gospel to every creature.” ”

That’s what the Great Commission is… it’s our orders.

Matthew 28:18–19 NLT

18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

The first thing Jesus establishes is His authority—not just over Israel, but over all creation.

Jesus was given full authority over everything. Nothing is outside of His control. During Satan’s temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, he offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their spender, but Jesus resisted. Satan could not have given that to him anyway, only God could give Him all authority.

This is a reminder that the mission of the Church is not based on human strength, but on divine authority. The command to go is not optional—it is a direct order from the risen King.

This call to go is a natural continuation of what we’ve seen in the disciples' journey so far. First, Jesus met them in their doubts and fears, offering peace and calling them to believe. Then, He restored Peter after his denial, proving that His love is greater than our failures. Now, He sends them out—not because they are flawless or spiritually elite, but because they have been transformed by grace.

This pattern reflects an important truth for us:

God doesn’t wait for us to be perfect before calling us to serve.

He calls us because we have encountered His grace and are willing to follow.  Discipleship is not just about receiving Christ’s love; it’s about sharing it. It’s about taking what we’ve received—grace, forgiveness, transformation—and passing it on to others. 

There will be opposition, persecution, and rejection. Yet, we go with confidence because our mission is under the sovereign rule of Christ. In Acts 4:18-20, when Peter and John are commanded not to speak in the name of Jesus, they boldly declare, “We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”  Their courage did not come from their own strength but from the unshakeable truth that Jesus, the one with all authority, had sent them.

In the same way, we are called to go—whether it means reaching our neighbors, serving our communities, or crossing cultural and geographical boundaries. We go not because we are capable but because Christ is powerful. 

The mission is daunting, but the authority of Jesus makes it possible… and that mission is to make more disciples, to invite, train, and send out more in the name of Jesus. 

 We are called to Go…

What are we called to go and do?

II. The Mission: Make Disciples (Matthew 28:19b-20a)

Matthew 28:19–20 NLT

19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

The heart of the Great Commission is to make disciples. Notice that Jesus doesn’t just say to make converts or churchgoers—He calls us to make disciples, followers who are actively learning and growing in their faith. This means we do more than come to church. It means that we are learning the word, living by the word and sharing the word with others.

Wednesday Nights - usually a little more teaching than preaching and some time in prayer.

Small Groups - are discipleship oriented.

This mission has two main components: Baptizing & Teaching

Baptizing – This signifies a public commitment to Christ and an entrance into the family of God. It represents repentance, new life, and the work of the Holy Spirit. It is a symbol of what Jesus has done in our lives spiritually. It’s also a public declaration that we belong to and want to follow Jesus.

Teaching – Discipleship is an ongoing journey. We are called to learn and We are called to teach others to follow Christ, not just in knowledge but in obedience.

We see this pattern immediately in the early Church. After Pentecost, Peter preaches boldly, and 3,000 people are saved and baptized and begin their journey of discipleship (Acts 2:41-42

Acts 2:41–42 NLT

41 Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all. 42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

I share this here to remind us that trusting Jesus, remaining obedient to the calling, and making disciples is powerful. After all, if we know that He is with us always, what do we have to be afraid of? 

III. Jesus Promises His Presence (Matthew 28:20b)

Matthew 28:20 NLT

… And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Here’s an interesting point about the great commission… It doesn’t end with the commission.  It ends with a promise.  Jesus doesn’t just send His disciples out on this mission alone; He goes with them. This assurance is the fuel that empowers the mission.

It reminds us that we do not make disciples in our own strength but through the abiding presence of Christ Himself.

This promise echoes the words we heard in Week 1 when Jesus told His disciples, “Peace be with you” (John 20:21). In that moment, He met them in their fear and uncertainty, reassuring them that His presence would replace their anxiety with peace. Now, as He commissions them to go into all the world, He once again promises His presence, this time as a source of strength and courage.

Jesus' promise also calls to mind the restoration of Peter in Week 2. After Peter’s denial and failure, Jesus didn’t abandon him but restored him with love and called him to feed His sheep. This tells us that Jesus’ presence is not contingent on our perfection or success. Whether we’re bold like Peter on the day of Pentecost or faltering like him by the fire, Jesus is with us.

Remember church… the promise of God’s presence is not something new.

God’s desire to be with His people is a thread woven throughout the entirety of Scripture.

When Moses felt inadequate to confront Pharaoh, God reassured him, “I will be with you” (Exodus 3:12).

When Joshua took on the daunting task of leading Israel into the Promised Land, God said, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Joshua 1:5).

And again, when David sang of the faithfulness of God, he declared, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me” (Psalm 23:4).

The consistent message is clear:

God’s presence empowers, sustains, and comforts His people through every challenge and calling.

Conclusion

The Great Commission was not just a mission given to the eleven disciples on that mountaintop—it’s a calling that transcends time and reaches us today. We are living proof that the mission has continued, that faithful disciples have passed on the message and that the Church has been built one life at a time. Now, the responsibility falls to us.

Jesus’ authority remains unwavering. His mission remains essential. His presence remains constant. Just as He empowered the first disciples, He empowers us today to carry the message of His grace and truth to a world in desperate need of hope.

As we move forward from here, let’s not just look at the Great Commission from a distance. Let’s take it personally. Let’s be intentional about making disciples—starting in our homes, our neighborhoods, and our communities. Let’s lean into the promise that Jesus goes with us, emboldening us to live out our faith with courage and conviction.

And as we continue this series next week, we’ll look at how the early Church put this commission into practice and how the power of the Holy Spirit transformed fearful followers into bold witnesses. It’s a story of transformation and empowerment that still speaks to us today.

Will you join in this mission? Will you step out with confidence, knowing that the One who has all authority is with you every step of the way?

Let’s pray together.