The Great Commission

Mark

Matthew 28:19–20 NASB95

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Mark 16:15–16 NASB95

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.

Mark 16:

Luke 24:46–48 NASB95

and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. “You are witnesses of these things.

Luke 24:46-

Mark 16:

Mark 16:15 NASB95

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

Acts 1:8 NASB95

but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

Romans 10:14–15 NASB95

How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!”

John 1:45 NASB95

Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

John 15:16 NASB95

“You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.

When Philip encountered Jesus and discovered who he was, he immediately wanted to share it with his friend. Our desire to make disciples should stem from obedience, but also love for others—if we believe Jesus is who he says he is, why should we keep it to ourselves?

John 15:16 NASB95

“You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.

As disciples, we are growing in maturity. This can only happen if we are spiritually empowered. Jesus says he is the vine, and his disciples are the branches (). He chose his disciples for a purpose, and in order to fulfill that purpose they had to remain connected to him, the vine ().

John 15:5–6 NASB95

“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.

John 15:15

Matthew 4:19–20 NASB95

And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.

I SHOULD NOT DO IT ALONE

2 Timothy 2:2 NASB95

The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

Paul reminds Timothy that he cannot do all the work of ministry on his own. He needs to build up disciples that he can delegate the work of disciple-making to. Appointing others to appropriate roles and delegating work is an important part of making disciples who, in turn, will make disciples.