This morning we are going to look at four separate passages on what is known among believers as The Great Commission. The Great Commission is all about missions, since the word “commission” contains the word “mission” in it. Now, that word “commission” means, “charge, order, or mandate.”(1) This means that what Jesus gave us is not the great suggestion. Amen?
What we are going to discover this morning is something makes many pew-warmers uncomfortable, and that’s because Jesus actually “mandates” that we get up and get out there among the lost bringing them the life-saving knowledge of faith in Christ. The fear that many people have concerning The Great Commission has led to it becoming the great omission in many of our churches.
Three of the gospel writers – Matthew, Mark, and Luke – provide us an account of The Great Commission. We are going to discover that each of these writers provides different details; and I want to stress from the start that the presence of different details does not indicate contradictions. We need to realize that the gospel writers are individuals – separate and distinct in background and personality – and as they walked and talked with Jesus, they remembered certain details of what He did and said that left a specific impression on them. When we look at what each of the gospel writers shared, we gain a more complete account of what Jesus said.
From the three gospel writers we actually find “four” accounts of The Great Commission – the fourth being in the book of Acts, which was written by Luke – and as we examine each of the four accounts we need to be be asking ourselves the questions: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How? This will help us gain an understanding of what Jesus requires, and what we are able to accomplish through the Lord’s help. So, let’s begin by looking at Matthew 28:18-20.
Make Disciples, Baptize, and Teach (Matthew 28:18-20)
18 And Jesus came 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 of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 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.” Amen.
Right here is the most commonly quoted version of The Great Commission. Who was Jesus speaking to here? He was speaking to “them,” meaning the eleven remaining disciples, as we learn back in verse 16 of this chapter. Jesus was also speaking to believers today. You see, in the New Bible Dictionary we discover that a disciple is a pupil of a teacher.(2) All of us who are saved are students of our Great Teacher, Jesus Christ; therefore, we are all, in essence, His disciples. And I believe that Jesus is telling each of us this morning that we should go.
What is Jesus telling us to go and do? Make disciples, baptize, and teach. When are we to perform these tasks? Quite possibly Jesus means now or immediately. You see, in the original New Testament Greek the word “go” is better rendered “going,”(3) or “as you are going.” The translation, “as you are going” holds the implication that we are expected to be doing these tasks of discipling, baptizing and teaching right now, each and every day. Where are we to go? To “all the nations” (v. 19), which in the Greek is the word ethne, meaning all ethnic groups, or all people groups. Why are we to do this? Because Jesus said so (v. 19).
How are we to do this task? According to verse 18, we carry out The Great Commission by the authority found in Christ. Jesus stated, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” In Luke 9:1, we read of how Jesus gave His authority to His disciples in order to carry on the work of the ministry; and we too can boldly carry on with The Great Commission by the authority of Christ in the Holy Spirit working through us. Now, let’s look at Mark’s version of The Great Commission found in Mark 16:15-18.
Preach, Baptize, and Perform Miracles (Mark 16:15-18)
15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Right here we find the least quoted rendering of The Great Commission. Who was Jesus speaking to here? Well, once again we see that He was speaking to “them,” or to the eleven remaining disciples, as we learn back in verse 14 of this chapter. Once again, we need to realize that we too are Jesus’ disciples, and that He was also addressing each of us gathered here this morning.
What is Jesus telling believers to go and do? Preach, baptize, and allow Jesus to work through us to perform miracles. Now, the first apparent snag we run into is found in verse 16, which says, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.” This verse makes it sound like baptism is a necessary part of salvation. But I must point out, based on Ephesians 2:8-9, that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone; and according to Romans 6:3-5, baptism is an outward expression, or symbol, of our faith in Jesus, as it identifies us with His death, burial, and resurrection.
The Homan New Testament Commentary says, “At first glance, verse 16 seems to suggest that in order to be saved a person must be baptized. Yet, the emphasis is on believing.”(4) This commentary continues to explain, “This whole section centers on belief verses unbelief. If a person does not believe, he is condemned . . . The early church had an expectation that believers would be baptized in order to confirm the inward work of salvation in their lives.”(5)
Now, the part about miracles is what makes this passage so rarely quoted. Verse 17 says that those who carry out The Great Commission will be able to cast out demons, speak with new tongues, take up serpents, not be poisoned or hurt, and they will heal the sick. The only part of this rendering that many of us can accept is the part about healing, because we pray for people’s healing each and every week in church, but the other stuff seems weird.
In 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, Paul tells us that Christians are given “spiritual gifts” to help with the ministry, and many of these gifts are the same ones that Jesus spoke of here in The Great Commission. In Matthew 10:8 and Luke 9:1-2, we read where Jesus gave His disciples the exact same responsibilities that are mentioned here in Mark’s telling of The Great Commission. We must realize that each of us, as disciples of Christ, has access to the same power source that the eleven disciples had; however, some of us will attempt to sweep this idea under the carpet by saying that spiritual gifts ceased after the apostolic era.(6)
I want to clear up a few misconceptions about what Jesus is telling us here. When Jesus mentioned “speaking with new tongues,” this can also be translated as, “they will speak with new languages” (NLT). In Acts 2:1-11, when the disciples spoke in “tongues” on the day of Pentecost, they spoke in the known modern languages of their day, in order to minister to those who were from different countries. Missionaries today must master the languages of other countries if they are going to live there, and I believe the Holy Spirit will give God-called missionaries the supernatural ability to quickly learn any language of the place where they’re called. The Spirit can also make it possible to know words that haven’t even been studied.
When Jesus spoke about “taking up serpents” and “drinking poison,” He was not saying that it’s necessary to do these things. There are no “snake-handling services” or “Jim Jones experiences” required to be a witness for Christ. In Matthew 4:7, Jesus said, “You shall not tempt the Lord your God.” What Jesus was doing here was providing us with some “for instances.” He was saying, “Suppose you get snake-bitten or drink poison while on a mission trip. Don’t worry, for you will not be harmed. I will take care of you.”
When were Jesus’ disciples supposed to preach, baptize and perform miracles? Verses 19-20 show us that it is “after” Jesus ascended into heaven. For us, that means now! Where are we to go and do these things? To “all the world” and to “every creature” (v. 15). The New Living Translation commands, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere.” Why are we to do this? Because in verse 15, Jesus said so; and because verse 16 reveals that we must do it so that people will not be condemned.
How are we to do this task? Verse 17 tells us, “in My name,” or in Jesus’ name. We read in Philippians 2:9-11, “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” There is power in the name of Jesus. Turn with me now to the first of Luke’s account of The Great Commission, which is found in Luke 24:46-48.
Preach Christ, Repentance and Remission of Sins (Luke 24:46-48)
46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things.”
Who was Jesus speaking to here? According to what we read in verses 13-35 of this chapter, there were the original eleven disciples (v. 33), along with two bystanders (you might call them) whom Jesus had met on the road to Emmaus. Once again, Jesus is speaking to His followers, and that includes us. What does Jesus ask His followers to do? Preach Christ, repentance and the remission of sins. When we preach “repentance” we are asking people to turn away from their life of sin, for the word “repent” means “to turn away from.”(7) When we preach the “remission of sins” we are telling people about the forgiveness they can find in Jesus Christ, for the word “remission” means “forgiveness.”(8)
When are Jesus’ disciples to preach these things? Well, according to verses 50-53, “after” Jesus ascended into heaven. Just as we learned from Mark (16:19-20), for those of us today, that means right now! Where are we to preach? To all nations, beginning at Jerusalem (v. 47). Why are we to preach? For the remission of sins (v. 47), or so that people can be forgiven of their sins and escape condemnation; or to be more specific, so they can be spared eternal separation from God in hell.
How are we able to do this? Well, take a look at verses 49-51. We read this: “‘Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.’ And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.” We are able to carry out The Great Commission by “the Promise of the Father,” which is the empowering of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We are also able by Christ’s blessing. Jesus said in John 14:12, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” Let’s now turn to the second of Luke’s account of The Great Commission, which is found in Acts 1:8.
Be Witnesses, Usher in the Kingdom (Acts 1:8)
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
In these verses to whom was Jesus speaking? Verse 8 says, “you,” and if we go back to verse 2, “you” is defined as “the apostles whom He had chosen.” One biblical definition of an apostle, found in Acts 1:21-26, is someone who had seen the resurrected Lord. Some conclude that Jesus only spoke these words to His apostles in this particular sense; and thus, they say The Great Commission was only for those in apostolic times and not for us today. However, the New Testament Greek word for “apostle,” which is apostello, actually means, “a person sent” or “one who is sent out.”(9) And since this is the case, we are all “the ones sent out.” So, when Jesus refers to “you,” He was speaking to all His followers.
What does Jesus ask us to do? To be witnesses. When are Jesus’ followers to be His witnesses? According to verse 2 of this chapter, after Jesus ascended into heaven; and then in verse 8, when the Spirit has come upon them. Well, Jesus is already in heaven seated at the right hand of the Father; and in John 16:5-15, He promised us that when He ascended into heaven that the Holy Spirit would come upon His followers. That time is now, and those of us who know Jesus as Savior and Lord are filled with the Holy Spirit. So, the time to be His witnesses is now! Where are we to be His witnesses? In Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (v. 8); or rather, to the entire world.
Why are we to be Jesus’ witnesses? Though the Scripture doesn’t specifically say it in this verse, we know by now that we are supposed to be His witnesses to see people come to Christ. However, it appears that there is another reason. Back in verses 6 and 7 of this chapter, the disciples asked Jesus when He would restore the kingdom of Israel, or when His return would be. Jesus replied that it was not for them to know the answer to that question. What they needed to focus on in the present moment was being a witness to the ends of the earth, or to the entire world.
This echoes what Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 24:14, where He said, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” In addition to seeing the lost saved, we are to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth in order to help usher in the kingdom of God. How do we do all of this? According to verse 8, it is through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Time of Reflection
From viewing four accounts of The Great Commission we have gained a better understanding of what it actually entails. From asking Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How, here is what we have learned:
1.) The Great Commission is given to Jesus’ disciples; and His apostles, which are the ones who are sent. In other words, it is given to “all of us” who have confessed Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. 2.) The Great Commission is to include making disciples, baptizing, teaching, preaching Christ, preaching repentance and forgiveness, performing miracles, and being witnesses. 3.) The Great Commission is supposed to be carried out now. 4.) The Great Commission is supposed to be taken to all the nations. 5.) The reason for following The Great Commission is because Jesus commands it; so that people can escape condemnation; and to help usher in the kingdom. And 6.) we are able to carry out this task in Jesus’ name and authority, by His power working in us through the Holy Spirit.
This morning, we have seen that we are entrusted with a huge responsibility, but we have also discovered that we are more than able to do what Jesus commands. Paul said in Romans 8:37, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Jesus tells us to be His witnesses, and to preach about Him and the forgiveness of sins that people can have in Christ; and so, I am going to do that right now by sharing with you how to be saved.
NOTES
(1) Noah Webster, “Commission,” 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language (San Francisco: Foundation for American Christian Education, 2002).
(2) “Disciple,” New Bible Dictionary (CD-ROM, Logos 2.1f).
(3) Stuart K. Weber, “Matthew,” Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville: Holman Reference, 200), p. 484; Arthur L. Farstad, The NKJV Greek English Interlinear New Testament (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1994), p. 119.
(4) Rodney L. Cooper, “Mark,” Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville: Homan Reference, 2000), p. 276.
(5) Ibid., p. 277.
(6) Warren Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outline on the New Testament (CD-ROM, Logos 2.1f); Cooper, “Mark,” Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville: Homan Reference, 2000), p. 277.
(7) James Strong, “repent,” Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Peabody: Hendrickson), taken from page 47 of the Greek dictionary, Strong’s number 3341.
(8) Noah Webster, “Remission,” 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language (San Francisco: Foundation for American Christian Education, 2002).
(9) A. F. Walls, “Apostle,” New Bible Dictionary (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1991), p. 59; Ted Haggard, “Building the Body,” Ministries Today, January/February 2004, p. 27.
