Please turn to Mt 28:16-20. Are these audacious “famous last words” of a lunatic rabbi or words that truly changed the world as we know it? This famous passage, known as the Great Commission, consists of three parts: a statement of facts, a command that is based on these facts, and a promise attached to that command.
The facts are revolutionary:
Jesus the Savior has risen, His victory over death secured, His claims validated, His assignment completed. Jesus the Teacher finished the training of his apprentices and is about to send them out to continue what He started. Jesus the King is in charge, holding 100% of power and authority, His Kingdom inaugurated and poised to transform everything.
The command is breathtaking:
“Go… and make disciples of all nations” or, to capture the original Greek more literally, “as you are going… make disciples of all people groups”. The central command in the passage is to “make disciples of all people groups”, which necessitates “going” and involves “baptizing” and “teaching them to obey” everything Jesus commanded. It is a breathtaking vision for a global movement of disciples of Jesus who make disciples of Jesus… until there are disciples of Jesus everywhere.
The promise gives endless courage:
“I am with you always, to the end of the age”. The Savior, Teacher, and King promise to be with those He sent, every day, to the very end. This promise of His uninterrupted presence and the reality of His unlimited power is what made His followers bold and courageous in the face of opposition and turned them into an unstoppable movement throughout history.
Jesus’ “famous last words” turned out to be true, proving he is not a lunatic or a liar, but Lord. If you are a follower of Jesus in the United States today, it is because His vision expressed to the eleven disciples on a mountain in Galilee 7,600 miles away, covered all nations around the world. You are living proof that his plan for saving humanity has worked for 2,000 years and you stand on the shoulders of approximately 100 generations of disciples who made disciples who made disciples of all people groups… including yours.
Now it’s your turn to continue what Jesus started. Whether you are going to make disciples across the room, across the street, across the city, or across the world, remember:
Everything belongs to Jesus.
Everyone who follows Jesus is sent.
Everywhere you go you have an opportunity to make disciples of Jesus.
Every day Jesus is present with you.
How will you make disciples of Jesus as you go to… [fill in the blank with whatever is on your calendar today]