The Great Commission
Living and Sharing the Kingdom
“But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 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.’”
Matthew 28:16–20
The Great Commission is one of the most familiar passages in the Bible. We often hear it as a command to go into the world and preach the gospel—and it certainly is that. But there is something deeper happening in Jesus’ words.
The Great Commission is meant to inspire us to spread the good news of Jesus to the nations of the world with the promise that He will be with us every step of the way.
But notice where Jesus begins: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”
That changes everything.
The Kingdom Is Already Here
As the church, we have sometimes adopted an end-times perspective that causes us to look primarily toward the future for the fulfillment of Jesus’ promises. We think about what God is going to do someday, when Jesus returns and establishes His kingdom.
There is certainly a future dimension to God's Kingdom. But if we only look toward the future, we can miss what Jesus has already made available to us.
John the Baptist came preaching:
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
In other words, the Kingdom had come within reach.
Then Jesus came announcing the Kingdom and demonstrating what life under the rule and reign of God looks like. He healed the sick, set people free, forgave sins, restored broken relationships, and called people into a completely different way of living.
Jesus didn't simply come to tell us about the Kingdom.
He came to make the Kingdom available to us.
Israel was looking for an external kingdom—a political kingdom that would overthrow their enemies and restore their nation. But Jesus established something different. He began establishing the Kingdom within His people.
Romans 14:17 says:
“For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
The Kingdom is connected to the Holy Spirit.
When the Holy Spirit comes to live within us, we aren't simply receiving a spiritual helper. We are receiving the presence of God and becoming people who carry His Kingdom wherever we go.
This is why the Great Commission is so important.
Jesus isn't sending His disciples into the world empty-handed.
He is sending people who carry His presence.
1. All Authority Belongs to Jesus
Jesus begins by saying:
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”
We need to remember this.
There are many Christians who live as though the devil owns this world and Jesus is desperately trying to take it back. But Jesus makes a very different declaration.
All authority belongs to Him.
Not some authority.
Not authority in heaven but not on earth.
All authority.
That means we don't have to approach the Great Commission with fear. We don't have to wonder whether Jesus is capable of accomplishing His purposes.
Our confidence isn't in ourselves.
Our confidence is in the One who has all authority.
That changes the way we live and the way we share our faith.
2. Go and Make Disciples
Because Jesus has all authority, He says:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations.”
Notice that Jesus didn't simply say, “Go make converts.”
He said, “Make disciples.”
A disciple is a disciplined learner—a person who is learning the ways of Jesus and choosing to follow Him.
Discipleship isn't simply about getting someone to agree with our belief system. It's about helping people learn to live in relationship with Jesus.
And one of the most powerful ways we make disciples is by loving people well.
Jesus said that people would recognize His disciples by their love.
As we allow the Holy Spirit to influence our lives, His character begins to become visible through us. Paul describes this as the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
This is what the Kingdom looks like when it gets inside a person.
People should be able to encounter us and experience something of Jesus.
Our lives become part of the message.
We don't simply tell people what Jesus is like.
We demonstrate what Jesus is like.
3. Baptize Them
Jesus continues:
“Baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
Baptism is a powerful picture of our new identity.
The Greek word baptizō carries the idea of immersion. The traditional picture is that of being immersed or saturated.
There is something beautiful about thinking of baptism this way.
We are not simply adopting a new set of religious beliefs. We are being immersed into a new reality—the reality of life with God.
We become Kingdom people.
Our identity changes.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:17:
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.”
The goal isn't simply to get people to attend church or adopt Christian behavior.
The goal is to help people discover who they are in Christ.
They are new creations.
They are sons and daughters.
They are people who have been invited into relationship with God and into participation in His Kingdom.
4. Teach Them to Observe Jesus' Commands
Jesus then says:
“Teaching them to observe all that I commanded you.”
Notice that Jesus doesn't say merely to teach people what He commanded.
He says to teach them to observe His commands.
In other words, discipleship isn't simply about information.
It's about transformation.
We aren't trying to create people who can win Bible trivia contests. We're helping people learn how to live like Jesus.
And what did Jesus command?
One of the clearest commands He gave was:
“Love one another, as I have loved you.”
That sounds simple, but it is profoundly challenging.
Love people when they disagree with you.
Love people when they disappoint you.
Love people when they are struggling.
Love people when they don't yet understand what you understand.
Love people the way Jesus loved you.
This is what Kingdom living looks like.
5. “I Am With You Always”
Finally, Jesus gives us one of the greatest promises in Scripture:
“And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
We often hear the phrase “the end of the age” and immediately think about the end of the world.
But there is another way to understand what Jesus is saying.
Jesus had been announcing a transition from the old covenant into something new. The old covenant age was coming to its fulfillment, and through Jesus, a new covenant was being established.
Jesus was telling His disciples that He would be with them through this transition and all the way to the end of the age.
And what an incredible promise that is.
Jesus isn't sending us into the world and then leaving us to figure it out on our own.
He is with us.
He is with us when we share our testimony.
He is with us when we pray for someone.
He is with us when we love someone who is difficult to love.
He is with us when we disciple someone who is struggling.
He is with us when we don't know what to say.
He is with us when we take a step of faith.
The Great Commission Is About Presence
When you put all of this together, the Great Commission becomes more than a command.
It becomes an invitation.
Jesus has all authority.
Therefore, go.
Make disciples.
Immerse people in the reality of God.
Teach them to live the way Jesus taught us to live.
And remember—Jesus is with you.
We don't have to wait for some future day when the Kingdom will finally become available.
The Kingdom has already been brought near through Jesus.
The Holy Spirit lives within us.
We have been given a new identity.
We have been invited into the family of God.
And now we get to carry that reality into the world around us.
The Great Commission isn't simply about going somewhere far away to preach a message.
It begins right where we are.
At our homes.
At our workplaces.
In our neighborhoods.
In our friendships.
In our churches.
Everywhere we go, we have an opportunity to demonstrate what life under the rule and reign of Jesus looks like.
We are Kingdom people.
And our mission is to help others discover that they can be Kingdom people too.
So let's go.
Let's love people well.
Let's make disciples.
Let's teach people the ways of Jesus.
And let's do it with confidence—not because we have all the answers, but because the One who has all authority has promised to be with us every step of the way.
