Matthew 28:1-20

Written ~ 02-07-2024

Read Matthew Chapter 28

Matthew 28:18-20

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. 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.”

These few statements given to us by Jesus are what is called the Great Commission, it is the charge or task given to all believers to go and spread the Gospel Message to everyone.

The Great Commission is only found in the Book of Matthew. Well… Except for in Mark 16:15, though it only says, “And then He told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” I find that interesting that only one Apostle wrote out this charge from Jesus! But… if we really think about what Jesus is saying here, it’s actually the whole theme of the entire New Testament!

Here are a few words I pulled out of these verses:

  • Authority
  • Make
  • Baptize
  • Teach
  • Obey
  • Always

In verse 28:18 we are told that Jesus “…has been given all authority in Heaven and on Earth…” with that authority He is able to charge us with the task of preaching and teaching and baptizing in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Romans 1:5 says,

“Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey Him, bringing Glory to His Name.”

Because we are believers and followers of Jesus Christ we had been given the same authority as the Apostles in the New Testament, to spread the Gospel Message to all people. In the Book of Acts we see the Apostles begin their own ministries and it is awesome to see how they took this Great Commission and ran with it! In Acts 2:41, after Peter had just given the first Holy Spirit filled Gospel Message it says,

“Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day – about 3,000 in all.”

In Matthew 28:19a it says,

19a “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations…”

What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word disciple? Most of us probably think of the 12 men Jesus called to be His disciples. But the word disciple simply means follower or pupil. When we decide to give our hearts to the Lord and begin following Him… when we study the Bible with sincere diligence and become a pupil of Christ, guess what… You and I have become His disciples! So when you read the word “disciple” in the Scriptures, include your name in that description, because it’s you too! That means as the disciples of Christ we are to go and make disciples out of all those we come in contact with! Did you know you had that kind of charge on you? You may try to pass it off onto those who have the gift of preaching or evangelism, but that’s not what it says here… 

Matthew 28:18a…

“Jesus came and told His disciples…”

When we are backed up with the authority of Christ we have the ability to spread the Gospel Message with confidence. And as believers we can, “…baptize in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit…” It might be that we have learned that only the pastor of a church can baptize, but that is not what it is saying in these verses. We have been given the authority through the name of Jesus to baptize. Look what it says in Act 8:34-38…

34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?” 35 So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus.

36 As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?” 37 “You can,” Philip answered, “if you believe with all your heart.” And the eunuch replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” 38 He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. (In full context read Acts 8:26-40)

What if the opportunity presented itself where you were leading someone to Christ and they wanted to be baptized, right then and there… would you have the courage to do that? Would you be able to lead that person to the water, confirm with them that they believe with all their heart that Jesus is the Son of God and baptize them in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit? “Go, make disciples, baptize.” Sure, there will be times, more often than not that baptizing someone right then wouldn’t be practical, but following through to make sure they make that public declaration of Salvation is an important step for a new believer to understand that they are dying to self and being raised with Christ when they come up out of the water.

So, now in verse 28:20a it says,

20a “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.”

It becomes our responsibility to make sure these new believers have a resource (if it isn’t you) to receive the teaching of the Word of God so they can grow in their faith. If you don’t know of a church in the area, maybe point them to a website that teaches from the Scriptures, or maybe a YouTube channel that has sermons of your favorite pastors to get them started. We have so many venues nowadays to get people into the Word. But, if this is someone you know personally, it is important you take that person under your wing and point them to Christ. We need to teach new believers the character of Jesus, the importance of obeying His commands and to help them learn to love the Lord more and more with each passing day. We need to be there for them when questions arise. And I must say, when you see the excitement of a new believer, the awe and wonder in their eyes, it will ignite a new fire in your own heart!

Let’s end with verse 28:20b…

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

What a wonderful reminder. Jesus is assuring us that He is always with us. So no matter what you are going through today, Jesus is right there by your side experiencing everything you are. He is there to provide guidance and words of wisdom. When we meditate on the Scriptures, that is one way the Lord speaks to us. I know I really drill this in sometimes, but it is so important to study the Word of God! The significance cannot be weighed. If, as believers and followers of Jesus Christ, we are not reading and studying the Bible, we are falling short of the Great Commission! If we don’t know the Gospel Message how can we teach it to others and make new disciples? If we don’t have the confidence to share the Word of God with others, how can we have the confidence to baptize a new believer? Our authority comes from the Lord Jesus Christ. To know Him, to understand Him more clearly, we must be in the Scriptures.

Jesus is with us always. Cling to Him, gain strength and courage from Him. Take the task of going out to all people to spread the Gospel Message seriously and to heart. You will be blessed when you see those precious hearts being sincerely given over to the Lord.

~AMEN~