"Go!" This is a command. To not "Go" is a sin and it must be noted this command cannot be fulfilled sitting in a church pew. It requires action.
"And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20
When most people read these words, they see Jesus commanding the church to do evangelism, to seek and to save the lost. Most certainly, that command is there. However, Jesus communicates so much more in these words.
"And Jesus came and said to them..." The "them" is a crowd of people plus the eleven disciples.
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me." By virtue of His voluntary sacrifice to save people from their sins, God the Father granted Him all authority, including the authority to give this command.
":Go!" This is a command. To not go is a sin and it must be noted, this command cannot be fulfilled sitting in a church pew. It requires action.
"...make disciples..." Churches often evaluate the success of their ministry by the number of people added to their roles each year or how many people are sitting in their sanctuaries on a Sunday morning. While numbers are assumed in these verses, the numbers are to be "Disciples" not just names on a church roll or the number of people sitting in the pews. A disciple is a person who truly believes, is baptized and follows Jesus.
"...of all nations..." The disciple making "target" is every human being in every nation. How important is this? I was teaching a class in evangelism to High School students one day and commented that fulfilling this command is so important because anyone who does not believe in Jesus will go to hell. One student tearfully said, "That can't be! How can a loving God send people who have never had the chance to hear of Jesus to hell?" My reply was two-fold. One: why would Jesus command us to tell people about Him if a person could get to heaven without Him. Two: God would be an idiot to sacrifice His Son on the cross if people could get to heaven because they never heard of Jesus. It would be best just to leave everyone ignorant. No, everyone needs the forgiveness of sins bought with the blood of Jesus. It is imperative that we "Go."
"...baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..." The discipleship process includes a post-conversion baptism in the name of the triune God (the doctrine of baptism will be studied at another time).
"...teaching them to observe all I have commanded you." Discipleship involves an ongoing study of God's Word and obedience to Jesus' commandments. Obedience does not contribute one iota to a person's salvation, but the commandments are the joyful and perfect path of discipleship.
"And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
What a powerful and comforting promise! Jesus promises to be with His disciples as they fulfill His commandments - till the very end of this age!!!
Are you a disciple or just a pew-sitting number on a church roll? Our next study is entitled, "The Attributes of a Disciple" and you might find it helpful in answering that question.
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