Matthew · New Testament · Matthew 28:16–20
The Great Commission – Jesus Sends Disciples to Share the Gospel
The Story
After His resurrection, Jesus arranged to meet His eleven remaining disciples on a mountaintop in Galilee, the region where so much of His earthly ministry had taken place. When the disciples saw Him, they worshiped Him — though Matthew notes that some still doubted, a remarkably honest detail that shows even eyewitnesses of the risen Christ wrestled with belief. Jesus then stepped forward and made one of the most sweeping declarations in all of Scripture, announcing that all authority in heaven and on earth had been given to Him. From that position of total authority, He gave His followers a clear and urgent mission — to go into all the nations of the world, making disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything He had commanded. This was not a suggestion or an invitation, but a commission — a divine sending forth with purpose and direction. He closed with one of the greatest promises in the Bible, assuring His disciples that He would be with them always, even to the very end of the age, so that they would never carry out this mission alone.
The Message
The Great Commission is not reserved for pastors, missionaries, or full-time ministers — it is the calling of every follower of Jesus to go, make disciples, and teach others what it means to live for Christ. And the greatest comfort in answering that call is the promise attached to it — that Jesus Himself goes with us every step of the way, giving us the courage and presence we need to fulfill the mission He has entrusted to us.