The Great Commission is the risen Jesus’ charge to his followers to go and make disciples in every nation, baptizing them and teaching them to obey him, backed by his full authority and his promise to stay with them (Matthew 28:18-20).
Passage: Matthew 28:16-20 · Read it first: read Matthew 28:1-20, then read Matthew 1:23. Look for how the beginning and end of Matthew echo each other.
Introduction
January 1 invites questions of purpose. What will this year be about? What are we living for?
Jesus answered that question for his followers in the last words of Matthew’s Gospel. We call them the Great Commission. They aren’t a suggestion or a program for a few specialists. They’re the marching orders for every Christian and every church until Jesus returns.
And they come with a promise that frames everything: Jesus will be with his people every day, until history’s close.
1. The Mountain in Galilee (v. 16)
The eleven disciples traveled to Galilee, to the hill Jesus had told them about (v. 16).
Context: Only eleven now. Judas is gone. The group is smaller and has been humbled. Every one of them ran away when Jesus was arrested (26:56). Peter denied him. Yet Jesus still calls them.
Galilee. Jesus’ ministry began in the region Isaiah called Galilee of the nations (4:15), an area with a mixed Jewish and Gentile population that Jerusalem’s elite looked down on. Now it ends there too.
A mountain. Mountains matter in Matthew. Jesus was tempted on a mountain, where Satan offered him every kingdom on earth (4:8). He preached the Sermon on the Mount (5:1). He was transfigured on a mountain (17:1). Now, on a mountain, he claims the authority Satan offered him, but he got it the Father’s way, through the cross.
2. Worship and Doubt (v. 17)
On seeing Jesus, they worshiped, yet some hesitated (v. 17).
That’s one of the most honest verses in the Bible. They’re seeing the risen Jesus, and some still waver. The word used (distazō) suggests hesitation or uncertainty, being of two minds, rather than flat unbelief. It’s the same word Jesus used of Peter sinking in the waves, when he asked why Peter wavered (14:31).
Here’s the encouraging part: Jesus gives the commission to the whole group, worshipers and hesitators together. He doesn’t wait until everyone’s doubts are gone. You don’t have to have perfect faith to be sent.
3. All Authority (v. 18)
Jesus came to them and announced that he had been given authority over heaven and earth (v. 18).
Notice that Jesus approached them. He closes the distance, as always.
Total authority. This echoes Daniel 7:13-14, where a human-like figure receives everlasting rule, honor, and a kingdom, with every people and language serving him. The risen Jesus is that figure, enthroned over everything, heaven and earth, every nation, every power, every sphere of life.
This is the foundation for the mission. We don’t go in our own authority, cleverness, or strength. We go because Jesus already rules. The commission begins with therefore (v. 19). Because he has all authority, we go.
4. Disciples From Every Nation (v. 19a)
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19, ESV).
The main command. In Greek, there’s only one main verb: make disciples. Going, baptizing, and teaching are participles describing how we make disciples. The goal isn’t just converts or decisions or attendance. It’s disciples: learners and followers of Jesus who become like him.
Going. Literally having gone, or as you go. It assumes movement. For some, that means crossing oceans. For all of us, it means seeing our daily lives, our neighborhoods, workplaces, and families, as places of mission.
Every nation. The Greek panta ta ethnē means all peoples or ethnic groups, not just countries. During his earthly ministry, Jesus focused mainly on Israel’s lost sheep (10:6; 15:24). Now the mission opens wide.
Matthew’s bookends. This is the fulfillment of something Matthew hinted at from his first page. The genealogy included Gentile women like Rahab and Ruth (1:5). Gentile wise men came to worship the newborn King (2:1-12). A Roman centurion’s faith amazed Jesus (8:10). A Canaanite woman’s faith was praised (15:28). And a Roman soldier at the cross declared that Jesus truly was God’s Son (27:54). God’s promise that every family on earth would be blessed through Abraham (Genesis 12:3) is now the church’s mission.
5. Baptizing (v. 19b)
Jesus tells them to baptize in the one name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (v. 19).
Baptism is the public marker of becoming a disciple. It’s the moment someone identifies openly with Jesus and his people, and it pictures dying to the old life and rising to new life (Romans 6:3-4).
Notice the singular name, shared by Father, Son, and Spirit. One name, three persons, and yet one God. This ranks among the clearest statements of the Trinity in Scripture. Becoming a disciple means being brought into a relationship with the one God who is Father, Son, and Spirit, three in one.
6. Teaching Them to Observe (v. 20a)
Jesus tells them to teach new disciples to obey everything he has commanded (v. 20).
Notice: teaching them to obey, not just to know. Discipleship isn’t just passing on information. It’s helping people actually live the way of Jesus. Everything he commanded includes the whole of Matthew: the Sermon on the Mount, the parables, the call to forgive, to serve, to take up the cross.
This is a lifelong process. No one graduates from discipleship. Making disciples means walking alongside people for the long haul: modeling, teaching, encouraging, and correcting, just as Jesus did with the Twelve.
7. Jesus’ Constant Presence (v. 20b)
Jesus ends with a promise: he will be with them every single day, until history’s close (v. 20).
Here’s the promise that makes the impossible task possible. Matthew’s Gospel begins with the name Immanuel, a name meaning God is with us (1:23). It ends with Jesus promising his own presence. The whole Gospel is framed by God’s presence.
Always is literally all the days. On good days and terrible days, on the mission field and in the office, in success and failure, right up until Jesus returns.
Look at the four uses of all in the passage: all authority, all nations, all that he commanded, all the days. The mission is huge, and so is the Savior.
Application: A Year of Making Disciples
1. Start from his authority, not your ability. You may feel unqualified, like the eleven, or hesitant, like some of them. Jesus sends you anyway, and he goes with you.
2. Think disciples, not just decisions. Who could you walk alongside this year, reading the Bible together, praying together, helping them follow Jesus? Ask God for one name.
3. Go where you already are. Your workplace, school, gym, and neighborhood are mission fields. Pray for three people in your daily world by name this year.
4. Care about the nations. Pray for an unreached people group. Support a missionary. Get to know an international neighbor or student. Every nation includes people who may already live near you.
5. Obey what you’ve been taught. You can’t teach others to observe what you don’t practice. What part of Jesus’ teaching do you need to put into practice yourself first?
6. Practice his presence. Begin each day this year reminding yourself that Jesus is with you today. It changes everything.
Discussion & Reflection Questions
- Why is it significant that Jesus gave this commission to the eleven, a group that had all failed him?
- Some of them worshiped while still hesitating. How does that encourage you?
- How does Jesus’ total authority give confidence for the mission?
- What’s the difference between making converts and making disciples?
- How does Matthew show from the beginning that Jesus came for every nation?
- What does the one shared name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit teach about God?
- Why does Jesus stress teaching people to obey, rather than just teaching them?
- How could you take part in the Great Commission this year, with one specific person or step?
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, every authority, above and below, belongs to you. Thank you that you sent your failing, hesitant disciples, and that you send me too. Give me courage to go, love to make disciples, and faithfulness to teach others to obey everything you’ve taught, starting with my own obedience. Open my eyes to the nations around me and far away. And as I begin this new year, remind me every day that you are with me, until you return. Amen.
Keep Reading
- Wise and Foolish Builders Meaning (Matthew 7:24-27)
- Christmas Bible Study on John 1:14: God With Us
- Jesus Calms the Storm Meaning (Mark 4:35-41)
- More Gospel Studies
- Related: Great Commission Devotional (devotional)
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Related: Matthew 1 Genealogy Explained · Matthew 7:13-14 Meaning · Gospel Studies pillar. Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Great Commission?
The Great Commission is Jesus’ final command in Matthew 28:18-20 to make disciples among every nation. Grounded in His total authority, it calls believers to go, baptize, and teach people to obey everything He commanded, with the promise that He will be with them always.
Why is it called the Great Commission?
It is called the Great Commission because it is the risen Jesus formally commissioning His followers with their central mission. The name is traditional, not found in the text itself. It captures the scope: all authority, all nations, all that Jesus commanded, and His presence for all the days.
Does the Great Commission apply to every Christian today?
Yes, the Great Commission applies to every Christian, not only missionaries or pastors. Jesus' promise to stay with His people until this age is over (Matthew 28:20) shows the task continues until He returns. Most disciple-making happens through ordinary relationships: family, friends, coworkers, and church.
Why did some disciples doubt in Matthew 28:17?
Matthew honestly records that when the disciples saw the risen Jesus, they worshiped Him, though some still hesitated (Matthew 28:17). Worship and hesitation existed side by side. Jesus did not wait for perfect faith before commissioning them; He drew near and spoke, which encourages wavering believers today.