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The GO Zone:The Great Commission or What Part of Go Don’t You Understand?
by Dave Weiss (Dave's bio)
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Any discussion of evangelism must at some point or another go back to the Great Commission which can be found in Matthew 28 verses 16 to 20. As Jesus last earthly commandment, it is imperative that we examine it carefully and follow it through if we truly seek to follow the Lord's will for our lives.
Picture the scene, Jesus their friend, teacher and now resurrected Lord has invited the disciples to gather on a mountain top in Gallilee. It was here that the scene takes place. There are eleven of them now. The loss of their brother Judas and his ultimate betrayal of them all still stings. Jesus appears to them physically and they worship Him, but the Bible tells us that some doubted. This is hard to fathom. After all, some of them were there when He died and all of them have seen Him since His death. Even doubting Thomas, by this point, should have had all his questions answered.
Jesus begins his message by saying that all authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to Him. This, to me, is an affirmation for them, a way of telling them something that they already know. He is saying I have full authority and full power to help you and do whatever you need. It was given to me by God, the Father, to whom I am returning. There is nothing I cannot do for you, if it is in line with the will of the Father. These are comforting words especially when one considers the mission that lays ahead of these eleven men.
What is the mission? It's the same one that Jesus lays before us all, to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations. These men are charged with replicating themselves and leading others to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. Notice that Jesus doesn't say making converts, but making disciples. This implies that these people will be trained to follow Jesus for the long haul and that implies realtionships. He commands the disciples to baptize these disciples in the names of the Triune Godhead, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The implication of that is that God is one God in three persons, each personage of equal importance. He further commands that the disciples teach the new disciples everything He has commanded them, this goes back to the idea of relational ministry, teaching people the scriptures, living the example and telling the stories of how Jesus touched their lives. This is a vitally important mission and it is as important now as it was then. Jesus told them to go. He tells us to go. They went, they spread the good news throughout their lives and the movement that started on that mountaintop with eleven now covers millions, but there is much work to be done and so He says to us "go!" The question for us is will we go?
Lastly, I believe that Jesus knew that these men and all who follow them would face hardships as they share the Good News. I believe He knew that many would stumble and lose heart and so He places the last verse there as a reminder to us all. He says, "And surely I am with you to the very end of the age." Since I believe that He knew that none of the men on that mountainside would live to the end of the age, it seems abundantly clear that this Great Commission is a commandment to us today as much as it was to the eleven. His message is clear. He wants us to go and share the Good News. He wants us to teach people and become involved in their lives and no matter what happens He will be with us for all time. Will you go?
Copyright 2002, Dave Weiss. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
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About Dave Weiss: Dave Weiss is a youth leader, speaker, writer and licensed minister in the Church of the Brethren and resides in Mohrsville, PA. He is a member of the Write Group for Interlinc's Youth Leader's Only, a youth ministry resource. He has written "Interlinc's Festival Survival Guide." For more on Dave's Ministry go to http://www.radicallyreal.com
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