‘Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age”’ (Mt.28:18-20).
The Great Commission is one of the most significant passages in the Holy Bible. It is the end of a Gospel and the beginning of faith in action for all Christians. It includes some of the most important final words of Jesus, so, in a way, it was his last will and testament. Of significance in the saying is that the Gospel is of universal import: the disciples are sent ‘into all the world,’ and the Gospel is ordained for the ‘whole creation’ (Col. 1:23). The ‘all’ (in Gk. hapanta) is emphatic.
The Gospel is not intended for Jews apart from Gentiles, or Gentiles apart from Jews, but for all creations. ‘He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation’ (Mk.16:15). The Greek word for ‘preach/proclaim’ (kêrussô) is in the aorist tense (kêruxate), implying proclamation of the Gospel for an appointed time rather than indefinitely.
It is therefore important to reconsider the validity and urgency of the Lord’s command. Let us examine: Why should we go? The commission of Jesus suggests that his followers have the duty to go, teach, and baptize. Although the command was initially given directly only to Christ’s eleven Apostles, the commission is as a directive to all Christians of all time and place, particularly because it seems to be a restatement or moving forward of the last part of God’s covenant with Abraham in Gen.12:3.
Our Lord has issued a command, not only to ‘Go,’ but also to make disciples, and no true believer can take his order lightly. Who shall know the truth unless we tell about it? As Paul remarks, ‘Faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ’ (Rom.10:17) … ‘how are they to hear without a preacher?’ (Rom. 10:14). How shall we preach? The fulfillment of His commission should not be out of a sense of legalistic duty, but out of love and gratitude for what Christ has done for us. Getting the Gospel to others is not limited to popular notions of preaching.
On the contrary, informing others about the grace of God in Jesus Christ can take many, many forms. God wants us to help spread the good news through our personal involvement, our prayers, our financial support and our deeds. Where shall we go? ‘You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth’ (Acts 1:8). We need to encourage each other to begin sharing Christ as a way of life in our Jerusalem – our home, our neighborhood, our campus or working place; and we need to be witnesses to those who live near the place where we are, as well as to those in our sphere of influence.
Let us seek ways to present Christ in our surroundings. Our lives and our words should be a testimony to those with whom we come in contact – family members, friends and to every one in our surroundings. The Apostles and the early Church took Jesus’ words very seriously. In fact, they did exactly as he had instructed. As we find in the book of Acts, we also need to be obedient to this royal commission of our Lord. We, Christians as individual and the Church as a whole, are ambassadors for Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit to represent Christ on earth. In 2 Cor.5:14, Paul explains, ‘For the love of Christ urges us on…’ and he goes on to say, ‘Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ…we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God’ (2 Cor.5:20). Therefore, let us proclaim this Gospel in our lives and by our words and deeds until our Lord comes again.
Author: Rev. K. Lalrokima is the minister of Presbyterian Church at Mizoram
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