Written by Paul J Bucknell on March, 23, 2021

Matthew 28:16-20 Our Greatest Opportunity (The Great Commission)

Missions arise from Jesus’ commission to His disciples to join Him, finishing His work on earth.

¹⁶ But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. ¹⁷ When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. ¹⁸ And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Have you ever missed a bus, train, or flight? There is a good chance that you did. So many things can come up to keep us from our plans. But what if at the end of your life, seeing the Lord, He told you that you missed contributing to the Great Commission. Many believers miss this grand opportunity to take part in completing the Great Mission. They know what is essential, but they somehow get distracted, maybe many times—until our lives are over.

Let’s look at the three important elements that make the Great Commission our greatest opportunity.

1) A Great Savior and Lord (Mat 28:16-18)

¹⁶ But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. ¹⁷ When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. ¹⁸ And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”

Meeting Jesus at the Mountain (16)

The mountain’s particular location in Galilee is unknown, but the disciples and quite possibly others knew. Some suggest that this is when the 500 believers at once saw Jesus’ resurrected (1 Cor 15:6), perhaps at Mount Tabor west of the southern point of Sea of Galilee.

Matthew describes what he saw before what he heard from Jesus. Matthew first identifies the eleven disciples, lacking Judas Iscariot, as being there.

The worshipful and doubtful (17)

When seeing Jesus from afar, Matthew saw that some were worshipful, while others were doubtful. In verse 18, when Jesus spoke to them, He would draw closer to them. Perhaps the doubt in some began to lessen.

The eleven previously saw Jesus offer his nail-pierced hands to Thomas to touch and see (John 20:26-28). Who doubted? It doesn’t matter, does it, at least at this point. Perhaps Jesus strengthened their faith as He approached them and spoke.

These reactions do remind us of ourselves, though, does it not? Some believe while others wonder. It reminds us that Jesus’ disciples grow in their faith. Rather than criticizing one or the other, we should strengthen each other.

Our commitment to Jesus Christ and His work is related to the strength of our faith and worship. If we are doubtful about Jesus’ person, strategy, or plan, then our commitment will necessarily be affected.

Jesus’ Claim of Authority (18)

Jesus’ claim in verse 18 bewilders us. They might have earlier doubted His words, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” But now, seeing how Jesus overcame death and was speaking to them, many past miracles and prophecies about His resurrection confirmed Jesus’ words.

This claim that the Father gave all of heaven and earth’s authority to Him holds such scope that we cannot easily comprehend its whole meaning. I come back to a simple perspective: Jesus can do all the He wants. Nothing will stop Jesus from accomplishing all that He purposes.

It’s with this conclusion combined with His following words that comprise the power of the Great Commission, and leads me to say, “The greatest problem facing the church is never power or direction.” Jesus, the resurrected Savior and Lord, beautifully oversees God’s mighty saving plan. The problem is us!

I’ve thought about this many a time. What if God’s people got together and applied themselves to complete the Great Commission? I concluded that any generation since Jesus’ time could have finished the mission, but the church had not with one heart sought the Lord. Are we Christians not similar to the doubtful Israelites, who though they walked through the Red Sea, still doubted the Lord and couldn’t gain enough faith to complete the Lord’s mission of conquering the Promised Land? It had to wait to another generation, that of Joshua and the tribes.

Excuses and Preoccupation

Like the Book of Numbers, Church History records the number of places God’s people fail to finish this plan. I don’t say that all of God’s people don’t try hard, yet somehow too many miss the picture. Let me share a few ways Satan misleads God’s people so that they do not complete the Great Commission.
Let me highlight this difference in the two figures below. What is the difference between the two? I made it easy by highlighting the difference. It’s simple, right? The right figure has an added triangle, thus adding direction and purpose.

1. Immorality - The pleasure and wealth of this world are more important than completing God’s work.
2. Misplacement of priorities - They somehow forget the very reason they are left alive. Perhaps, rightly knowing God’s holiness, they focus on developing and carrying out pleasant rituals of worship, accompanied by lovely worship places. They worship the Lord but forget His Words, the Great Commission. They make the Great Commission small and their efforts most important.
3. Delay - Many Christians insist on first getting their schooling, family, and career organized, then they will put their heart to it. It doesn’t work this way. Families have that same problem. Their little ones so challenge them that they don’t have any reserve energy or focus left. Church leaders often have the same attitude but in the church’s context. “Let’s first get some regular, committed workers with a stable budget and good facility; then we will go extra hard on completing the mission.” It never happens that way!

Jesus spent his last words to focus His disciples’ minds on what must be our central focus, “Go and make disciples around the world!”

It’s interesting to note that the churches that grow the most are those not consumed with their issues but deliberately reserve energy, focus, money, etc., for growing God’s kingdom. One of the church’s greatest snares is to get to a place where the church is only superficially interested in missions. In other words, missions is only part of their purpose, coming behind programs and buildings. Missions must become a primary place in worship because it requires our obedience and sacrifice.

If Satan can distract us, busy us with other things, we will neglect the Great Commission. Later, in verse 20, we will see how to overcome these things.

Consider the implication of verse 18, “All authority in heaven or earth is mine!” The problem is not that He cannot get the work done through His people but that His people do not focus on what means most to Him. It depends on our faith.

Do you think these eleven disciples will agree on how to complete this work? I don’t think so, but when they agree to its importance, and each finds full authority from the Lord, then they can work in harmony to finish the greater task before them.

Summary

Does your worship include your devotion to Jesus’ most important words? Can you see that these “Great Commission” words become an extensive framework of all we do as His people?

2) A Great Mission (Mat 28:19-20a)

¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I commanded you;

Jesus does two things in verse 19: (1) Defines the task, and (2) describes how to complete the mission.
The Lord Jesus briefly spoke on this important topic, not leaving much time before He returned to heaven (cf. Acts 1). I’ll briefly describe the words Jesus used.
God’s people, however, tend to stay rather than go. God uses various movements like urbanization and world-shaking events in the world to further scatter God’s people. Few of God’s people move for the Gospel’s sake. Not all of God’s people are like that, though. The first missionaries, forming part of the modern mission movement, went to Africa, packing their things in a casket! And truly, not many survived a term there, but they went. This sacrifice became the power base of modern missions as it replicated Christ’s love for the world.

1. Defines the Task

• “Go” literally means “as you are going.” In other words, missions includes a conscious outward focus. The term ‘missions’ comes from the Latin “missio” to send. The word apostle and later missionary get their meaning from here.

We must learn to interpret opportunities. The Lord used, if not created, global trade, persecution, the quest for education, famine, etc., for the purpose of spreading His Word. We see this in Acts, 1 Peter and our world today. Perhaps the Lord uses persecution to get us going. You went without knowing, but in going, you heard and believed in the Gospel. Many Chinese churches in North America began in this precise way—by international Chinese students.

So please remember that you might be a sent one or one that God wants to send. Going sometimes means that we send our children on missions with a blessing. It’s hard but if that is what God prompts, trust God with them.

“You” - Is it only the Eleven Disciples?

While describing the “You,” let me address the Great Commission’s concern is not our responsibility. In brief, some conclude that Jesus gave the Great Commission to the eleven disciples, while others extend this responsibility to all Christian leaders. Others, including myself, believe it includes all believers everywhere.

How much did this project mean to the Lord? How do you know? Do you think that Jesus wanted only the apostles to work on this “project?” I think not. Here are a few reasons.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

1. It’s not clear that only the eleven disciples were there with Jesus. Others have contended that the 500 that Paul refers to in 1 Corinthians 15:6 were there. Matthew only highlights the eleven. But even here, they were not called apostles, distinguishing them as a special class, but as disciples, lending this responsibility to all disciples.
2. It’s clear that Jesus had His whole church in mind when giving the Great Commission. Remember Acts 1:8?

Suppose we only saw the apostles to have this extra authority, we might conclude that only the apostles held this responsibility, but all of God’s people received the Holy Spirit and told to be His witnesses! At that point, 120 were together waiting on the Lord in prayer (Acts 1:14-15).
“The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2).

1. The means of fulfilling the mission requires a greater audience than the eleven. The disciples would only live another 30-50 years, the bulk of the mission depends upon those they disciple and the generations that follow. They are to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Not one person builds the church; the apostles moved about. Jesus gave His leading disciples the charge to make other disciples which in turn would make more disciples.

Those that the apostles taught would take on the responsibility to evangelize and make disciples; otherwise, Jesus’ grand project would never have been completed.

 

“Make disciples of all the nations”

Although Jesus had mainly spread God’s Word among the Jews, He commanded His disciples to bring His Word to the world. This became one of the key problems for the Jews, both theological and moral. They couldn’t think clearly about Samaritans and Gentiles would fit into Jesus’ purpose.

God used the Book of Acts’ many events to broaden their understanding of God’s Word to include all people. Jesus indeed clarified that the Jews were to reach every tribe and people group.

The disciples heard that when Christ finishes reaching out to the nations through the church, He will return.

“This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Mat 24:14).

Once the Gospel effectively reaches the nations around the earth, then Great Commission is completed, and Jesus returns!

The Lord’s final goal is to reach all people groups, though He started with the Jews. As His people, we are part of the growing thrust to reach all peoples. I’m glad you are interested in spreading the Word to those who speak and culturally think like you do. After all, are they not just like you? But we must broaden this perspective with what we see here—reach the whole world. Breakthrough the cultural barriers about you to reach those around you, including your children.

When speaking on church history, I found one of the most intriguing things is to trace where the apostles went. They went to many places—many of which we are unfamiliar.

Our greatest opportunity to prove God’s love to all is to share the Gospel with them, not dismissing any race, language, or class of people.

By “all the nations” we should be inclusive, calling all peoples, even if our language is limited, to make disciples.

Aren’t you glad that others also made most of this opportunity to spread God’s Word? Today’s generation of believers not only depended upon the apostles but the many generations of believers in between. I like to briefly think about the many links of one’s faith leading back to the original disciples. “How did they or I get to hear the Gospel?”

“Make disciples of all the nations”

After discussing the enormous scope to reach all the nations, let’s think about how to do it. I have had the privilege of teaching pastors to disciple in many countries around the world. I find so startling that very few (typically 3 out of 50) have ever been discipled. Have you? This situation is true here in our country too.

Many Christians equivocate discipleship with Christian teaching, learning what we are to believe. This is undoubtedly part of it, but it certainly does not stop there! Christians basically train younger believers how to live out their Christian lives. They learn how to live out their lives in different situations, much like parents instructs their children.

It’s tragic that so few Christians have been discipled. Even pastors have not been discipled, and so have no clue how to disciple others. The most basic, essential part of the Great Commission is being left out!

I remember in Taiwan starting a church with our first believers. One young new brother was soon going into the military; it dawned on me that I have spent hundreds of hours leading people to the Lord but precious few on discipling. I needed to learn what discipleship was! I belonged to group Bible studies, but no-one took the initiative to meet with me personally. And as a result, I had many personal problems that were never resolved early on.

Jesus’ model includes a personal involvement of our lives in the lives of others around us.

The means: Baptism and Teaching

Jesus highlighted two aspects of discipleship as the text says, “baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you.”

By baptizing them, Jesus was asking for believers to commit themselves to Him openly. This belief is no easy raise of hand, as many evangelists employ. We must not process groups of Christians as if they believe. We need to teach them, answering their personal questions. For example, when being baptized, they face many problems at home or work. How are they to deal with them? I find that the Christian church is willing to spend much time and effort on presenting the Gospel but does hardly any follow-up.

Making disciples includes personally training believers to learn of God’s way, including the personal sharing of Christ so that the new believer sees his or her old life from which they turn and commit themselves to follow Jesus. Although I believe the Scriptures teach, once saved, always saved, many professing believers who are not clear on their commitment to Christ and the whole of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Discipleship also involves personally teaching how to pass the Word of God onto others (Acts 1:8). Of prime importance, especially with those who had not any Scripture like we do today, “teaching them to observe all that I commanded you.”

Discipleship involves teaching what we ought to know and carrying out Jesus’ commands—including making disciples.

The importance of making disciples cannot be overstressed. When discipling, we pass on knowledge but also action. We can train them to come to church, but we need to get to the depth of Jesus’ teaching about what church is and help them rightly understand how to love one another. Belief is not ‘knowing about’; that is to know. A convinced faith results, however, is a changed life.

A glaring example is Jesus’ command, “to forgive.” We all know He says these things in the Lord’s Prayer, “Forgive or you will not be forgiven.” But how many professing believers do not forgive! They convince themselves that it’s biblical not to forgive!

The enormity of this task can overwhelm us. We have two kinds of people: (1) Those that think they can do it, and (2) those who give up, thinking they could never fulfill it.

What I want to propose here is that neither of those mindsets is functional. The reason Jesus openly stated His authority is so that the church could and would depend upon Him. It would be arrogant for a church planter to rave about the new church plant and forget to mention the Lord’s part in the work. Those churches don’t last long because you have trained the new church to trust a few purposed individuals. This scenario marked where the church began to differentiate between the clergy and the laity (the average Christian).

When discipling believers, we give them the confidence needed to take the steps to obey Jesus. Live like Jesus says, and you will have a message to propagate around the world.

Missions starts at home and depends on training His workers, but the power, teaching, and leading all come from the Lord and His promises given in the last part of verse 20.

3) A Great Opportunity (Mat 28:20b)

“And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

God’s Promises

Jesus makes a beautiful promise in Matthew 28:20—the last verse of the Gospel of Matthew, “And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Some people don’t see this as a promise. For them, a promise is of money, prosperity, reward, etc., but actually, this is a promise of much more—the presence of the almighty Lord Jesus as we go forth carrying out His will.

We went out in full-time missions forty years ago now. We left our family and familiar circumstances to go to a distant nation—what some of you might call home, Taiwan. The promise of the Lord’s presence has always been much better than a secure sum of money or position. Yes, it requires a sense of trust to keep going into unknown situations, but the Lord timely provides all that we need. Our needs are always far more than what money can provide. His presence allows us to take steps we otherwise would refrain.

Our Opportunities

Our great opportunity of working with Jesus to take our part in bringing the Gospel to the ends of the age is here! If God chooses to employ us in His great work, there is no reason on earth or heaven to hold back dedicating ourselves to this purpose. What God prioritizes for us becomes our life’s priority.

Nepal

I traveled to many spots around the world, the world’s very frontiers—the place where there was no church but now is. It was interesting to go to one place called the Wall, named by the British forces in northern India and southern Nepal. It’s where the Himalayas take rough form and access is not easy.

Did you notice what happened in the last ten years in Nepal? What has your church done in the last ten years for the Lord? Nepal was a closed country for the longest time, but then the Lord opened the window for evangelism and missions—not wholly open but not closed as before. Now there is a strong church in Nepal, training colleges, missions and youth activities with over 1 million believers, perhaps 10% of the people.

One of the great wake-up calls was the great earthquake that shook that land in 2015. God’s people, all around the world, took up the challenge to show God’s love to a country that was formerly closed to the Gospel.

Our mission isn’t large, but we worked with Christians in northern India who were crossing the border with supplies. Again, we are not primarily a financial institution but one with writing resources, but people gave through us, and so we gave, enabling those Christians to visit and bring the needed help and the Gospel.

Now we have a Nepalese library—small but a good beginning for a country doesn’t have many training resources at all in their language. We serve as one tiny link to mobilize God’s people to reach the ends of the world. Who would suspect God would strategically use an earthquake causing to unleash a display of God’s love to stir the people to believe in the Lord?

Conclusion

Don’t deny the importance of making disciples around the world. Don’t live in light of “I don’t know how” but “Lord, how shall we do this?” When we attach importance to what Jesus prioritized, as this Great Commission teaches, we turn our eyes to the commander of the heavens and earth. This doesn’t mean He will send you far away, but He might. Most of us are already located in a distant part of the world, far from Jerusalem. Nothing holds us back from our obedience but our doubts and unwillingness.
You might be thinking I want to be part of God’s last work on earth but don’t know how. You must openly, almost delight in, that you are not the Director of this Great Mission, but Jesus Christ is.

• No matter how difficult the pressure is,
• No matter what people might steal from us,
• No matter if I lose my life,
• No matter if my job is wrongly taken.

My wife and I are now seniors, but we are trying; while enduring increased aches and pains, we strive to be part of God’s greater work at the end of the world. So we pray, “Give us strength to serve you ten more years.” Yes, I could just retire, but God sent us here to make a go at leading a training center. Many questions come before us—but because God has led us, His leading presides over our other wants and desires. We are ready to do things as God wants us to do them. We are waiting for God to renew leaders, so we need to look to Him how He will do this constantly. We are not praying for people only to come but to find personal renewal.

You might have personal fears or health concerns, this doesn’t matter. Really! Jesus’ promise to be with me and you to the end, meaning when we set His priorities first, He will be there—when waiting, moving, ill, feeling lonely or even helpless. The resurrected Jesus, who has all authority on heaven and earth, is with you to surprisingly lead you onward.

This is the Gospel of eternal life. Without the Lord, people perish. This age might include the last colossal battle on earth, but before that, small fights here and there will occur, all working up to one great last stand with Jesus’ return. We don’t know how our lives might have to fit into this plan of His, but the two main commands (love God as oneself, and love others as Christ loved you) will always underlie the Great Commission.

Summary of the Great Commission

As much as the church has lost time, it’s now time to recommit ourselves to do whatever Jesus leads us. We might need to state that we are ready to make disciples but honestly don’t how to do it! That is fine. You are honest, but in honesty, you are maturing your dependence on Him to go forward.

The more I work with evangelism and teaching, here or overseas, I find that missions is largely discipleship, purposely communicating Jesus’ concerns to others by demonstrating your walk before them. Some use their physician or PH.D. degrees, while others their resources or skills.

Awake brothers and sisters; now is the time to embark on the future of opportunity—to make disciples worldwide. Seek God, and He will teach you how to do this.

Jesus will be with us to the end. As pressures from the world increase, our faith must get brighter and brighter. But keep your eyes on the new circumstances the Lord gives you to take His Word to all kinds of people, making disciples as the Lord gives you the opportunity.

Victory does not depend upon us but on the Lord’s purposes and power flowing through us. When believers face extreme pressures, others can more clearly see the power of God’s love. Boldly get behind the Great Commission.

Discussion Questions on Missions

1. What is the Great Commission? Where is it found in the Scriptures?
2. When and where did Jesus communicate this Great Commission to His disciples?
3. Who is responsible for completing the Great Commission? Name the three viewpoints expressed here.
4. Consider Jesus having “all authority in heaven and earth.” What could hinder the Lord from gaining His purposes?
5. What are the two components of making disciples?
6. Why is disciple-making so important?
7. When and with whom have you made disciples?
8. What are the three biggest excuses you make or hear from others about why we should not commit ourselves to this task that Jesus here mentions and commits Himself to?
9. Which excuse has become your weakest point?
10. List one positive change you will make to join Jesus in this great opportunity and be part of completing this grand discipleship plan.

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