The Great Commission
Go and Make Disciples of All Nations
Matthew 28:16–20The eleven disciples travel to a mountain in Galilee. Jesus has told them to go there, and so they go — walking up the rocky hillside, hearts full of wonder and questions. Just days ago, Jesus died on a cross. Then He rose from the dead. And now, He is here, standing before them on this mountain.
When the disciples see Jesus, they bow down and worship Him. But Matthew tells us something honest — some of them doubt. Even with the risen Jesus right in front of them, their hearts waver. And what does Jesus do? He does not send the doubters away. He speaks to all of them.
Jesus steps closer and says something extraordinary: 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.' Think about what that means. Every king, every ruler, every power in the whole universe — Jesus is over all of it. He has won this authority by dying for sin and rising again. He is the true King of everything.
Then, because He has all authority, Jesus gives His disciples a great task. He says, 'Go and make disciples of all nations.' A disciple is someone who follows Jesus, learns from Him, and trusts in Him. Jesus is not sending them just to the people of Israel — He is sending them to every nation, every people, every tongue on earth. This is enormous news. God's family is growing to fill the whole world.
Jesus tells them how to make disciples. First, they are to baptize people 'in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.' Baptism is the sign of the new covenant — it marks someone as belonging to God. Just as circumcision was the covenant sign for Abraham's family, baptism is the sign that shows a person has been washed clean and brought into God's new covenant family through faith in Jesus.
Second, they are to teach new disciples 'to obey everything I have commanded you.' This is not a list of rules to follow by trying harder. It is a life of learning to walk with Jesus, day by day, shaped by His words and His love.
Then Jesus says the most comforting thing of all: 'And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.' The disciples will go out into a big, hard world. They will face trouble. But they will never be alone. The King who has all authority promises to be with them every single step of the way.
This mission is still going today. Every time someone hears about Jesus and trusts in Him, the Great Commission is moving forward — all the way until Jesus comes back.
Christ in This Story
Jesus receives all authority because He has conquered sin and death through His perfect life, sacrificial death, and resurrection — He is the true King over all creation. The command to make disciples of all nations fulfills God's promise to Abraham that all families of the earth would be blessed through his offspring (Genesis 12:3), and Jesus is that promised offspring. Baptism in the Triune name marks entrance into the new covenant, which Jesus sealed with His own blood. His promise to be with His people always echoes God's covenant presence throughout Scripture — 'I will be your God and you will be My people' — now fully realized in Jesus Himself.
Historical Context
Mountains hold deep significance in Matthew's Gospel. Jesus delivers His great sermon on a mountain (chapters 5–7), is transfigured on a mountain (chapter 17), and now gives His final commission on a mountain in Galilee. This pattern deliberately echoes Moses receiving the Law on Mount Sinai — Matthew presents Jesus as the greater Moses who gives a greater covenant. The specific mountain in Galilee is not named, but Galilee itself is significant: it was considered a region of 'the nations' (Gentiles), making it a fitting launchpad for a worldwide mission (see Matthew 4:15, quoting Isaiah 9:1).
The phrase 'all authority in heaven and on earth' would have carried enormous weight in the Greco-Roman world, where emperors claimed divine authority. Roman coins bore the emperor's image and titles of divine power. Jesus' declaration here is a direct counter-claim: not Caesar, but the crucified and risen Christ holds ultimate sovereignty. The Trinitarian baptismal formula ('Father, Son, and Holy Spirit') appears here in its fullest early form and quickly became central to early Christian practice, as confirmed by the Didache, an early Christian document dated to the late first or early second century AD.
✦ This story also appears in the Quran
For parents: This biblical account has a parallel in the Quran (Islam's holy book), but the two versions differ in important ways. The Quran retells many Old and New Testament stories — sometimes similarly, sometimes with significant changes in detail, meaning, or theology.
This is a great opportunity to help your children know the biblical account well, so they can recognize differences if they ever encounter them. The Bible is our authoritative source; where the Quran diverges, we hold to what God's Word says.
Let's Pray
Father, thank You that Jesus has all authority and that He promised to be with us always. Help us to love learning about You and to tell others about Jesus. Thank You that Your family includes people from every nation, and that we get to be part of it. Amen.