Anchor My Faith

Previous Lesson
Next Lesson
Author: Stephen Weller
881 words, 5 minutes read time

Go, Make Disciples, Baptize, and Teach

Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20

In the previous lesson we began the section about the final words of Jesus to his disciples. In this lesson we will look at what Jesus said to the disciples and to us.

^{Mt 28:18} And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Now that Jesus has risen he can exercise absolute authority throughout heaven and earth, which shows his deity. This absolute authority has been given to him from the Father, which indicates that Jesus continues to remain subject to the Father as he was while on earth before his death. When there is more than one person in a group then it is necessary for one person to have more authority than the others and since the one living God consists of three persons of Father, Son and Spirit, it is the Father who is able to give this absolute authority to Jesus.

Even though the Father has the ability to give this authority, Jesus is still one with God the Father and equal to the Father in deity. “There is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist” (1 Corinthians 8:6 ESV). Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30 ESV). “But of the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom’” (Hebrews 1:8 ESV).

However, at the same time, Jesus is functionally subordinate to the Father. Jesus said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will” (Mark 14:36 ESV). Jesus said to the Jews, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise” (John 5:19 ESV). ²⁶ “For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. ²⁷ And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man” (John 5:26 – 27 ESV).

Now speaking with this authority, Jesus tells his disciples to do four things: (1) Go, (2) Make disciples, (3) Baptize, and (4) Teach. The disciples are to “go” and find “lost sheep” by proclaiming the gospel to those who will listen. Those who respond and are born again are not to be left behind but are to be discipled so that they can “go” and make more disciples. That is where you and I come into the picture. If we have become disciples of Jesus Christ then we have been commanded to go and do that which God has assigned to us to do (Ephesians 2:10).

To make disciples is an imperative to call individuals to commit to Jesus as Master and Lord of their lives and explain to them the fundamentals of Christianity found in the teachings of Jesus, and those who wrote the New Testament. This teaching is to include the things Jesus taught us to do.

These disciples are to make a public profession of faith through being baptized. As many believers fail to obey the command to go and make disciples, many fail to obey the command to be baptized. Baptism is for the purpose of making a statement to the public proclaiming your identity to Jesus Christ. For some this is a difficult decision to make because of risk from persecution. For others being baptized is not done for no other reason than it is just not convenient or maybe thought not to be necessary.

This process of going, making, baptizing and teaching is to continue to the end of the age when Jesus returns. Since Jesus has not returned yet, we need to pick up our cross daily and get to work. It is not work we do alone as Jesus said that he would always be with us and empower us through the Holy Spirit. It is work I love to do, to study the Scriptures and teach others what I learn. Evidence of this is found indexed at AnchorMyFaith.com in the form of growing collection of verse by verse Bible studies.

Conclusion

The final words to his disciples and ultimately to us is to “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” How willing are you to find your place in this command and do your part? What does that willingness say about your love for Jesus Christ?