Make Disciples Matthew 28:16-20

“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned” (Mk. 16:15-16, NASB).

In last week’s article Too Holy to be Righteous we discussed the premise that too many Christians consider their holiness to be grounds for condemning persons whose lifestyle are patterned after the works of the flesh. These people, both individuals and some churches avoid association with people in the world. People of the world whose lifestyle is offensive are not welcomed in their worship assemblies. However, we take the position that holiness does not give us the right to shun and condemn those that have not believed the gospel. Our question is this: Why do Christians expect those who have not yet been saved to live as if they are saved? We hold that the Lord calls His people to live holy so that they can be a light to those that live in darkness, those that continue to live without having a right relationship with God. Holy people of God are given the task of bringing lost people to a right relationship with God. Thus, in this article we want to focus on the Great Commission given by Jesus to His disciples. He gives the church authority and the assignment to make disciples. He gives them the assurance that He will be with them until the end of the age.

How does the church make disciples? Before we can answer this question we must discuss what it means to be a disciple. A disciple is one who follows a teacher. A disciple learns the ways of their teacher. He and she follow the teacher’s example in his/her lifestyle. The disciple learns and follows the teacher’s example in moral living, ethical principles, and behavioral actions. In order to do this the disciple must believe in the teacher and abide in the teacher’s words. This is seen clearly in a statement that Jesus makes that is recorded in the Gospel of John. “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, ‘If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine’” (Jn. 8:31, NASB). Jesus commissions the church to make disciples. Let us examine this truth.

When we look at John 8:31 and Mark 16:15-16 we can see that leading a person to salvation is only the first step in making disciples. The Gospel of Mark is the first Gospel written according to most scholars. Mark’s writings indicate the urgency to get people saved by preaching the gospel. Those that believed are saved from their sins. In Mark’s statement nothing is said about making disciples. In John 8:31 Jesus is talking to Jews that have believed. Jesus tells these people that if they continue in Him they will become His disciples. If believing in Jesus is the criteria for salvation, Jesus is inviting saved people to go further in their relationship with Him. He invites them to learn of Him, become His disciples, and be free from the power of sin. A disciple of Jesus grows in maturity in the things of Christ Jesus. The results are new morals, ethics, and behavior that are more closely aligned with the examples that Jesus set forth for those that believe in Him to follow.

The gospel of Matthew is written by Matthew the tax collector (Matt. 10:3, Mk. 3:18, Lk. 6:18, NASB). Matthew is also known by the name Levi (Mk. 2:14). Matthew writes to a Jewish audience. The Jews believe themselves to be the chosen people of God. They have the Law of Moses. They know that God tells them that they are a chosen people. They are a holy people. They do not live according to Gentile practices. They do not worship the many gods that the Gentiles worship. They shun Gentiles and do not allow them to participate in their temple and synagogue worship. However, the Jews do not understand that the Lord has separated them from the nations so that they can be a light to the nations. Their holiness is not designed to exclude people from a relationship with God. On the contrary, their holiness shows the world the saving grace of God and the benefits of worshiping God alone; excluding all other gods. The Great Commission as written by Matthew is designed to let the Jews know that Gentiles too are accepted into the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew tells us that the eleven disciples followed Jesus’ instructions to meet Him in Galilee. When they see Jesus they worship Him, but some of them doubt that this is Jesus (Matt. 28:16-17). Verse eighteen begins the commission that Jesus gives to the eleven. Remember, Judas is dead. These eleven disciples are different from the many other disciples that follow Jesus. Jesus chooses the Twelve, and He appoints them to be apostles. “Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of sickness” (Matt. 10:1, NASB). We will notice that in verse two Matthew does not call these men disciples of Jesus. He now refers to them as apostles (v. 2). What is an apostle and what is the difference if any between a disciple and an apostle? We have seen that a disciple is one who learns from a teacher and follows the teacher’s example in their life. An apostle is one who is sent on a mission with the authority given to them by one who has authority. In the gospels Jesus demonstrates His authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Now, Jesus gives twelve of His disciples His authority and sends them out.

In Matthew twenty-eight Jesus is close to the time when He will return to the Father. He has been teaching these twelve disciples about the things that He wants them to do after He leaves them. Did you notice that Jesus is meeting with these twelve disciples separate from other disciples? Jesus is giving them final instructions.

First, He reminds them that He has authority. He is giving them His authority. His authority is in heaven and earth. In the same way the apostles will have power in heaven and in earth. Matthew records two incidents in which Jesus assures His disciples that they will have authority in heaven and earth. “‘I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven’” (Matt. 16:19, NASB). “‘Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven’” (Matt. 18:18, NASB). Jesus gives the apostles His authority. Although it is not recorded in Matthew, John records Jesus words about their abiding in the Spirit (John 15) that enables them to bear fruit (Jn. 15:1-7).

After giving the apostles His authority, Jesus gives them their assignment. They are to make disciples. This means that they should not be content with preaching the gospel for salvation alone. They are to make disciples of new converts. This is a major shortcoming in many churches. People are baptized, and they are assured that they are saved from their sin. What happens next? Does salvation end at the water? When the Israelites cross the Red Sea they are free from bondage in Egypt. They are not yet in the Promised Land. They wander in the wilderness for forty years. They are being made disciples of the Lord in order that they can be effective people of God. In the same manner new converts are to be made disciples so that they can become effective witnesses for Jesus Christ.

In His instructions to the disciples Jesus tells them to make disciples of all nations. Although similar to Mark’s instructions to preach the gospel for salvation, Matthew has a somewhat different emphasis. Mark writes “go into all the world.” This is a global mission. Matthew uses the word nations that is translated from the Greek word ethnos that refers to the Gentiles; all people that are not Jews. There are people from various ethnic groups living among the Jews in Palestine. Matthew records this word because he wants the Jews to know that the Gentiles living among them are to be included in the kingdom of God. The church will have to deal with this issue when the Lord sends Peter to Cornelius, a Roman centurion, and his house to preach the Gospel for their salvation (Acts 10:24-48). Notice the words of Peter in verse 35. “‘I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him’” (Acts 10:34-35, NASB). Paul records in Ephesians, “But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall” (Eph. 2:13-14, NASB).

Jesus preached the gospel to all people regardless of their lifestyle. He included tax collectors, prostitutes, people with leprosy and other medical conditions and diseases. Jesus excluded no one. When He is questioned about eating with tax collectors and sinners He replies: “‘It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick’” (Matt. 9:12, NASB). “And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost’” (Lk. 19:9-10, NASB).

How do you make a disciple? First, they are baptized “in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Jesus says that it is through teaching the believer to observe everything that Jesus commands. Since Jesus says that new converts must be taught, it is clear that none of us have arrived at the place that God wants us to be when we first believe. We must follow Jesus. We must learn the commands of Jesus. We must adopt appropriate behaviors that comply with the commands of Jesus. Some of us grow a little faster. Some of us have learning disabilities caused by the things that have taken place in our lives before we believed.

Jesus assures the apostles that He will be with them. “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Jesus did not leave the church when the apostles died. The twelve apostles initiated the Christian movement. Today, Jesus continues to live in the church. The Father planned the church. The Son died for the church. The Holy Spirit continues to empower the church today. The mission continues. Make disciples.