The

By Nathan J. Page

Matthew 28:18-20 “ And came and spake unto them, saying, ‘All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ Amen.” :15-19 “And he said unto them, ‘Go ye into all the world, and preach the to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.’ So then after had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.” The most important desire of a person is most often revealed in their last words before departing. The passages above record the last words of before He departed from this earth and ascended into heaven. His last words express His utmost desire for us. His desire is that we go into all the world and preach to every person. That is the Great Commission that He wants us to fulfill above all else. His highest requirement is not that we stop sinning. It is not that we be less like the world. It is not that we gain as much knowledge about Him as possible. It is not that we be faithful in joining in fellowship with other believers. It is not even that we develop a closer relationship with Him (though I would say that comes in second place, according to :36-38). All those things I mentioned will be fulfilled when we are glorified. But there is one thing that will end when Christ comes back. That is what He wants us to focus on the most. It is evangelism. Yes, the first and greatest commandment in the law is to God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, but that was before evangelism was in effect. That was the greatest commandment in the law. Though that should definitely be a major focus in our lives, evangelism is now the priority. is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. The Great Commission is to go out into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. We can do both. As a matter of fact, the Great Commandment helps us in fulfilling the Great Commission. The more love you have for God, the more passionate and involved you will be in evangelizing. :18-20 says, “ And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, ‘All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.’ Amen.” Christ has all authority and power in heaven and earth. He is our King. Therefore, we must obey Him. Christ has all authority and power in heaven and earth. Therefore, we must go and instruct all nations and individuals that He is the King of kings, and commands everyone everywhere to repent, and will judge them for the choice they make. We must instruct everyone how to restore their relationship with Christ and gain citizenship in His kingdom. After they are reconciled to Him, they must be baptized in the name of the full Triune Godhead—Father, Son, and . Christ has all authority and power in heaven and earth. Therefore, we must instruct them to follow all Christ has commanded us. This is our commission from the King of kings and Lord of hosts. This is our commission from the One who saved us and sacrificed His own blood for us. Aren’t we obliged to fulfill it? Isn’t it your duty? After all that He has done for you, shouldn’t you do this for Him? After being radically transformed by the Gospel of His grace, don’t you desperately want to proclaim such great news to others? “Therefore said he unto them, ‘The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest. Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves’” (:2-3). This is our Great Commission. Let us walk worthy of it.