The Great Commission JSS2 Christian Religious Studies (CRS) Lesson Note

 THE GREAT COMMISSION

LESSON OBJECTIVES

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Explain the context and content of the Great Commission as recorded in the Gospels
2. Identify the key elements of Jesus’ command to His disciples
3. Compare the Great Commission accounts in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Acts
4. Analyze the theological significance of the Great Commission for the church
5. Apply the principles of the Great Commission to personal faith and contemporary ministry

INTRODUCTION

The Great Commission represents Jesus Christ’s final instructions to His disciples before His ascension into heaven. This pivotal command has served as the foundational mandate for Christian mission and evangelism throughout church history. Though most commonly associated with Matthew 28:18-20, versions of the Great Commission appear in all four Gospels and Acts, each with distinct emphases that together provide a comprehensive understanding of Jesus’ vision for His followers’ worldwide mission. This lesson explores the biblical texts, historical context, theological significance, and practical applications of Jesus’ command to “make disciples of all nations.”

i. BIBLICAL ACCOUNTS OF THE GREAT COMMISSION

Matthew’s Account (Matthew 28:16-20)

• Setting: A mountain in Galilee where Jesus had directed the disciples to go
• Audience: The eleven disciples (after Judas’s death)
• Authority Statement: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me”
• Core Command: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations”
• Specific Instructions:
  1. “Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”
  2. “Teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you”
• Promise: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age”
• Distinctive Emphasis: Disciple-making, teaching, and the Trinitarian baptismal formula

Mark’s Account (Mark 16:15-18)

• Setting: While the eleven were eating (Mark 16:14)
• Audience: The eleven disciples
• Core Command: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation”
• Response: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned”
• Signs: Supernatural manifestations that will accompany believers
  1. Driving out demons
  2. Speaking in new tongues
  3. Protection from snakes and poison
  4. Healing the sick
• Distinctive Emphasis: Proclamation of the gospel and miraculous confirmation
• Note: These verses (Mark 16:9-20) do not appear in some early manuscripts

Luke’s Gospel Account (Luke 24:44-49)

• Setting: Jerusalem, possibly the upper room
• Audience: The disciples and “those with them” (Luke 24:33)
• Scriptural Foundation: Fulfillment of the Law, Prophets, and Psalms
• Core Message: “Repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem”
• Disciples’ Role: “You are witnesses of these things”
• Promise: “I am going to send you what my Father has promised” (the Holy Spirit)
• Instruction: “Stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high”
• Distinctive Emphasis: Witnessing, repentance, forgiveness, and the need for the Holy Spirit

John’s Account (John 20:21-23)

• Setting: A house in Jerusalem where disciples were meeting behind locked doors
• Audience: The disciples (Thomas absent)
• Core Commission: “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you”
• Empowerment: Jesus breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit”
• Authority: “If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven”
• Distinctive Emphasis: Missional parallel between Jesus and disciples, Holy Spirit empowerment, and ministry of reconciliation

Acts Account (Acts 1:4-8)

• Setting: Jerusalem, just before the ascension
• Audience: The apostles
• Command: Wait for the Holy Spirit
• Promise: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you”
• Mission Scope: “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”
• Distinctive Emphasis: Geographic progression of mission, witnessing, and Holy Spirit power

ii. HISTORICAL AND LITERARY CONTEXT

Post-Resurrection Setting

• The Great Commission was given after Jesus’ resurrection and before His ascension
• A period of approximately 40 days (Acts 1:3)
• A time of confirming Jesus’ victory over death and preparing disciples for ministry
• Jesus appearing to various groups to establish the reality of His resurrection

The Disciples’ Situation

• Still processing the trauma of Jesus’ crucifixion
• Coming to terms with the reality of the resurrection
• Uncertain about their future role
• In transition from followers to leaders
• Matthew notes that “some doubted” even as they worshiped (Matthew 28:17)

Jewish-Gentile Relations

• Traditional Jewish reluctance to engage with Gentiles
• Previous limitations of Jesus’ ministry primarily to “the lost sheep of Israel” (Matthew 15:24)
• The radical nature of a worldwide mission crossing ethnic boundaries
• Tensions that would later emerge in the early church over Gentile inclusion

The Roman Imperial Context

• Roman Empire’s dominance and widespread influence
• Existing networks of roads and sea routes that would facilitate mission
• Potential danger of proclaiming another “king” besides Caesar
• Persecution that would eventually come from proclaiming Jesus as Lord

Connection to Old Testament Themes

• Fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham to bless all nations (Genesis 12:3)
• Echoes of prophetic visions of all nations coming to worship God (Isaiah 2:2-4)
• Continuation of God’s mission to restore all creation
• Israel’s calling to be a “light to the nations” (Isaiah 42:6, 49:6)

III. KEY ELEMENTS OF THE GREAT COMMISSION

Divine Authority

• Jesus’ claim of “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18)
• Authority as the basis for the disciples’ mission
• Continuation of Jesus’ ministry through His disciples
• The mission as an extension of Jesus’ own mission from the Father (John 20:21)

The Core Mandate: Make Disciples

• Central imperative in Matthew’s account: “make disciples” (mathēteusate)
• Discipleship as more than conversion or church membership
• The goal of forming people who follow Jesus’ teachings and example
• The recursive nature: disciples making disciples

Universal Scope

• “All nations” (panta ta ethnē) – every ethnic group
• “All the world” and “all creation” (Mark 16:15)
• Geographic expansion: “Jerusalem…Judea and Samaria…ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8)
• Transcending ethnic, cultural, and national boundaries
• Inclusion of people formerly considered “unclean” or outside God’s covenant

Specific Practices

• Going: Intentional movement beyond current boundaries
• Preaching/Proclaiming: Verbal communication of the gospel
• Witnessing: Testifying to the reality of Jesus and His resurrection
• Baptizing: Initiating believers into the community through Trinitarian baptism
• Teaching: Ongoing instruction in Jesus’ commands
• Obedience: The goal of applied knowledge, not just information

Divine Presence and Power

• Promise of Jesus’ continued presence (Matthew 28:20)
• The essential role of the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49, John 20:22, Acts 1:8)
• Supernatural confirmation through signs (Mark 16:17-18)
• Recognition that the mission succeeds through divine power, not human effort alone

iv. THEOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Trinitarian Foundation

• Mentioned explicitly in Matthew’s baptismal formula
• Jesus’ authority comes from the Father
• The Holy Spirit empowers the mission
• The Great Commission as a Trinitarian enterprise

Ecclesiology: The Nature and Purpose of the Church

• The church defined by mission rather than merely maintenance
• The centrifugal movement: sent out into the world
• The communal aspect of discipleship and witness
• The church as continuation of Jesus’ ministry on earth

Eschatology: The Mission and the End Times

• “To the very end of the age” – mission continues until Christ’s return
• The gospel to all nations before the end (Matthew 24:14)
• Mission as preparation for Christ’s return
• The already/not yet tension in kingdom proclamation

Soteriology: Salvation and Discipleship

• Salvation expressed through discipleship, not merely decision
• Baptism as identification with Christ’s death and resurrection
• Repentance and forgiveness of sins as central to the message
• The holistic nature of salvation: affecting beliefs, behavior, and belonging

Pneumatology: The Role of the Holy Spirit

• The absolute necessity of the Spirit for effective mission
• The Spirit as the primary missionary, working through believers
• Empowerment for witness and service
• Supernatural authentication of the message

v. THE GREAT COMMISSION THROUGHOUT CHURCH HISTORY

The Early Church Period

• Rapid spread of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire
• Apostles and early missionaries taking the gospel to new regions
• Persecution as both hindrance and catalyst for mission
• Early church fathers’ emphasis on teaching and discipleship

The Patristic and Medieval Periods

• Missionary monks spreading Christianity to Northern Europe
• Tension between authentic conversion and political expansion
• Preservation and transmission of Scripture and tradition
• Development of catechetical methods for teaching new believers

The Reformation Era

• Renewed emphasis on Scripture and teaching
• Translation of the Bible into vernacular languages
• Protestant missionary movements beginning to emerge
• Catholic missionary orders like the Jesuits

The Modern Missionary Movement

• William Carey and the “Great Century” of missions (1800s)
• Formation of missionary societies and organizations
• Colonial context and its complexities
• Translation, education, and medical work as mission strategies

Contemporary Missions

• Shift from Western-dominated to global mission from everywhere to everywhere
• Emphasis on contextual approaches and indigenous leadership
• Holistic mission integrating evangelism and social action
• Digital and technological innovations in mission