Made For Mission: The Great Commission: Making Disciples

Last week, we looked at the unique way Jesus valued children and how investing in children and even approaching life with a childlike faith can further God’s mission.

This week, we’re going to take a closer look at what many call the Great Commission, found in Matthew 28:16-20. By recording as Jesus’ final words the command to go and make disciples of all nations, Matthew underlines their importance. Today, we hear what the angel and Jesus Himself said to the women who first saw the risen Christ. We must “go and tell” others about Jesus. Because Jesus was raised from the dead and conquered sin and death, He has been given authority over all heaven and earth. We worship Him when we obey His command to “go and tell” others the good news and help them follow Him.

How to Use This Guide 

Thank you for taking the time to do this Bible study. When we dig deeper into God’s word, He promises to bless us. We follow in the footsteps of King David, who wrote in Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

This guide will provide a weekly framework for spiritual conversations with friends or family. We encourage you to reach out to a friend or two, pick a time to get together each week, and work through this guide together. This Bible study can also be a good tool for families, perhaps coordinated with mealtimes.

What does the Bible say?

Read Matthew 28:16-20.

For some context, let’s go back to the beginning of Matthew 28. On the first day of the week, after the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the tomb. Matthew tells us that these two women were the first to see Jesus’ empty tomb and hear from the angel who had rolled the stone away. What was the angel’s instruction to the women in 28:7? What was their response to Jesus when they saw him in 28:9? What was Jesus’ instruction to them in 28:10? What promise were they to convey to the disciples? 

What did the eleven disciples do as a response to what the two women told them? Earlier, in Matthew 26:31, Matthew records Jesus’ prediction that these same disciples would all desert Him at His crucifixion, but what promise does Matthew include in Matthew 26:32 that Jesus would fulfill in Matthew 28:16-17? 

What did the disciples do they saw Jesus in Galilee in Matthew 28:17? Why do you think some doubted (see also John 20:24-29)? 

What is the reasoning in Matthew 28:18 behind Jesus’ commissioning in 19-20? Why is this important? What are the three commands Jesus makes in 19-20? What is His promise in 20? 

The Greek noun that the NIV translates as “disciple” simply means a learner or a pupil. In the time of Jesus, a disciple was a person who was engaged in learning through instruction and who was constantly associated with someone with a pedagogical reputation or a particular set of views. From the gospels, we know that Jesus called 12 disciples to follow Him closely. Other named disciples include Ananias (Acts 9:10), Tabitha (Acts 9:36), Timothy (Acts 16:1), and Mnason (Acts 21:16). What are some things these disciples have in common? 

What does it mean to “go and make disciples?” We know how the eleven disciples responded to Jesus’ command to make disciples. Read about how they carried out their commission in Acts 5:12-42. What can we learn from the early disciples about making disciples? What was the result of their work in Acts 6:1? What milestone occurred in Acts 11:26 in terms of how the growing group of disciples was known? Would you like to know more about how to be a disciple of Jesus today? Northland will be offering a class called “Essential Guide to Becoming a Disciple” that can help you learn the basics of being a disciple.

Jesus expects that the women and men who become His disciples will be baptized in the “name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). Jesus’ words echo His own baptism in Matthew 3:11-17. How are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit present at Jesus’ baptism? That God is three Persons in One: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is an important and foundational truth of Christianity. Why do you think it is important for a Christian to be grounded in this truth? What role does each Person of the Trinity play in our growth as followers of Christ? In how we instruct others who will come to follow Him?

In his account, Matthew connects worship with making disciples. Matthew writes that when His disciples saw Jesus after His resurrection, they worshiped Him (Matthew 28:17). Then Jesus commissioned them. What does it mean to worship Jesus and what does worship have to do with making disciples? Here, there is no record of anyone singing praise songs. Worship must mean something more than singing. In John’s account of Jesus’ actions post-resurrection, Thomas, the one who doubted the good news he had heard (perhaps Matthew mentions him in Matthew 28:16) saw Jesus and believed, saying “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). When we acknowledge that Jesus is our Lord and our God, we are worshiping Him. Paul writes about this idea in Romans 12:1, urging us “in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God–this is your true and proper worship.” Worship means calling Jesus our Lord. When we put ourselves under the authority of Jesus, then we will offer ourselves to Him in service and we will obey His commands. This is not a once a weekend event. God wants and deserves our whole life. We are to worship God in all spheres or areas of our lives. This means that making disciples, Jesus’ last command in Matthew 28:18-20, still stands today for us.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You said to your disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.” You then encouraged them to “ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” We boldly ask for this, Lord. Help us to answer your call to go to the people and places where you send us. Give us courage and wisdom to share the gospel and teach others about You. May our response be like the prophet Isaiah, who wrote in Isaiah 6:8: “Here am I; send me!” Amen.

Discussion Questions for Small Groups

1. Were you surprised to hear that God’s mission did not begin with the Great Commission in Matthew 28:16-30? What are you learning about how God set the course for His mission from the beginning of time?

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     2. Pastor Josh defines “discipleship” like this: 

“The process of learning what it means to be human after the image and likeness of Jesus.” 

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Is this different than what you’ve heard about discipleship? Perhaps we can think of this definition as the underpinning of the activities we will engage in with others. Before we consider what we should do, we must understand who we are. In this case, we return to our roots as image-bearers of God. Here is a helpful formula based on Genesis 1:26-28:

Identity (Who You Are) + Function (What You Do) = Image (Who You Reflect)

What does it mean to bear the image of God? Keep in mind that the introduction of sin into the first humans affects all who followed them. That’s you and me. Since our ability to accurately reflect God has now been marred by sin, we look to Jesus, the only human being who lived a perfect life. He was a second Adam who did everything right. 

     3. Last weekend, you also heard that disciples are to learn from Jesus what it means to be human in imaging God in all spheres of life. Specifically, we can do this in how we relate, create, and operate. How did Jesus show us the perfect way to image God? Think about how He related, created, and operated when He discipled others. What aspects of His life can we take on today in how we disciple others?