Why is the Great Commission Important?

By Susan Freese

Have you heard of the Great Commission?

Maybe you have heard of it but didn’t know if it applies to you or why it is important.

What is the Great Commission in the Bible?

The Great Commission is a set of instructions Jesus gave to His disciples before He ascended into heaven . . .

“I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18–20 Tweet

Why is the Great Commission important, and does it apply to you?

If you know Jesus as your life Leader (Lord) and Forgiver (Savior), these instructions from Him are for you too.

All believers.

Every single one of us.

Not only does Jesus commission you to spread His good news, but He also promises to be with you each step of the way. With trusting obedience, you can fulfill His command and find great joy and purpose when you do.

You may be asking, What is my purpose, and how do I fulfill it? All In Ministries is devoted to helping you with that. Be sure to also read our article, What is My Purpose? Your True Story Starts Now.

For now, just know your primary purpose is to glorify God and enjoy your relationship with Him forever.* You can live this purpose each day in three fulfilling ways:

Love and obey God.
Love everyone.
Make disciples.

You can see how the Great Commission helps you to fulfill your purpose. In the process, you grow closer to God. Because disciple-making all starts with Jesus. As a follower of Christ, He entrusted you with His message. It is an honor to share it with others.

Jesus also calls us in the Great Commission to equip others to share His Good News.

If you think about the timeline of history, you will never live in another generation. Jesus is entrusting you with the Gospel to be a disciple maker in this very specific period of time and to interact with a very specific set of people.

"From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us."
Acts 17:26-27 Tweet

Every person has been created for a place and purpose to know God and make Him known–it is our great privilege to share Jesus with others.

Part of being a disciple maker of Jesus starts with understanding the purpose of the Great Commission.

Let’s examine the Great Commission in detail:

Jesus was “given all authority”—To make disciples, you need to be a disciple. Earlier in Matthew, Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Matt. 16:24 NIV). Have you denied yourself to follow Jesus and submit to His authority?
“Therefore, go”—Given Jesus’s authority, are you willing to go and share?
“make disciples”—This command means to make followers, believers who learn more and more about Him. Will you share the love of Jesus, model the life of Jesus, and teach the Word of Jesus to others?
“all the nations”—Every soul matters to God. Are you willing to share Jesus with everyone?
“baptizing them”—Baptism is the outward sign of an inward change and believers’ first step of obedience. Are you baptized? Will you lead others to be baptized?
“Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands”—Jesus instructs you to obey, not just know, His teachings. Will you teach and obey Jesus’s message?

7. “I am with you always”—Do you believe Jesus is with you always? Will you trust Him?

Jesus promises to be with you and the Holy Spirit empowers you to fulfill His instructions in the Great Commission.

Here is the wonder of it all: Jesus loves you no matter what.

You are not sharing Jesus to earn acceptance or favor with God. You are already accepted and dearly loved. Sharing Jesus with others is an overflow of your love for Him and others–the Great Commandment (Mark 12:29-31).

But is fear holding you back? Or, do you feel as if something is missing in your relationship with Jesus?

If you want to be more confident and competent to make disciples, take our free disciple maker online class coming soon—sign up below for our newsletter to be the first to know. Not only will you be equipped to share, but also you will create a simple, customized disciple making plan–all in about an hour!

The ultimate joy of fulfilling your purpose in Jesus is waiting on the other side of acting in obedience.

Jesus already did the hardest part—all you have to do is share His story with others. You can do it.

Remember Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” John 20:21

When you take steps to obey God, He will give you everything you need. The Holy Spirit will also give you the strength and the words to say (Luke 12:12).

If you want to grow in your relationship with Jesus and learn to apply sacred truths from the Bible to your life, learn more about Your True Story: The 50-Day Essential Guide to Your New Life With Jesus. Through this Bible study, you can learn how to bring depth to your relationship with Jesus and fulfill the purpose God has for you.

Are you ready to follow the instructions in the Great Commission? Is there anything holding you back? Share below. We would love to hear from you.

*Westminster Assembly (1643–1652). The Assembly’s Shorter Catechism, with the Scripture Proofs in Reference: with an Appendix on the Systematick Attention of the Young to Scriptural Knowledge by Hervey Wilbur (Newburyport, MA: Wm. B. Allen & Co., 1816).