And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”Amen.(Matt. 28:18-20)
Thus, our Lord gave what we have come to know as the “Great Commission,” and what a commission it is! The scope is broad: “all the nations” and “all things that I have commanded you.”The consequences are eternal, for the outcome will determine the final destination of men’s souls.It is an awesome responsibility that is given to the Lord’s disciples, and it must be accepted if we are intent on following Christ.
How shall we take on such a responsibility as this?Of all the endeavors of man, can anything compare to the importance of carrying the message of salvation to the world?Has anything ever been so urgent, so necessary, and so wonderful?Is it even within the power of man to be successful in this Great Commission?
Indeed, we can succeed, but not by our own power.We know we can succeed because of the promise of our Lord, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”It is by the power of the Son of God and His constant presence that we, as weak and limited as we are, can successfully carry out the work of spreading the gospel and saving souls.
Throughout history, God has used simple men to carry out His great purposes.When God set forth to deliver His people from Egypt, He chose Moses to lead them.His promise to Moses was, “I will certainly be with you” (Ex. 3:12).When God sent His people Israel to capture the land of Canaan, Joshua was the leader of His choice.God said to him, “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.I will not leave you nor forsake you” (Josh. 1:5).When Gideon was called by God to defeat the Midianites, he expressed his doubt in his own ability.God replied, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man” (Judg. 6:16).
Moses, Joshua, and Gideon all succeeded in doing great things.Their confidence arose from their faith in the promise of God to be with them.Their success resulted from the almighty hand of God who has power over all things.
The same should be true of the disciples of Christ.Our Lord has promised His constant presence with us.He has demonstrated His immeasurable power.Our faith in Him to deliver His promise will be evident in the steps we take to carry out this Great Commission.If we will make the effort, what can prevent us from success?“For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’So we may boldly say: ‘The LORD is my helper; I will not fear.What can man do to me?’” (Heb. 13:5-6)
