* Go

Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: 

as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.  

John 20:21

After the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, He appeared several times to His followers. Each time, He presented an urgent challenge to them. That challenge was their responsibility to reach the entire world with the Gospel message. This mission assigned to believers by Jesus has become known as the "Great Commission." It is the greatest commission or assignment ever given man. It is the responsibility to all of mankind with the Gospel.

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.  Matthew 28:19-20

Jesus told His followers, "As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you." The Great Commission began with God. Over the years God repeatedly sent His messengers, the prophets, to draw sinful man back to Himself. These messengers were often rejected. Finally, God sent His only Son, Jesus.

Everything God required of Jesus as a messenger, He also requires of us since we are sent "as" the Father sent Him. What was required of Jesus?

®       He came to the world with a divine mission.

®       He left all to come.

®       He was willing to identify with fallen humanity.

®       He was willing to suffer and die for the mission.

®       He fulfilled His mission by both declaration and demonstration.

®       He finished the work God sent Him to do.

We know the following passage of scripture as the key to the Scriptures. It reveals God's plan for the death and resurrection of Jesus. It calls for sharing the message of redemption to the nations of the world:

Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.  Luke 24:45-49

It is not enough that Jesus died for the sins of men. Lost men are not automatically saved. We must share the Gospel with them and bring them to God. The penalty of sin is death.

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.   Romans 6:23

Because of sin, every man and woman is headed for Hell. Only those who accept the Lord Jesus and receive forgiveness for sin will be saved.  God does not want one person to perish:

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.  2 Peter 3:9

There is no question as to God's desire for everyone in the world to be saved:

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.   Romans 10:13

But. . .

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? Romans 10:14

 God wants everyone to be saved, but someone must tell them this good news!

The command is to "go." The destination is "all the world." The Gospel is to be preached to every creature. Jesus promises to work with those who go by powerful demonstrations of miraculous signs. Some people seek signs in their ministry when they are not fulfilling the command to go and then they wonder why they have no power.  The church has to leave the building in order to go into all the world.

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.  Mark 16:15-16

Jesus has chosen and ordained us to go and bring forth spiritual fruit.  In the bible, the analogy of a vine is used.  Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. It is the life-flow of Jesus within us that brings spiritual harvest.

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.  John 15:16

Jesus said "all power" was given to Him by God. Because of this, Jesus had authority to commission His followers to circle the globe with the Gospel.

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.   

Matthew 28:19-20

Note in this passage:

Ö        The Personnel: Personnel are the people Jesus is calling to the task. "Ye" [all believers] are the messengers.

Ö        The Power: "All power." The power of God is the motivation that enables the messenger to go forth. It is the power of the Holy Spirit of God, not the power of man and his methods.

Ö        The Priority: "Go" is the mandate given in this record of the Great Commission. It is to be the priority of our life, not an option.

Ö        The Plan: Teaching is the method to be used.

teach all nations  vs 19

Ö        The Purpose:  Make disciples of all nations. This is the multiplication of the Gospel.

Ö        The People: The people to be reached are "all nations." This is the magnitude or scope of the command. It includes the entire world.

Ö        The Presence: The one who is to go with us is Jesus. This is the manager of the program. He will guide and direct us through the Holy Spirit as we fulfill the Great Commission.

Ö        The Precept: The precepts to be taught are the message. The message to take to the world is the Gospel of the Kingdom.

And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations. . .   Matthew 24:14 

The Gospel is also called the Gospel of God:

For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.   1 Thessalonians 2:9

the Gospel of Christ

And sent Timotheus, our brother, and minister of God, and our fellow labourer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your faith:    1 Thessalonians 3:2

and Apostle Paul's Gospel

In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.   (Romans 2:16) 

There is no contradiction here. God is the originator of the Gospel. Jesus fulfilled God's plan. Men like Apostle Paul are both recipients and messengers of the Gospel.

The Gospel is received by revelation from God. It is not a man-made doctrine:

But I certify you, brethren, that the Gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. Galatians 1:11-12

 In 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, the simple truths of the Gospel are summarized. The basic message is Jesus, His ministry, death for sin, burial, resurrection, and appearances. The Gospel is based on grace and faith.

 In its narrowest sense, the Gospel means the the good news of salvation as presented in John 3:16, John 14:1, Matthew 11:28, and Romans 10:9. In its widest meaning, it includes all Jesus taught about the Kingdom.

 The Gospel is the truth of God:

For the hope which is laid up for you in Heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the Gospel.   Colossians 1:5

 The Gospel is also the power of God resulting in salvation:

For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.   Romans 1:16

Biblical Studies

10/15/17

04/19/21