Jesus Rose from the Dead. Then He Gave His Greatest Command.
The darkest day in history was followed by the most incredible day in history, three days later. Jesus was put on the cross and died, carrying the weight of the world’s sin on His shoulders. Then, defeating death, He came back to life. It’s the most famous, amazing, and miraculous event to ever happen. It changed the world for you and for me.
But, the story does not end there. It was never supposed to end there. After Jesus came back to life, He walked on this earth. He spoke to His disciples and to many other groups, proving that He was who He said He was. Jesus did some of His most widely impactful work and teaching after He rose from the dead. Paul writes about in his first letter to the church in Corinth.
After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time…
1 Corinthians 15:6
All of this led up to arguably the most important instruction that man received from the Son of God. It happened on a mountain in Galilee, right before Jesus ascended into Heaven to be with His Father.
Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:16-20
Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the highest authority in Heaven and on earth, gave one final command. Go, make disciples, baptize them, and teach them everything He had commanded. Then, following this tall task, He reassures them that He will be with them, always, until the end of time. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus had led to this very moment. It’s called, “The Great Commission.”
The Mission Within the Great Commission
The article you’re currently reading is being written within the walls of Sunnybrook Community Church, in Sioux City, Iowa. At Sunnybrook, our mission is clear. We want to seek those who don’t know Jesus, grow those who do, and send those who will. We believe that these three actions – seeking, growing, and sending – are all found within the Great Commission. The Great Commission should touch every corner of the earth. It’s the main reason why Sunnybrook’s mission was designed the way it was.
Seek
“Therefore go and make disciples…”
Matthew 28:19
Jesus doesn’t waste much time. He dives right into step number one. Get out there and make disciples. It’s why the first point of our mission is about seeking those who don’t know Jesus. At Sunnybrook, our vision is to invite people from all walks of life to join us in getting to know Jesus in a personal way while worshipping God through His Son, Jesus. We set out to seek those who don’t know Jesus so that they can experience the love and healing that only Jesus can offer through relevant Scripture-based teaching. While this may be part of Sunnybrook’s mission, it is certainly not unique to the people of Sunnybrook. Seeking those who don’t know Jesus should be priority number one for all believers. By sharing the story of Jesus and how He saved the world, people can finally experience true grace through faith, and they can believe there is hope for them. When people experience God’s love, God’s kingdom grows.
Grow
“… baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…”
Matthew 28:19-20
Step Two: Baptize them and teach them. Jesus is, once again, clear as day. Yes, you tell someone about the miraculous news of Jesus, but then what? You teach them through His living word. You dive into Scripture and teach what is taught in the Bible. In reality, this is arguably one of the greatest acts of love we can show someone as a believer. It’s like giving someone the cure to a deadly disease. It’s like building an impenetrable wall right before the edge of a cliff that someone is speeding toward. It’s absolutely lifesaving. It’s why, at Sunnybrook Community Church, we work hard to GROW those who do know Jesus so they can dive deeper into their relationship with Him. Every teaching we do on Sunday mornings for adults and children, Tuesday nights for college students, and Wednesday nights for middle and high school students, stands firmly on the foundation that is the living word of God in the Bible. We also offer a wide variety of small groups, support groups, classes, and events. The goal of these groups is to bring people together who are traveling the same path, as well as open venues that welcome questions about Jesus and their journey with Him.
Send
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20
This is where we put it all together. This is where the rubber of growing in Christ meets the road that is making disciples of all over the world. Not just in your home church, neighborhood, town, or city. Because of the transforming power that is Jesus, and thus discipleship, hearts become transformed. Then, communities are transformed. Then, we send those in our communities to transform the world.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10
Does it sound daunting? Maybe. That’s why He ends His commandment by telling His disciples that He will be with them, always. Jesus is always going to be in front of us, next to us, and behind us. He has prepared us. He prepared us when He spoke to His disciples on the mountain in Galilee. It’s all to continue the work that He started. It’s why, at Sunnybrook, our programs and support groups are designed to send those who will go out into the community and the world to share Jesus. We support numerous missions throughout our hometown as well as nationally and internationally. My hope for this article, and this blog, is to reach people outside of Sunnybrook Community Church. I hope that many who are fresh in their faith, and may be learning about Christ at this moment, that they may understand why the Great Commission was the last command Jesus gave before ascending to Heaven.
Now What?
What about those disciples who heard Jesus speak on the mountain in Galilee that day? What did they do? The answer is simple because it has changed our lives today. They obeyed and taught about Jesus all over the world. Many of them died teaching about Him. In the end, they were so devoted and obedient to Jesus Christ our savior, that they did it regardless of the cost. It should be an example we all follow. Starting now.
