"Jesus came and told his disciples, 'I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptising 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)
When the Lord Jesus gave this command to His disciples, He meant it. In a time when there is an abundance of churches, and yet many still haven't heard and felt His love, He still means it. In a generation wherein the church has been tested and many have been shaken in their faith, He still means it.
Yes, my brothers, He still means it. His Word has never changed.
A Timely Command
Jesus said those words at a very opportune time, right before He went back into heaven. Days after His death, Jesus was resurrected and was able to spend more time with His disciples and followers. He did many other things at that time. In fact, He did so many things that "If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written." (John 21:25)
All of the things that Christ did in His earthly ministry revolved around one thing: "For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will" (John 6:38). His work was to do what God wanted Him to do, and that is to bring the Father's love to all men, and destroy the work of the devil. (see John 6:35-40; 1 John 3:8)
"Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." (Matthew 9:35-36)
What Jesus Meant
Friends, Christ's command was not for us to bring many people to church. His command was not for us to have followers of our own. His command was not so that we would have a huge church with hundreds of thousands of members. No, He didn't command us to build the church, because that's His role (see Matthew 16:18).
His command is for us to bring His love to the people, powered by His compassion for them. When He said "pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields" (Matthew 9:38), He actually wanted us to be the answer to that.
So what did Jesus mean by His command? Simple. He wants us to continue what He has started, that we would be His representatives continuing His work of bringing God's love and Christ's salvation to all who are in bondage. We are not just His hands and feet – We're His bodily representatives on earth today.
