In considering The Great Commission it is tremendously freeing, indicting, and motivating to remind ourselves of what Jesus commands his followers:
And Jesus came up 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 the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Jesus says in no uncertain terms that he wills that all of his followers be radically committed to filling the earth with his gospel. He has lifted all barriers, whether cultural, social, geographical, religious or otherwise; Jesus Christ is commanding his followers to saturate the planet with the gospel.Jesus actually uses the word ethnos here (translated nations), a word where we get our similarly sounding English word ethnic. Jesus is not just talking about people who look and talk like you but rather everyone who breathes air like you.
Some may ask about the ethics of such things. Perhaps you have even been asked a question such as, “What right do you have to say….” The fact of the matter is that Jesus Christ, the risen Lord of Glory, charged his disciples to invade the planet with the gospel and prior to doing so he reminds all humanity that he has “all authority” (v.19).
This is tremendously freeing to me personally. It really comes down to an issue of obedience for me. For Jesus Christ, who is my omniscient and sovereign Lord, has decreed that I go and proclaim his gospel. The answer is simply, “yes Lord.” We need to remind ourselves that he has all authority (thereby stripping you and I of any perceptions of self-sovereignty) and that he has decreed that we evangelize the world.
This really makes sense. It is Christ and Christ alone who is the exclusive Savior who alone may remove divine wrath and supply heaven’s joys.
He demands obedience of his followers to go and proclaim obedience from others. This is helpful when I think about evangelism and missions. I need to think in terms of Christ’s sovereignty and exclusivity. I need to remember that there truly is not a speck of dirt on this planet unto which the Lord of heaven has not stamped “mine!”
So let us go and make disciples. Let us invade the planet with the message of Christ proclaimed in the manner of Christ to the glory of Christ.