Matthew 28:16-20; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Jesus had arranged for the Eleven to meet on a mountain of Galilee where He told them of His plans for them for the second time.  He had previously told them He was sending them as He had been sent by His Father and prepared them for receiving the Holy Spirit (John 20:21-23).  In today’s passage the commissioning is critical for modern-day believers because Jesus lays out a plan to reach all nations, an effort that will continue to the end of the age.

What Jesus calls them to do is seen in one command and three accompanying phrases.  The command is to “make disciples”.  In other words, they would do what Christ was doing with them.  By preaching the gospel and witnessing to His resurrection others would desire to follow Christ.  These will then need to be trained as the Eleven had been trained by Christ Himself.

The accompanying phrases are critical.  Disciples are to be made as those who are already disciples are going.  The phrase might best be translated “as you go, make disciples.”  Making disciples will be what they do wherever they go in life.  As they were going they were to do two things: baptizing and teaching.  The baptizing continues a practice of Judaism whereby new converts are visibly identified with the cause or group to which they are converting.  This had been the case in the ministry of John the Baptist (e.g. Luke 3:3) who had baptized in the Jordan River those who turned from their sins in preparation for the ministry of the coming Messiah.  Now the baptism in water would publicly identify those who repented of sin to follow the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth (e.g. Acts 2:38).  This would lead to the second activity of Jesus’ followers: teaching these converts all the things He had commanded them.

Paul was engaged in this mission at Corinth.  He had declared the gospel (v1)  as an Apostle, though not one of the Eleven (v9-11).  By God’s grace he labored hard in this, proclaiming the death and resurrection of Christ.  This alone was the message that would bring salvation (v2).  The Corinthian believers had been publicly baptized (1 Cor. 1:13-17) but Paul was concerned that their struggles to obey what Christ’s commands might indicate their faith was empty (v2).

On the mountain in Galilee the full transformation of the Eleven still awaited the coming of the Holy Spirit some time later at Pentecost.  However Jesus did make it clear that there must, in fact, be a transformation for those who follow Him.  In baptism the disciple is stating his commitment to the transformation, to be a follower of Christ.  In the teaching the disciple experiences firsthand the transformation.  His mind is renewed so that he can become conformed to the likeness of the One he now follows.  He himself would then obey Christ by engaging in the plan to make disciples of all nations.  In other words, those who follow Christ are either becoming disciples or making disciples. 

Which is it for you?