The river current swiftly moved us downstream without much commotion. A quiet anxiety hung in the air. We were all mindful that soon this winding river would take a treacherous turn, requiring precise obedience to navigate safely. Our guide had warned us of the potential hazards we would encounter and the procedures we should follow if the raft overturned.

Despite the cautionary tone, he sought to boost our resolve by reminding us that he was the guide. In the tumultuous waters we only needed to keep our eyes on him, listen to his instructions, and he would assuredly get us through. The river was as he had predicted, and our raft was tossed to and fro with little effort. In that moment we were, at best, simple oarsmen yielding every stroke to the wisdom of our guide. True to his word, he brought us safely through the rapids and into calmer waters.

When we come to the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry in the Scriptures, we encounter a scene similar to my experience on the Arkansas River. As Jesus prepared to ascend to His Father, He left His disciples with critical information that would guide them forward. He left no uncertainty of His intent to establish His church, gathering and perfecting a people from every tribe, language, and nation. He did so in those words that have commonly been called the Great Commission: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:18–20). These words contain three things worth meditating on.

Motive

As Jesus commissions His church, He prefaces His words with a tremendous statement about Himself. He says that He has been granted all authority in heaven and on earth. These words need to be understood in the context of His incarnation. As the mediator—as the God-man—the Son’s obedience and death has been crowned by the Father, giving Him a universal and absolute dominion over all things.

This is a note of great confidence. The church is established in the midst of a world hostile to the mission of Jesus. He motivates us by reminding us that our commission comes from one who holds the scepter of worldwide authority. What He commands He will, by His power, accomplish through His church. These words are not a fool’s errand or a blind hope, but the determinative purpose of Jesus Christ.

Mandate

The determinative purpose of Jesus is stated in the mandate to go and make disciples. The word disciple simply means a student, a pupil, or, more generally, a devoted person. This is the mission of the church. It is not enough to get people to listen, to evangelize them, or even to stop after conversion. The church is to call people to a lifelong and wholehearted devotion to Jesus.

It is worth bearing in mind that this mandate—like the dominion of Jesus—knows no boundaries. We are to make disciples of men and women; young and old; rich and poor; educated and uneducated; in cities, suburbs, and rural communities; on every continent, in every nation, among every culture, and within every ethnic race. The mandate of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ.

Means

This mandate of making disciples is accomplished through certain means Jesus has given to His church. That is, we are not left to invent ways to disciple people. In the context of the Great Commission the means are given by two participles: “baptizing” and “teaching.” This is Jesus’ method of discipleship. We disciple by baptizing and teaching.

Baptism, in the New Testament, is an initiation into the church. Like getting wet as you climb into that river raft, it is an initiation into the tumultuous life of discipleship. Though baptism is an action that happens once, its influence continues throughout our lives as we seek to live out the reality of what it means to be named into the name of the triune God. Yet we are not left without a guide. The Lord emphasizes here the teaching of the Word and, in particular, the role of preaching. In the parallel passage in the Gospel of Mark, the Evangelist calls this teaching the proclamation of the gospel, and the working out of these words in Acts shows the commitment the apostolic church had in making disciples by preaching the Word (see Acts 14:21).

This is important to remember. According to the Great Commission, Jesus’ means of discipleship are accomplished in ordinary ways. All of us are being discipled, and the church is to disciple by baptism and the continuous preaching of the gospel. When we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, we yield every stroke to the wisdom of the One who has been given all authority in heaven and on earth for the great purpose of having disciples from every nation.

Kyle Borg | Winchester, Kan., RPC