What Matthew 28:19-20 really means: Go and Make Disciples

Context of the Great Commission in Matthew 28

These verses appear at the end of Matthew’s Gospel, after Jesus’ resurrection and before his Ascension, marking when he gives his followers their mission for the world.

After rising from the dead and appearing to the women at the tomb, Jesus directs his disciples to meet him in Galilee. There, on a mountain, he appears to them, receives their worship, and speaks these final words filled with authority and promise.

This is where Jesus sends them out - not to stay hidden, but to go everywhere, make disciples, baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teach others everything he taught them, assuring them, 'I am with you always.'

The Meaning of 'Make Disciples' and the Trinitarian Formula

Right after claiming all authority in heaven and on earth, Jesus tells his followers to go and make disciples of all nations, starting with Baptism and teaching.

In the first-century Jewish world, being a 'disciple' meant more than learning ideas; it meant fully following a teacher’s way of life, like an apprentice to a rabbi. Jesus sends his followers to raise lifelong learners who live out his teachings in every part of life, rather than merely converting people. The command to baptize 'in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit' was radical - it showed that the one true God was working through Jesus and the Spirit in a deep, shared mission.

This Trinitarian formula is unique to Matthew and reflects a full picture of God as three in one, a truth later echoed in passages like 2 Corinthians 13:14, where Paul blesses believers 'with the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.' At the time, baptism itself was already known in Jewish circles as a sign of cleansing and commitment, but doing it in Jesus’ name and with this threefold identity marked a clear break and a new beginning.

Baptizing in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit wasn’t just a ritual - it marked a new identity under Jesus’ authority.

The promise that 'I am with you always' ties back to Matthew’s opening, where Jesus is called 'Immanuel, God with us' (Matthew 1:23), showing that his presence never leaves his people. This mission is not carried out in human strength, but in the ongoing presence of the risen Lord who walks with his followers to the end of time.

The Global Mission and Christ's Unfailing Presence

Building on Jesus’ authority and the call to make disciples, this passage gives a clear mission that spans every nation and a promise that lasts through all time.

Matthew’s Gospel, which began with the promise of 'Immanuel, God with us' (Matthew 1:23), ends with the same truth - God remains present with his people. Jesus’ command to go to all nations shows that his message is for everyone, fulfilling God’s plan to bless all peoples through Abraham’s offspring.

Jesus sends his followers into the world with a clear mission and a comforting promise: he is with us always.

The timeless truth is this: we are sent not in our own strength, but with the constant presence of the risen Christ, who walks with us as we share his love and teachings in the world.

The Great Commission in the Bible’s Bigger Story

This moment in Matthew 28:19-20 is the launching point for the church’s mission, directly connecting to God’s promise long before to bless all nations through Abraham’s descendants.

Jesus’ command to 'make disciples of all nations' echoes Genesis 12:3, where God promised Abraham that 'in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.' Now, through the risen Christ, that promise reaches its goal - not through land or lineage alone, but through a global mission empowered by his authority and presence. This commission also sets the stage for Acts 1:8, where Jesus tells his followers they will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes, and they 'will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'

Jesus’ command to go to all nations fulfills God’s ancient promise to bless every people through Abraham’s family.

God’s presence filled the Tabernacle and Temple in the Old Testament; now Jesus promises his own presence 'always, to the end of the age,' making every believer a dwelling place of God’s Spirit and a witness to his grace.

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