The Great Commission From Each Gospel Account
The mission of Jesus' disciples.
Jesus gave His disciples a mission.
Each Gospel account records the “Great Commission” a little bit differently. All of them are correct; they just include different details that fit with the themes of each book.
Matthew emphasizes Jesus’ role as the King of His kingdom and also as a Teacher.
Mark focuses on the activity and power of Jesus.
Luke shows the Lord’s concern for all people and demonstrates the need all people have for forgiveness.
John provides evidence for the deity of Jesus and shows what “believing” really means.
Let’s notice what each Gospel account mentions in the Great Commission.
Matthew 28:18-20
And Jesus came 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 of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Remember, Matthew emphasizes the authority of Jesus as King and Teacher. The marching orders that Jesus gives His disciples are based upon His authority.
The disciples are to go and make disciples of all the nations - which is the idea of enrolling people in Jesus’ school. “Enrollment” begins by being baptized in the name of (or by the authority of) the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These new “students” are to continue being taught what Jesus has commanded.
When we take the Gospel to others, emphasize that being baptized is only the beginning point of a lifetime of studying from Jesus.
Mark 16:14-18
Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Mark emphasized the non-stop activity of Jesus during His earthly ministry and the great power He demonstrated through miracles.
The marching orders, as revealed by Mark, have the same emphasis. The disciples are expected to be active in taking the Lord’s message of salvation to the world. As the apostles did this, power would follow them - just as we see in the book of Acts.
When you study with someone, be sure to point them to the power of Jesus.
Luke 24:46-49
Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
Luke is concerned with showing God’s love for all people and the need that all people have to be forgiven.
The message that Luke records Jesus as giving His apostles echos the themes of Luke. Jesus connects His death and resurrection to the preaching of repentance and the forgiveness of sins in His name. This message was to be taken to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
The book of Acts resumes where Luke ends, and Jerusalem is where this message was first proclaimed (Acts 1-2).
When you discuss the Gospel with others, remind them that Jesus died for all (2 Corinthians 5:21) because everyone needs to be forgiven.
John 20:30-31
And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
The purpose of John is to provide evidence for Jesus being the Christ, the Son of God. He wrote to produce faith in the minds of his readers, who he urges to put their faith into action.
John shows the importance of “believing,” which means more than just accepting a fact as true. The way John uses “belief” or “believe” often includes action. John wrote so that people would believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and then put their faith into action and obey God.
Discussing the Gospel with someone means teaching that Jesus is the Son of God, and believing this also means we must submit to Him and obey Him.
The Gospel accounts stand alone, and yet, stand together as well. They tell the same story from different perspectives and with different audiences in mind.
The beauty of the Bible is that it is all God’s Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17). He uses the writer’s personal experiences and vocabulary to communicate the His message to others.