Jessica Robinson

As I depart for my trip, I finalize instructions for our pet sitter. Sometimes it’s straightforward information on where to find things in the house. Other times, special circumstances arise. Because the weather forecast predicted below-zero temperatures for one particular trip, I instructed the pet sitter to check the house thermostat and verify that the heater was functioning.

After Jesus’ resurrection and just before he ascended to the Father, he gave his disciples a final instruction in 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.’” 

This instruction has become known as the Great Commission. Jesus also told his disciples in Acts 1:8 that when they received power from the Holy Spirit, they would become his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth.

Although Jesus died atoning for our sins, death did not hold him. Christ’s resurrection power resides within each believer. That power gives hope for eternal life for every follower. Jesus’ disciples weren’t meant to be solely focused on eternity. There was a world that needed to hear about him. Jesus charged his disciples, and us, with reaching that world.

In verse 19 of Matthew 28, it looks like there are two commands: “go” and “make.” However, in the original Greek language of the New Testament, only one of those two words is a direct imperative (a command). The word that is translated as “go” is actually passive. The word translated as “make” is in the imperative form. Jesus basically told his disciples that as they go, they must make disciples.

Going places comes naturally in our life. For example, every day we go to work. After work, we stop by the grocery store to pick up a few items before we go home. Making disciples is something that requires us to be intentional. Jesus is calling us to that kind of intentional life.

The question I asked our youth recently was what the difference was between doing witnessing versus being Jesus’ witnesses. There is a difference.

People usually see doing witnessing as the traditional approach, involving sharing with others through events or direct conversations. While specific witnessing events are great, our mentality can’t be that witnessing only happens during those moments.

Being a witness refers to the state of being someone who has witnessed or stands for something. We are called to live in a way that witnesses to Jesus’ impact on our life. It’s a life that bears witness to the transformative power of Jesus’ death and resurrection. It’s a life that reflects his character as we go through life.

Jesus didn’t save us just to get us to heaven. We become his people, a living display of his mission for his glory. Reflecting on what Jesus did to rescue us should motivate and free us to live the Great Commission as a lifestyle with the vision of seeing others encountering Jesus.

(Jessica Robinson is the youth pastor at Glad Tidings Assembly of God.)