Matthew 28
“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.” (Matthew 28:18–20, NKJV)
We know this as the Great Commission. These are not the final words spoken by Jesus before He ascended into heaven. They were spoken in Galilee. But later in Jerusalem, He told His disciples to wait until they received power from the Holy Spirit, and then they would be His witnesses.
Both commandments are filled with the promise of power to tell others about Jesus. In the Great Commission, Jesus said that all authority has been given to Him in heaven and on earth. In other words, there is nothing that Jesus cannot do. While He was on earth, He did the work of the kingdom through His own body, but now He rules in heaven and works on earth through His body the Church. He sends us out with His authority to make disciples of all nations. This includes baptizing them in water and teaching them to observe everything He commands. He also promised that we would receive power by the Holy Spirit to be His witnesses. We must keep in mind that we cannot save anyone. Jesus said that no one comes to Him except the Father draws him (John 6:44).
When we know that Jesus has all authority and has sent us, and we have been given the Holy Spirit to empower us, then we have nothing to fear. We are cooperating with God as He draws souls to Jesus, and we simply tell others about Him—what He has done to save humanity and how He has saved us personally. This is how people come to Jesus. This is how disciples are made.
Consider your own life. How did you come to Jesus? Can’t you point to a family member or friend who told you about Jesus and invited you to come and see? God wants to use you to be that person in another person’s life. And He gives you all the resources you need to succeed!