Make, Mark & Mature

Some of the last words of Jesus to his disciples are commonly referred to as the Great Commission. Jesus said, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20).

Analyzing our Lord's comments, we note that he specifically mentioned three different things. First of all, Jesus wanted his followers to"make disciples." A disciple is a student or follower of a teacher or master. Becoming a disciple begins with the decision to become a follower of the leader. There are three essential prerequisites described in the New Testament which include the repentance of sin and belief in Christ as Savior. Then the individual is supposed to announce his decision publicly (see Romans 10:9-10). Observe the imperative given by Jesus to the disciples that they were to "go and make" disciples of all nations. Christianity is an evangelizing religion. It is part of our faith to recruit for Christ's kingdom.

Secondly, Jesus instructed his disciples that they should mark those making the decision to become a disciple by "baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." The Greek word baptizo literally means to submerge or immerse. In New Testament passages that describe baptism, we read things like "they went down into the water" and they "came up out of the water" (see Acts 8:38-39). Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River and Philip baptized the Ethiopian official in a pool of water. Baptism as practiced by the Early Church always took place after someone's confession of faith or personal statement of belief (see Acts 2:38 and 16:31-32).

The spiritual significance of Christian baptism is explained by the Apostle Paul: "We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him" (Romans 6:4-8). Like communion, baptism is a symbolic act participated in by Christians.

Thirdly, Jesus commanded his disciples to "teach them (the new disciples) to obey everything that I have instructed you." Notice the order in Christ's commission. It is just as divinely inspired as in the contents. A) Make disciples. B) Mark disciples; and C) Mature them by training them in all of the things that Jesus taught. There is enough material in the New Testament and the Bible that a lifetime of study could not exhaust. And study alone is not enough; Christians need to know and do what Jesus taught.

The Ministry of Jesus

The last third of the fourth chapter of Luke's Gospel describes the ministry of Jesus (see Luke 4:31-44). There are five things in particular that Jesus did: teaching, exorcisms, healing, prayer and preaching. Let us look into these ministries to see what they involved then and what the Church, which is "the Body of Christ," should be doing today. Luke notes in the introduction to the Book of Acts about "all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day that he was taken up to heaven..." (Acts 1:1-2). Jesus continues his ministry today through his followers. Believers can be ministered to as well as be ministers by reaching out to to the world.

First of all, Jesus was known as a teacher of the Scriptures or Word of God. People who heard him teach were impressed by his message and authority (Luke 4:40 and Matthew 7:28-29). Unlike other rabbis, Jesus did not just "quote" authority but he spoke with authority. He could do this because he was the Son of God and very familiar with what the Spirit of God had inspired the biblical writers with initially. Jesus' teaching often stood in variance to interpretations that were incorrect because they were based upon distortions of the Word (i.e., his teaching on the Sabbath, see Matt. 12:1-12).

Secondly, Jesus frequently delivered people from the power and the bondage of Satan (Luke 4:33-36). Numerous times in the Gospels individuals had demons cast out of them. It has been observed that there is more instances of this in Jesus' ministry then found elsewhere in the Scriptures. No doubt the devil attempted to thwart the mission of Jesus and his completion of God's will. Christians should be encouraged today by the fact that "...because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). If you ever have to confront demonic forces, utilize the power of prayer and the Word of God. The same applies for addictions.

Thirdly, Jesus healed "all kinds of sickness" (Luke 4:40) by laying his hands on people. We usually turn to doctors, hospitals and medicines but in Jesus' time, most people did not have access to a physician. This is true today in much of the Third World. Jesus can heal through faith and prayer now just as he did when he was here on the earth. The next time you are sick or you know someone who is ill, remember this fact.

Fourthly, Jesus was a person of prayer. He got up early in the morning and went to a solitary place so he could pray (see Luke 4:42 and Mark 1:35). If Jesus needed to speak to his Father in heaven, then we certainly need to likewise. Start your day in this way and see the difference that it makes.

Fifthly, Jesus was a preacher of the Gospel or Good News about the Kingdom of Heaven (Luke 4:43). Like John the Baptist, Jesus challenged people to repent of sin and turn in faith to God. This is how one enters the Kingdom. We are then to live under his lordship following his commands and doing God's will.