The Great Commission is Jesus Christ’s command to His disciples to make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching them to obey His teachings.
The Great Commission is the last commission that Jesus gave to His disciples. It remains in effect until “the end of the age,” that is, until Jesus returns. Because it’s His final command, do not underestimate its importance.
Matthew 28:19–20 contains what has come to be called the Great Commission:
“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
Jesus gave this command to the apostles shortly before He ascended into heaven, and it essentially outlines what Jesus expected the apostles and those who followed them to do in His absence.
The content of the Great Commission comes from Jesus’ command to His disciples in Matthew 28:19–20. It reads, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
This command is not three commands (make disciples, baptize, and teach). Instead, it’s one command (make disciples) which involves two key components: baptizing and teaching them.
A “commission” is the granting of authority to do something. In the previous verse, Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18b). He was saying that, on the basis of His authority He was commissioning all of His disciples to have the authority to make disciples. We call this “the Great Commission” because it is Jesus’ final command to His disciples before He returned to heaven. In other words, it’s His final marching orders.
Note that while we are all to participate in this commission, it is specifically to be done within the context of the local church. Notice that Jesus said that disciples are to be baptized and taught Scripture (what Jesus taught).
Baptism and preaching (teaching) are defining elements of a church. Baptism, in particular, is never described as being done by organizations other than the church. In other words, the Great Commission is not simply about evangelism or “saving people,” but reaching out to unbelievers, sharing the gospel, and then bringing newly saved people back into the church so that they can be fully taught as disciples of Jesus (i.e., Acts 2:41–42).