BIBLE VERSE STUDY
Matthew 28:18-20 — The Great Commission
Jesus, vested with all authority in heaven and on earth, sends his disciples to make disciples of every nation through baptism and teaching, and promises to be with them always.
Scripture
18And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth.
19Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit:
20teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
What this passage means
Matthew 28:18-20 is known as the Great Commission. Verse 18 establishes the theological basis: the risen Christ declares that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. The commission that follows is grounded in this comprehensive claim of sovereignty, not in political or military power. Because all authority belongs to Jesus, what he commands carries the weight of heaven itself.
Verses 19-20 contain the actual mission. The single central command is to make disciples of all the nations. Two participles spell out how this is done: baptizing them into the triune name — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — and teaching them to observe all that Jesus commanded. Baptism marks entry into the community of disciples; ongoing instruction shapes a life of obedience. The scope is universal — every nation — and the content is the whole of Jesus' teaching.
Verse 20 closes with a promise: 'lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.' This divine presence underwrites the impossible task. The One who holds all authority pledges personal companionship to his disciples as they carry out the mission, framing the commission as sustained by his presence from that moment until the consummation.
Context
Matthew 28 opens with women discovering the empty tomb and an angel announcing the resurrection. After Jesus appears to the women and instructs them to tell the disciples to meet him in Galilee, the eleven travel to the appointed mountain. There they worship him, though some still doubt (vv. 16-17). The Commission in 28:18-20 is thus given to a group that is both worshipping and questioning — and Jesus does not wait for their faith to be perfect before commissioning them.
The passage closes the Gospel of Matthew. The resurrection has been confirmed, the disciples have seen the Lord, and the final words send them outward. The Commission functions as Matthew's conclusion: the story of Jesus does not end at the empty tomb but extends through the disciples' mission to every nation until Christ returns.
Common questions
Why is Matthew 28:18-20 called the Great Commission?
The passage is called the Great Commission because it contains Jesus' final and most comprehensive commissioning of his disciples — a command to make disciples of all nations through baptism and teaching, backed by his claim to all authority and his promise of constant presence.
What is the central command in this passage?
The central command is to make disciples of all the nations. Baptizing and teaching are the means by which disciple-making is carried out, while Jesus' authority and presence are the foundation and assurance of the task.
Does the promise of being with the disciples refer only to them?
The passage as written addresses the eleven disciples on the mountain, but the wording 'always, even unto the end of the world' points beyond that initial audience. Matthew presents the promise as the sustaining presence of Christ with those who carry out the mission through every generation until the consummation.