“Therefore, go…make disciples”
Daily Scripture
Matthew 28:16-20
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted. 18 Jesus came near and spoke to them, “I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 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, 20 teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.”
Daily Reflection & Prayer
The disciples made their way to the rendezvous point in Galilee. Understanding more fully who Jesus was after his resurrection, the eleven disciples probably worshiped him with more depth than ever before. “Some doubted” likely meant some still felt stunned, even dumbfounded by the reality that Jesus (who they had seen die) was now alive, their risen Savior. He told his disciples to “go”—not a single act, but a lifestyle (“keep on going”). As you go about the daily rhythms in your ordinary life, the Savior said, prioritize the mission of disciple making. And as you do, realize the comforting presence of Jesus is with you every day.
- To “make disciples” is to guide people to accept the claims of Christ. “Baptizing” and “teaching” are important aspects of being a disciple, but not necessarily the means to make disciples. People become disciples by coming into the community of believers and submitting to Christ as the Lord of their life. Teaching disciples means leading them toward a life of obedience to Jesus, not just intellectually teaching doctrine. * Jesus said “go.” How’s your “going,” anyway? Would you say that Christ is the Lord of your life? In what ways is your Lord leading you to make disciple-making a priority?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, I want to glorify you with my faithful commitment to make disciples. Help me remember that you are always present with me as I live out your commission. Amen.
GPS Insights
Ryan Pasley
Ryan Pasley is a Summer Intern at Resurrection in the Resurrection Students Ministry. He currently attends Johnson County Community College and plans to transfer to Kansas State University to obtain a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies. Ryan is the (self-proclaimed) best server on a sand volleyball team that he shares with his friends.
Often, when I hear the word “disciple,” I think of Simon Peter, John, James, or Matthew. Except I forget, I’m one as well. Although I have never walked with Jesus as they did, I still follow his teachings the same. We all do as they did.
When I first sat down to write this post, I was taking this in a different direction. But I recently returned from serving in Central Arkansas with some amazing 7th and 8th Graders. During this week, my group and I built a new deck and wheelchair ramp for our “neighbor,” the term the not-for-profit we worked with uses to describe people receiving our help. During this week, I grew to love this person not as a “neighbor” but as a friend. This reminded me of Jesus’s teachings to “love thy neighbor as thyself.”
In fact, if it weren’t for my interaction with my newfound friend, I would have struggled to find a good story to connect to my insight! When I talked with her, I realized that simply having a conversation is a way we can be disciples of Christ. When we go out in the world, as Jesus said, we act as disciples. We don’t even need to discuss God or Jesus. In my opinion, the first step would be to just listen to what others are saying. Instead of charging ahead, listening to someone’s testimony can be as powerful as worshipping on Sunday or joining a small group.
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Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* NIV Bible Commentary Volume 2. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994, page 134.
