GO! MAKE! a Vision for the Church

Central Scripture for GO! MAKE!

Jesus came up and spoke to them. He said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go, make disciples of all nations; baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And look, I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.' Matthew 28:18-20

Scriptural Reflection

The Great Commission is Jesus’ last words to his disciples. After his death and resurrection, Jesus appears one final time to the disciples. He offers words of encouragement and a command. He commands the disciples to “go, make disciples of all nations.” This is not a request, this is not a suggestion, this not a word of advice, it is a command to go and make. In the original Greek, go and make are imperative verbs, commanding the disciples. To carry out the mission and ministry of Jesus, the disciples are called to go into the world and proclaim the good news to all people. To carry out the mission and ministry of Jesus, the disciples are called to make disciples of all people. It is often interpreted that going and making is one action, but scripture and Jesus’ life and ministry suggest otherwise. It is one thing to go and it is another to make, and we are called to do both.

Time and time again, Jesus goes to people where they are and demonstrates God’s love, mercy, and grace. Jesus intentionally goes to all people with the good news, including those who had been excluded by society. Jesus does not confront people by preaching at them, he shares a message with them. Jesus’ ministry is based on forming relationships with people, and meeting them where they are. Jesus intentionally seeks out the lost, the sick, and the forgotten. He goes to them and does not wait for them to come to him. We are called to follow Jesus model, we are called to GO!

Not surprisingly, the vast majority of people Jesus called to follow him responded positively. The good news of Christ is life-changing, liberating, and contagious. When people heard Jesus’ message and were encouraged to participate, it was deeply compelling. After people responded to the invitation to follow Jesus, the discipling process began. Jesus spent a great deal of time teaching the disciples and modeling faithful living for them. The process of becoming a disciple was also relational for Jesus. Each person had different needs and required different approaches. The constant for all was that Jesus spent countless hours mentoring and coaching the disciples. To MAKE! means to be committed to helping people grow in their faith, to MAKE! means helping people become disciples of Jesus Christ, while also becoming one ourselves.


What do you think it means to GO! in your life?

What would church become if we were able to implement MAKE! for our people?