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The Great Commission is the command Jesus gave His followers after His resurrection: to go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them and teaching them to obey everything He commanded. It is recorded most fully in Matthew 28:18–20, and it has shaped the mission of the Church for two thousand years.
It is called "great" not because Jesus used the phrase (He didn't) but because of its scope: all authority, all nations, everything He commanded, and His presence always. Here's what it says, what it means, and how ordinary believers live it out.
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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 28:18–20
Where the Great Commission appears in the Bible
Matthew's account is the best known, but every Gospel and the book of Acts records Jesus sending His followers out. Each adds a different angle:
- Matthew 28:18–20: the full shape of the mission: authority, disciples, baptism, teaching, and Jesus' presence.
- Mark 16:15: "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation." (This verse sits in the longer ending of Mark, which many Bibles mark as absent from the earliest manuscripts; its message matches the other accounts.)
- Luke 24:46–49: the message itself: repentance for the forgiveness of sins, preached in Jesus' name to all nations, in the power the Father promised.
- John 20:21: the pattern: "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." We are sent the way Jesus was sent: in love, among people, to serve.
- Acts 1:8: the power and the map: the Holy Spirit's power, and witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
What the Great Commission actually commands
In the Greek of Matthew 28, the main command is one verb: make disciples. "Go", "baptising" and "teaching" are participles that describe how disciple-making happens. That small grammar point carries a big truth: the goal is not a decision or a crowd. It is people who follow Jesus for life.
- Go. Literally "as you go" or "having gone". The mission happens along the road of ordinary life as well as across oceans.
- Make disciples. A disciple is a learner and follower of Jesus who is becoming like Him. Conversion is the beginning of discipleship, not the finish line.
- Of all nations. Every people group, language and culture. No one is outside the reach of the Gospel.
- Baptising them. Public identification with Jesus' death and resurrection, and belonging to His people.
- Teaching them to obey. Not just to know what Jesus said, but to live it. Discipleship is apprenticeship, not information.
And it is bracketed by two promises. It begins with Jesus' authority ("All authority... has been given to me") and ends with His presence ("I am with you always"). We don't go on our own authority or alone.
Who is the Great Commission for?
Every follower of Jesus. It was spoken to the eleven disciples, but it contains its own multiplication: those disciples were to teach new disciples to obey everything Jesus commanded, including this command. Paul describes the same chain in 2 Timothy 2:2. If you follow Jesus, the commission is yours.
That doesn't mean everyone does the same thing. Some cross borders. Many more make disciples in their homes, workplaces and neighbourhoods. Some send and support others who go. (If you're unsure of your part, start with how to find your calling.) The Church, like a body, carries one mission with many parts (Romans 10:14–15).
The Great Commission and the Great Commandment
Jesus summed up the law as loving God with all your heart, soul and mind, and loving your neighbour as yourself (Matthew 22:37–39). The Great Commandment and the Great Commission belong together. Love for God makes us want others to know Him; love for people means caring for the whole person, not treating them as a project. Practical compassion and clear proclamation walk side by side.
Common misunderstandings
- "It's only for missionaries and pastors." It was given to ordinary disciples, and it multiplies through ordinary disciples.
- "It's about getting decisions." The command is to make disciples, which includes baptism, teaching and a lifetime of obedience.
- "It only happens overseas." Acts 1:8 starts in Jerusalem, at home, and moves outward. The nations are also on your street.
- "I have to have all the answers first." Jesus promised His presence, and the Spirit's power is given for witness. You share what you know and keep learning.
How to live the Great Commission this week
You don't need a stage or a plane ticket to start. Five practical steps, each with a guide if you want to go deeper:
- Pray for five people by name. Start with your oikos, the people who already know and trust you, and pray for them daily. Our guide on how to pray for your city widens the circle.
- Start one honest conversation. Ask a real question and listen. See how to share your faith without being weird.
- Be ready to explain the Gospel. Practise saying it in two minutes. Here's how to lead someone to Jesus.
- Follow up and walk with people. Disciple-making happens over weeks and years. Use the 30-day follow-up rhythm, then read discipleship that multiplies.
- Go or send. Join a local outreach, or stand behind those who go. Read why the ones who send share the victory.
Tools and movements that help
Free tools and real movements across the network for living the Great Commission where you are.
- Love on The World (LoveonTheWorld.com): Mobilizing believers to love people, share Jesus, and serve their communities with bold compassion.
- Oikos Map (OikosMap.com): A free tool to map your oikos — the people God has already placed around you — and pray for them by name.
- Kingdom Base (KingdomBase.App): Keep track of the people you're reaching, praying for, and discipling — so nobody falls through the cracks.
- Love on Mission (LoveonMission.world): A living map of the Great Commission — seeing where the Gospel is going and where workers are still needed.
Quick answers
What is the Great Commission in simple terms?
It is Jesus' command to His followers to make disciples of all nations: sharing the Gospel, baptising new believers, and teaching them to obey everything He commanded, with the promise that He is with us always.
Where is the Great Commission in the Bible?
Most fully in Matthew 28:18–20, with parallel accounts in Mark 16:15, Luke 24:46–49, John 20:21 and Acts 1:8.
Why is it called the Great Commission?
The phrase isn't in the Bible. It describes the command's scope: all authority, all nations, everything Jesus commanded, and His presence always, to the end of the age.
Is the Great Commission for every Christian?
Yes. It was given to the first disciples and includes teaching new disciples to obey everything Jesus commanded, including this command, so it passes to every believer. People live it in different ways: going, making disciples where they live, and sending others.
What is the difference between the Great Commission and the Great Commandment?
The Great Commandment is to love God and love your neighbour (Matthew 22:37–39). The Great Commission is to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18–20). Love is the motive; disciple-making is the mission.
With you always
The Great Commission ends with a promise, not a demand: "surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Whatever your next step looks like, a name in prayer, a conversation, a coffee, a baptism, you are not taking it alone. The One who has all authority goes with you. "After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language" (Revelation 7:9). That's where this story ends. Let's go.