The Great Commission can be traced back to the book of Genesis when God said to Abraham, "I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." (Genesis 12:3) Abraham did not know at the time that the Messiah (Jesus Christ) would come through his linage (Matthew 1). It was also prophesied that the Messiah would come through King Davids's linage. (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5-6) The Israelites had to follow strict laws because God wanted them to stand out from all other nations to declare God as the only true God and not like the pagan gods/idols (satan and his demons). "For you are a people holy to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth." (Deuteronomy 7:6, Deuteronomy 14:2) In Romans 11: 11-36, the Apostle Paul speaks of how the Christian Gentiles became grafted into the Holiness of the Jews and how some Jews were broken off from the holiness. The fact we became grafted into the promise of Abraham also means God is commanding us to stand out as were the Israelites.
God, Jesus Christ, wants us to tell others of our salvation and faith. Psalms 71: 15-16 states, "15My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge.16With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come; I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone." In Mark 5: 18-20, Jesus cast the demons out of a demon-possessed man and the man later begs for Jesus Christ to let him come with him but Jesus tells him not to come with him but to go and tell his friends about what the Lord had done for him and the compassion God had shown him. (for full context Mark 5:1-20, Luke4: 31-44)
In Matthew 28: 16-20, we can read what is called the great commission," 16Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17And when they saw Him they worshiped Him, but some doubted. 18And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'" In Mark 16:15, Jesus Christ also says, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation."
In Acts 1:8, Jesus Christ states, "8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." If you read the words of Jesus Christ, then it is evident that Christians should share their faith. You should not worry what people in this world think of you; as a Christian, you are called and commanded by Jesus Christ to share the grace of God and what he has done in your life. It does not mean you have to stand out on the corner, park, or anywhere else shouting the gospel, but it does mean you should be sharing your faith with people who are not yet redeemed. In John 4:16, it states, "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" We must tell people about Jesus Christ and what he did on the cross so people can be redeemed back to God and spend eternity in Heaven. If we truly love Jesus Christ, we must do as he has said, feed His sheep.
John 21:17 "17He said to him the third time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, 'Do you love me?' and he said to him, 'Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed my sheep.'"
This study is a collaboration from Rory and Crystal
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