The Mission: Make Disciples, Baptize, Teach

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.” (Luke 4:18)

After His resurrection from death Jesus met with His eleven apostles and told them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). Peter made reference to this in his first sermon when he said “God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:36). Jesus was given power over everyone and everything in heaven and the earth (Philippians 2:9–11). He gave His apostles a mission consisting of four commands: go, make disciples, baptize them, and teach them (Matthew 28:19–20).

The apostles were to go and be witnesses for Jesus in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to “the remotest part of the earth.” What they were to witness about was the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, and matters related to the kingdom of God. Luke recorded that “repentance for forgiveness of sins” was also to be preached (Luke 24:45–47; Acts 1:3, 8).

As a witness to the world of their belief in the good news of the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, the new disciples were to be baptized (Acts 8:12–13; 18:8). This was not a sprinkling or dabbing of water on the person’s head; this baptism was to be full immersion in water deep enough to cover the entire person. Baptism symbolically unites us with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12). This is such an important aspect of discipleship that some who had been baptized by John the Baptist, were then baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 19:1–5).

Jesus also told the apostles to teach the new disciples to observe all that He had commanded (Acts 2:42; 5:42; 11:26). The apostles were excited knowing that they were partners with the living Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in taking the good news of the kingdom of God to the world; so excited they were ready to go immediately. Jesus instructed them to wait in Jerusalem until they received the power promised by His Father (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4–5).