The Great Commission reads thus:
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Mt.28:18-20).
Now... Christians typically view the Great Commission this way...
They see it as Christ's command to spread the gospel to others for the salvation of their souls.
That's a fine starting point.
But...
The Great Commission is actually much greater than that...
Because with the words of this commission, Jesus:
One, proclaims that He currently has ALL authority over heaven
and earth.
Two, commands us to disciple the nations to obey all that He taught.
And three, expects that we carry out this commission in the power of His presence until the end of the age.
This all, of
course, is right in sync with the Dominion Mandate... given in the first book of the Bible (Gen.1:28; 2:15).
There... God commissioned us to fill and rule and cultivate the earth for His glory.
This project went awry, though, with the Fall.
But with the Great Commission mankind is brought back on track... as we rediscover His purpose for us...
And we all play our part -- by His grace -- to bring His renewal to the world.
A great task
indeed!