Jesus Sends His Disciples

28:16 So the eleven disciples went to Galilee to the mountain Jesus had designated. 28:17 When they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. 28:18 Then Jesus came up and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 28:20 teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible®, copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

The risen Jesus meets the eleven in Galilee. They worship him, though some still waver. Jesus says that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. On that basis, he sends his disciples to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything he commanded. He ends with a promise: he will be with them always, to the end of the age.

Matthew says the meeting is with “the eleven disciples,” so this takes place after Judas’s betrayal and after Jesus’ resurrection. They go to Galilee just as Jesus had told them. The mountain setting matters in Matthew, because mountains often mark important moments of revelation. It gives the scene a solemn feel.

When the disciples see Jesus, they worship him. Yet some doubt. This likely means some hesitated or wavered. It does not mean that the eleven had all fallen into unbelief. Matthew shows that real disciples can still be weak and uncertain.

Jesus first grounds everything in his own authority. He says that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. The mission that follows does not come from human energy or church ambition. It comes from the risen Christ, who now rules over all.

Because he has this authority, Jesus commands his disciples to make disciples of all nations. This is broader than the earlier restriction in Matthew 10. The mission now reaches beyond Israel to the peoples of the world. Yet it still grows out of Israel’s Messiah and Israel’s Scriptures.

The main command is “make disciples.” Going, baptizing, and teaching serve that central command. The goal is not only to reach people, but to form followers of Jesus who live under his rule.

Baptism is part of that disciple-making. Jesus says to baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The word “name” is singular, which gives weight to the triune formula. This passage strongly supports the unity of the divine name and the distinction of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Still, it should not be used to settle every later doctrinal debate by itself.

Jesus also says to teach them to obey everything he commanded. So teaching in this passage is not just about passing on information. It aims at obedience. True disciples must learn to do what Jesus said.

The passage ends with a promise: “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” This is not only a private comfort for believers. It is a promise to the disciple-making community as it carries out Jesus’ mission. It also recalls Matthew’s opening theme that Jesus is Immanuel, “God with us.”

The repeated word “all” is important here: all authority, all nations, everything Jesus commanded, and always. The scope is complete. Jesus has total authority, sends his people to all nations, commands full obedience, and promises his presence for the whole mission.

• The risen Jesus gives the commission as the one who has all authority in heaven and on earth.
• The main command is to make disciples, not merely to go.
• The mission now reaches all nations, not Israel alone.
• Baptism marks public belonging under the one name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
• Teaching in this passage aims at obedience to Jesus, not mere information.
• Jesus promises to be with his people always until the end of the age.

• Do not separate the commission from the resurrection context; Jesus gives it as the risen Lord.
• Do not reduce “make disciples” to bare evangelism or to teaching without obedience.
• Do not read “some doubted” as proof that the eleven had fallen into apostasy; the context points to hesitation or wavering.
• Do not use this passage as though it settles every later doctrinal debate about baptism or the Trinity by itself.
• Do not weaken “all nations” so the passage loses its universal scope.
• Do not turn Jesus’ promise of presence into a merely private comfort text detached from the church’s mission.

This passage closes Matthew by showing the risen Messiah as the king with all authority. His mission to the nations grows out of God’s plan for Israel and now opens outward to all peoples. The promise of Jesus’ continuing presence also echoes Matthew’s beginning, where he is called Immanuel, “God with us.”

The church must base its mission on Christ’s authority, not on human ambition. Evangelism should aim at real disciples, not just decisions. Teaching should lead people to obey Jesus. Churches must not limit their concern by ethnicity or nation, because Jesus sends his people to all nations. And when the task feels too large, believers should rest in the promise that the risen Lord is with them always.

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