Jesus had been raised from the dead. Forty days of teaching. Forty days of showing Himself alive. And now the moment had come.
Not a graduation. Not a ceremony. A sending.
But before the sending came a command. And before the command came a claim. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
Everything that follows hangs on that line. The commission. The waiting. The power. All of it flows from the authority of the risen Christ.
This is the hinge point. The disciples are about to become the church. And the question for them, and for us, is simple. Where do we go from here?
Go and Make Disciples. Not Crowds. Disciples.
Jesus gave one command to His followers before He ascended. Not “go build buildings.” Not “go draw crowds.” Not “go start programs.”
“Go and make disciples.”
That word “make disciples” is the verb that drives the whole sentence. Going, baptizing, teaching. Those are the supporting actions. The main thing is disciplemaking.
And Jesus had already shown them what that looked like. He spent 42 months with 12 people. He ate with them. Walked with them. Corrected them. Loved them. Sent them out. Called them back. Taught them again.
His method was not a conference. It was a life shared.
Think about healthy cells in a body. Healthy cells divide. They multiply in an ordered way. Each new cell carries the DNA of the original. That’s how a body grows.
Cancer is also multiplication. But it’s multiplication without regard for the body. Cells that grow for themselves. That consume without contributing. That spread without serving.
Healthy churches multiply disciples who make more disciples. Not programs that attract consumers. Not platforms that build audiences. Disciples who carry the DNA of Jesus into every room they enter.
The Great Commission is not a mission statement for an organization. It’s a calling for every follower of Christ. Go. Make disciples. Teach them to obey everything Jesus commanded. And notice the promise at the end. “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Not “you’re on your own.” Not “good luck.” But “I am with you.” Always.
Discussion
- What’s the difference between attracting a crowd and making a disciple?
- Where might Jesus be calling you to “go”? It might not be across the ocean. It might be across the street.
Key Takeaways
- The main verb is “make disciples.” Everything else supports it. Going, baptizing, and teaching are how disciplemaking happens. But the mission is people, not programs.
- Jesus modeled what He commanded. He spent three and a half years with twelve people. His method was presence, not spectacle. Shared life, not staged events.
- Healthy multiplication looks like healthy cells dividing. Each new disciple carries the DNA of Christ. Growth that serves the body. Not growth that consumes it.
Wait for the Spirit. Calling Without Equipping Is Incomplete.
Here is the surprising part. Jesus told them to go. And then He told them to wait.
“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised.”
Wait. That word doesn’t sit well with people who want to get moving. The commission is clear. The mission is urgent. Why wait?
Because calling without equipping is incomplete. Zeal without power is exhausting. Obedience without the Spirit is white-knuckle religion.
Jesus didn’t say “figure it out” or “try harder.” He said “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.”
Power. Not just knowledge. Not just good intentions. Power.
And notice what the power is for. “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Witnesses. Not salesmen. Not marketers. Witnesses.
A salesman has a pitch. A witness tells what they’ve seen and heard. A salesman needs a strategy. A witness needs an experience. A salesman can be trained in a weekend. A witness is forged by encounter.
The disciples had seen Jesus alive. They had eaten with Him. Touched His hands. Heard His voice after the grave. They weren’t going to argue people into the kingdom. They were going to tell what they knew.
But even that required the Spirit. Even eyewitnesses needed power from on high.
So they waited. Together. In prayer. Men and women. In one accord. Not anxious. Not passive. Obedient.
Sometimes the most faithful thing is to stop and wait. Not because the mission isn’t urgent. But because the power hasn’t come yet. And going without the Spirit is going alone.
Discussion
- Why do you think Jesus told them to wait instead of going right away? What does this reveal about the relationship between obedience and dependence on God?
- Are there places in your life where you might be “going” without “waiting”? Where you’re running on your own effort instead of the Spirit’s power?
Key Takeaways
- Jesus said “go” and then “wait.” Both commands matter. The mission is urgent, but the equipping is essential. Skipping the waiting doesn’t speed things up. It drains the power.
- The Spirit makes us witnesses, not salesmen. A witness tells what they’ve seen. A salesman has a pitch. The difference is everything.
- Waiting is not the same as doing nothing. The disciples waited together, in prayer, in one accord. Waiting on the Spirit is active obedience.
The Spirit Came. And Everything Changed.
Pentecost. The day the Spirit came.
Wind. Fire. Languages. Peter stood up and preached. The same Peter who had denied Jesus three times. The same Peter who had hidden behind locked doors. That Peter.
But the Spirit had come. And Peter was a different man. Not because he was smarter. Not because he had rehearsed. Because he had been filled with power from on high.
Three thousand people were saved that day. Three thousand. From one sermon by a fisherman who had failed publicly and been restored privately.
That’s what the Spirit does. Takes broken people and makes them bold.
But here’s where it gets interesting. After the 3,000 were saved, what happened? Did Peter set up a megachurch? Did he launch a podcast? Did he start a capital campaign?
No. Acts 2:42 says they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. Small. Close. Shared life.
Evangelism reaches the crowd. Discipleship reaches the person. They are different things. Both matter. But they are not the same.
Not everyone will preach to thousands. That’s not the measure. Paul told the Corinthians that everyone can prophesy. And prophecy, according to 1 Corinthians 14:3 (ESV), is speaking for “upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.”
That’s not fortune-telling. That’s not mystical prediction. That’s speaking life into people. Building them up. Encouraging them. Consoling them in their pain.
Every believer can do that. Every believer is called to do that. In a living room. At a table. Over coffee. At work. In a text message.
The Spirit didn’t come so that a few people could be impressive. The Spirit came so that every believer could be faithful. Faithful in the small places. Faithful with the people right in front of them.
Discussion
- What does the story of Pentecost teach about the difference between evangelism and disciplemaking? How do both work together?
- If prophecy means speaking for upbuilding, encouragement, and consolation, who is qualified to do that? What might that look like in your life this week?
Key Takeaways
- The Spirit turns broken people into bold witnesses. Peter’s transformation is the proof. Failure doesn’t disqualify. The Spirit qualifies.
- Evangelism reaches the crowd. Discipleship reaches the person. Both matter. But the fruit of Pentecost wasn’t just 3,000 converts. It was shared life, teaching, fellowship, bread, and prayer.
- Every believer can speak life. Prophecy in 1 Corinthians 14 is upbuilding, encouragement, and consolation. No stage required. No credentials needed. Just faithfulness with the people in front of you.
Something to Sit With
Ships are safe in harbor. But that’s not what ships are built for.
Jesus said go. He said wait. He sent the Spirit. And He promised to be with us to the end of the age.
Where is God calling you to go? What might you need to wait for first? And who is the person right in front of you that needs to hear what you’ve seen and heard?
The commission hasn’t changed. The power hasn’t left. The Spirit is still moving.
The question is simple. Where do we go from here?
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8, ESV)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Great Commission and where is it found in the Bible?
The Great Commission is Jesus’ final command to His disciples, found in Matthew 28:18-20. He tells them to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded.” The driving verb is “make disciples.” Going, baptizing, and teaching support that central mission.
Why did Jesus tell the disciples to wait before carrying out the Great Commission?
In Acts 1:4-5, Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Calling without equipping is incomplete. The disciples needed power from on high to be effective witnesses. Waiting was not passivity. It was active obedience and dependence on God.
What happened at Pentecost in Acts 2?
Pentecost was the day the Holy Spirit came upon the believers in Jerusalem. There were signs of wind and fire, and the disciples spoke in languages they had never learned. Peter preached, and about 3,000 people believed and were baptized. The early church then devoted itself to teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer.
What is the difference between evangelism and discipleship?
Evangelism reaches the crowd with the good news of Jesus. Discipleship reaches the individual through shared life, teaching, and growth. Both are essential and complementary. Pentecost produced both: 3,000 heard the gospel, and then those 3,000 entered into the daily rhythms of discipleship described in Acts 2:42-47.
What does it mean to be a witness for Christ?
A witness tells what they have seen and heard. It’s different from a sales pitch or a rehearsed argument. In Acts 1:8, Jesus said the Spirit would make the disciples His witnesses. That same calling extends to every believer. Speaking life, encouragement, and truth to the people around you is the everyday work of witness.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway.