ESV Study Bible | English Standard Version
Matthew 28:18-20
18 And Jesus came and said to them, h “All authority i in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 j Go therefore and k make disciples of l all nations, j baptizing them m in [1] n the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them o to observe all that p I have commanded you. And behold, q I am with you always, to r the end of the age.”
Acts 2:41-42
41 So those who received his word were baptized, and z there were added that day about three thousand souls.
The Fellowship of the Believers
42 And a they devoted themselves to the apostles' b teaching and the c fellowship, to d the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Translation Notes
- [1] 28:19 Or into
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Matt. 28:1–20 The Resurrection and Commission of the Messiah. Matthew's concluding chapter recounts Jesus' resurrection from the dead. His resurrection confirms his identity and that his accomplishment at the cross was accepted by God the Father. Jesus now lives as the faithful companion, master, and Lord of those who respond to his great commission (vv. 16–20).
Matt. 28:16–20 The Risen Jesus' Great Commission. As the resurrected Lord, Jesus calls upon his followers to make disciples of all people groups through the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom.
Matt. 28:18 All authority. In his risen state, Jesus exercises absolute authority throughout heaven and earth, which shows his deity. His authority has been given by the Father, which indicates that he remains subject to the Father (see note on 1 Cor. 15:28).
Matt. 28:19 The imperative (make disciples, that is, call individuals to commit to Jesus as Master and Lord) explains the central focus of the Great Commission, while the Greek participles (translated go, baptizing, and “teaching” [v. 20]) describe aspects of the process. all nations. Jesus' ministry in Israel was to be the beginning point of what would later be a proclamation of the gospel to all the peoples of the earth, including not only Jews but also Gentiles. The name (singular, not plural) of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is an early indication of the Trinitarian Godhead and an overt proclamation of Jesus' deity.
Matt. 28:20 Teaching is a means by which disciples of Jesus are continually transformed in order to become more like Christ (cf. 10:24–25; Rom. 8:29; 2 Cor. 3:18). observe. Obey. I am with you always. Jesus concludes the commission, and Matthew his Gospel, with the crucial element of discipleship: the presence of the Master, who is “God with us” (cf. Matt. 1:23).
