And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)
This is commonly known in Christianity as the Great Commission, the command Jesus gave to the apostles before He ascended into heaven. With the command to “make disciples of all nations” we see God’s heart for humanity as further articulated in 1 Timothy 2:4, “… God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
We see more of God’s heart when Jesus says, “and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (vs. 20). He wants us to know that we’re not alone—we’re not alone as we walk through this life, we’re not alone as we seek to obey His commands. God doesn’t say, “Do this hard thing. Good luck. See ya!” He doesn’t leave us floundering alone. He promises to be with us through it all. This is my favorite comfort in all of Scripture. May it comfort you too.
