The “Great Commission” is LESS About "Saving People" and MORE About Making GOD Known
The ‘Great Commission’, as it is named by people, is recorded in Matthew 28:18–20, isn’t merely a call to “get people saved” as if marking off spiritual checkboxes. It’s a summons to reveal the fullness of GOD’s character. This persona is found in the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. The charge is to invite others into a lifelong journey of knowing, trusting, and embodying that heavenly relationship.
The Command is to “share Them and to make Them known” to the world, by sharing what they have come to better understand, trust and believe. Otherwise, the world outside of the faithful ones of the (12) Tribes would never know of Them. Let’s NOT forget, the (10) Tribes who are dispersed (spread) across the world, outside of Israel proper.
Those who remain in the Land of Promise are now mainly Judeans and Benjamites.
The call to redemption is going out to them, the dispersed and those of the nations who would believe what they would hear (see Ezekiel 37-38 & Jeremiah 31).
Ezekiel 37 & 38: Covenant Renewal
Restoration of Life (Valley of Dry Bones)
Reunification of Israel and Judah (Two Sticks)
Everlasting Covenant and Divine Presence
Jeremiah 31: Hope and Restoration
Everlasting Love and Divine Faithfulness
Restoration and Joy After Exile
The Call to Return and Remember
The (Re) Newed Covenant
Forgiveness and Forgetting of Sin
REMINDER: The word baptism means “immersion”, yes, but more on the side of “introduction”.
The world at the time of the sending had not heard of Yeshua, as the “Redeemer” and as “GOD’s Salvation”. He is the personification of these representations to not only His People, but for the eventual nations (people, languages and backgrounds) of faith, as the “seed of Abraham”.
The “Great Commission” is often construed as primarily focused on saving people by “making disciples of all nations”.
Even now, Yeshua’s desire is to Redeem His wayward sons and daughters (diaspora 10 tribes of northern Israel) and bring them back to their father’s (Jacob’s) house (Land of Israel). They have been prodigal for thousands of years, but as many of you who are watching may have noticed, lots of them have and are making the pilgrimage back home.
Did you notice how Jesus (Yeshua) says:
“Go therefore and make talmidim (disciples) of all nations, baptizing (introducing and immersing) them into the Name (character Ways) of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have Commanded you…”
What would He (Jesus) Command? What did He (Yeshua) Teach?
Jesus relayed, taught and commanded “what He heard and what He saw” of the Father and the Ruach HaChodesh. Let us not forget, He IS “the obedient Son. We are to hear Him”, per His Father’s Words.
There is no dissension of ranks. There is zero rebellion of Jesus towards His Father. The only thing going on here is our misunderstanding of the Scriptures, the culture, and context.
OPTION #1: He is either obediently correct, or our interpretations are missing the mark
OPTION #2: He is disobedient and our personal beliefs and understanding are spot on
The nation’s misunderstanding and misinterpretations of the people, culture, idioms, Ways and imagery of the People of GOD has led to the frequent spiritual confusion and anti-semitism of those outside of the people of Canaan. All faithful followers must know, appreciate, identify and recognize the original requirement of obedience when the Word (10 Commandments) was specified and when the Spirit was given during Shavuot (Pentecost today).
Over time, these same Commanded Words were eventually categorized and named by man and dubbed as the lifestyle of only the Jews (Judaism), since the Judeans and Benjamite’s were living by them. The Northern Tribes were gone (spread throughout the nations). This Bible we have is theirs. Every Book of the New Testament points backwards to the Torah (Pentateuch—5) and the entire Old Testament (TANAKH—39) is the Word we know today, the additional (27) are realistically the explanation of the life of the Incarnate Messiah and the (39) to the nations.
NOTE: The dispersed Israelites will return, but with us, the nations of believers with them.
The Command to “GO” isn’t about converting people who are not like them to be like them, it’s about immersion, overwhelming and soaking them into the Name, the Identity and the Presence, of the GOD of Creation and Israel. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are where it ALL started. They were of Chaldean (Iraqi) descent. They had to cross-over. This has a few meanings, but they were named as such—Hebrews.
NOTE: To wholly obey the One Who is calling, drawing and sending him out, Abram would have to leave behind his life of polytheistic roots, identity and present lifestyle (his father’s name). This also sounds like the call and choice of the true follower (disciple of GOD)—to cross-over as a Hebrew.
NOTE: Abram was also baptized (introduced and immersed) in the Name of the One Who was drawing him away “to the place of Promise He would show him”.
The word “name” (Hebrew shem) carries weight. It implies character, authority and reputation. So… To baptize into the Name is to Initiate someone into the relational reality of GOD’s covenantal Love.
How does the Holy Spirit impact all of this? He, the Spirit of GOD. He doesn’t just empower this declarative public statement of disciples; He reveals the mind and center-focus of GOD through our lives.
The early disciples didn’t just lecture, they embodied the Kingdom, lived in basic unity, and bore witness through Spirit-led love, healing, and hospitality. They learned that through the Scriptures and lifestyle of the Savior (Word) in the flesh. They too had to learn the proper Way in which to obey, love and live. Much of what they had heard and been taught had been either watered down, misunderstood or twisted. That sounds like the days we live in now. Does it not?
The Lord came to make His Father known and show His People how to live out the Word He had given to Moshe (Moses). Love and Compassion were not new concepts. They are riddled all through the (39) Books of Scripture. Many of the Judgements were handed out because of the people NOT obeying (loving GOD), nor loving His People properly. Does that sound familiar?
Jesus came to make His Father (and His Ways) clearly known—not to do away with any of Them, as we are hearing today in many churches and environments.
In Hebrew thought (Biblical and cultural context), to “know” (yada) is deeply relational. This is the same word used for intimate covenantal “knowing”, like in Genesis 4:1 (“Adam knew Eve”).
When we “make GOD known,” we’re not just informing minds—we’re inviting hearts into covenant with the Father, His Son and Their Spirit!