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From Genesis to Revelation, God's heart has always been set on the nations.
by Aaron Myers
by Aaron Myers
The Veteran in a New Field by Winslow Homer (1865)
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20
Matthew 28:18-20
This is the passage of scripture that we know today as the great commission. Echos of it are found in all four gospels and the book of Acts. The basic idea that the church has been commissioned to proclaim the gospel and make disciples of all nations is central to the message of Jesus. It reflects the heart of the Father and it’s why we’re still here.
There are a whole host of wonderful and good things that we are called to do as followers of Jesus, but making disciples is the one thing that we can only do now. Once we get to heaven we will still worship – only our worship will be better. We will still pray – only our prayers will be purer. We will still fellowship – only our fellowship will be free from the bonds of sin and shame. Making disciples is a special assignment for this life. It will not continue in heaven. And it is the way that Jesus intends to see his Kingdom come. Through his church. Through people like you and me, broken vessels in the hands of an all powerful God.
But we need to understand that the Great Commission is not a beginning point, but rather a continuation of what has always been the heart of God, the mission of God, the grand narrative of the Bible. In the Abrahamic covenant as found in Genesis 12, God promises to bless Abraham and that through Abraham “all the families of the earth will be blessed.” And of course we understand this to be looking forward to the coming of Christ, the only one in whom salvation is found.
The book of Jonah tells of God’s relentless pursuit of the lost in Nineveh. David reflects God’s heart for all nations when in Psalm 67 he says, “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us—so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations” (v. 1-2). Isaiah continues the theme in chapter 49:6 saying of the promised Messiah, “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” Malachi 1:11 says, “My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord Almighty. “
Even before giving the Great Commission, Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 24:14 that "this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." This isn't necessarily an end-times trigger. It's a window into what God intends: that every nation would hear. And John's vision in Revelation 7:9 shows where it leads: “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.”
God’s heart across time and from the very beginning has been to bring all nations into his family, to reconcile all people to himself, to set all free, to redeem all who are lost, to break the bonds of sin and shame. His heart is that all nations would worship him. That is the will of God. As you immerse yourself in the Bible you cannot miss the missional heartbeat of God. And that is why the great commission is so important to Him.
Jesus taught us to pray for the Father’s “kingdom to come and will to be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Knowing that the Father’s heart is set on the nations, how can we do anything less than work to discover our role in seeing his will done, in seeing disciples made and churches established among every nation, tribe, people and language?
How will you respond? What steps can you take to discover your role in the completion of the Great Commission? Can you pray? Give? Send? Welcome? Can you go?
Action Step: Find thirty minutes to work through the Father’s Heart Study. For best results, pray about a few friends whom you could invite to go through the study with you over a cup of coffee. Spend time praying through the reflection questions.
There are a whole host of wonderful and good things that we are called to do as followers of Jesus, but making disciples is the one thing that we can only do now. Once we get to heaven we will still worship – only our worship will be better. We will still pray – only our prayers will be purer. We will still fellowship – only our fellowship will be free from the bonds of sin and shame. Making disciples is a special assignment for this life. It will not continue in heaven. And it is the way that Jesus intends to see his Kingdom come. Through his church. Through people like you and me, broken vessels in the hands of an all powerful God.
But we need to understand that the Great Commission is not a beginning point, but rather a continuation of what has always been the heart of God, the mission of God, the grand narrative of the Bible. In the Abrahamic covenant as found in Genesis 12, God promises to bless Abraham and that through Abraham “all the families of the earth will be blessed.” And of course we understand this to be looking forward to the coming of Christ, the only one in whom salvation is found.
The book of Jonah tells of God’s relentless pursuit of the lost in Nineveh. David reflects God’s heart for all nations when in Psalm 67 he says, “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us—so that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations” (v. 1-2). Isaiah continues the theme in chapter 49:6 saying of the promised Messiah, “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” Malachi 1:11 says, “My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord Almighty. “
Even before giving the Great Commission, Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 24:14 that "this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." This isn't necessarily an end-times trigger. It's a window into what God intends: that every nation would hear. And John's vision in Revelation 7:9 shows where it leads: “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.”
God’s heart across time and from the very beginning has been to bring all nations into his family, to reconcile all people to himself, to set all free, to redeem all who are lost, to break the bonds of sin and shame. His heart is that all nations would worship him. That is the will of God. As you immerse yourself in the Bible you cannot miss the missional heartbeat of God. And that is why the great commission is so important to Him.
Jesus taught us to pray for the Father’s “kingdom to come and will to be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Knowing that the Father’s heart is set on the nations, how can we do anything less than work to discover our role in seeing his will done, in seeing disciples made and churches established among every nation, tribe, people and language?
How will you respond? What steps can you take to discover your role in the completion of the Great Commission? Can you pray? Give? Send? Welcome? Can you go?
Action Step: Find thirty minutes to work through the Father’s Heart Study. For best results, pray about a few friends whom you could invite to go through the study with you over a cup of coffee. Spend time praying through the reflection questions.
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