Go and Tell: The Mission Ahead
Month 11: The Cross & the Empty Tomb · Memory Verse
Today's Scripture
Read together: Matthew 28:16-20
16 Meanwhile, the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain Jesus had designated. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him, but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 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, 20 and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Memory Verse
“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 all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.””— Matthew 28:18-20 (BSB)memorize this week
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: 1 Corinthians 11-13
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Near Day 330 of 365 — the Lord's Supper and the great "love" chapter.)The Heart of It
On a mountain in Galilee, the risen Jesus gives His followers their marching orders. These words are so important that the whole church has called them the Great Commission. Matthew tells us something tender and honest first. "They worshiped Him; but some doubted." These were ordinary people, still wobbly, still working through the wonder of it. And Jesus sent them. He begins with His authority. "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." He says this because the command that follows would be impossible without it. Then comes the one main command of the sentence. Make disciples. Not just win a decision. Not just gather a crowd. Make followers who follow, baptizing them and "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you."
Sit with how big this is, and how personal. "All the nations" means no one is left out. Every people, every language, every kind of person Jesus died for, which is every person there is. And the very last words are a promise to carry us through it. "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." We do not go out alone or in our own strength. The same Jesus who conquered the grave walks with His people by His Spirit, every step. This is where everything we have learned this month lands. The cross paid for us. The empty tomb proved Him. And now the King who owns heaven and earth says, Go and tell. And He starts that mission right here. In a home, with a dad and his kids, learning to follow Jesus together.
Around the Table
Jesus told His friends to go tell people about Him everywhere — and He promised to always be with them.
Let's do it: March in place and say together, "Go and tell! Jesus is with me!"
Jesus said all authority is His. So we can be brave to obey when He says "go." A disciple is someone who follows Jesus, and who helps others follow Him too.
Let's talk: Who is one person you could help know Jesus better this week?
"Make disciples" is the main command. It means baptizing people and teaching them to obey everything Jesus said. Notice the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit named together. That is one God in three Persons.
Let's go deeper: What is the difference between getting someone to "agree" about Jesus and helping them actually follow Him?
💬 Conversation Starter
If our family had one true message we could send to the whole world, what would it be? And who would you want to hear it first?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
When someone says, "The disciples just made up the resurrection to start a religion," you can answer kindly. Notice that Matthew admits "some doubted" even while they were looking at the risen Jesus. Someone making up a legend would polish the story and erase the awkward parts. They would never leave their own doubt and failure in the record. The Gospels read like honest testimony, not careful propaganda. And these same hesitant people soon went out to the nations, and many died rather than deny what they had seen. People do not give their lives for what they know they invented. You can hold this out with gentleness and respect, the way Peter urges ().
For Dad · Go Deeper
The Great Commission is not a special assignment for missionaries and pastors. It is the normal shape of the Christian life, and it begins at home. The first nation you are reaching is the little nation around your table. Notice the order Jesus gives. Go, baptize, teach to obey. Disciple-making is not finished at conversion. It is a patient, daily teaching of children to observe all that Jesus commanded. That is exactly what these eleven months of family worship have been. Take heart from the two ends of the verse. It opens with His authority and closes with His presence. You do not lead from your own competence, and you are never doing this alone. As an Arminian-Wesleyan reading reminds us, "all the nations" and "make disciples" assume a real invitation that real people can receive or resist. That is why the work matters, and why faithful, prayerful telling is never wasted. Tonight, let the weight of being commissioned settle on you not as pressure, but as honor. The risen King has handed you His mission and His company for the road.
Draws on: Christopher J. H. Wright, The Mission of God.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, all authority belongs to Jesus, so we can trust Him and obey Him. Make our family disciples who help others follow Jesus too. Help us start right here in our home. Fill us with Your Spirit. And thank You that You are with us always. In Jesus' name, amen."
The King who owns heaven and earth says, "Go and tell." And He goes with me always.