Sometimes our hearts feel heavy even after we have arranged to read the Bible with someone. What if we cannot answer their questions? How can we help another person when we struggle to live by the Word ourselves? The Great Commission does not begin by demanding that we produce greater self-confidence. It directs our attention to who the risen Jesus is, what he has commanded, and what he has promised.
In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus declares that all authority has been given to him. He then tells his disciples to make disciples of all nations, baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe everything he has commanded. At the end of that commission comes his promise to be with them always. This article considers how that promise strengthens people who help others become disciples while facing fear and loneliness.
The Promise of His Presence Belongs to the Great Commission
Direct Scripture quotations use the World English Bible (WEB). Apart from the quotation below, the explanations and applications are paraphrases and reflections on the biblical text.
teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Matthew 28:20, WEB
If we read this promise only as a sentence that makes us feel comfortable, we can easily miss its connection to the command immediately before it. Jesus calls people to become disciples, to be baptized in God’s name, and to learn and obey his Word. The promise of his presence is given to disciples who walk that path. We must not turn it into an assurance that Jesus endorses any activity we happen to want to pursue.
At the same time, we need not read this promise as a reward paid out according to the results of our service. Jesus first identifies himself as the one who has authority, and then he sends his disciples. A person who shares the Word is not a master taking the Lord’s place, but a disciple who continues learning and helps others under the Lord’s authority. We are directed to look first at the faithfulness of the one who entrusted us with the mission, rather than its size.
He Takes the First Step toward Imperfect Disciples
Matthew 28:16-17 describes the eleven disciples going to the mountain in Galilee. Alongside the account of their worshiping Jesus, it records that some doubted. The text does not explain the precise nature of their doubts or the inner circumstances of each person. Rather than imagining and then asserting what was happening in their minds, we can notice that Jesus’ words and commission follow this account.
In Matthew 28:18, Jesus comes near and speaks. The disciples’ perfect certainty or exceptional speaking ability is not presented as the basis of their mission. Its basis is Jesus, who has all authority in heaven and on earth. This does not mean preparation is unnecessary. It means we have no reason to postpone obedience indefinitely until we feel sufficiently capable.
When a question comes up during a shared Bible reading and we do not know the answer, we can say so honestly. We can study the passage more carefully before the next meeting and ask a trustworthy church leader for help. This attitude does not mean losing authority. Instead of making someone depend on our answers, it helps both of us stand together before the Lord’s Word.
The Gospel That Introduces Immanuel Ends with His Presence
Matthew 1:23 explains the name Immanuel as meaning that God is with us. The presence introduced in the account of Jesus’ birth connects with the final promise in Matthew 28:20. Reading these passages together helps us see more clearly that the Great Commission is not a task we must carry out alone, separated from Jesus.
Jesus’ presence does not mean that a teacher always experiences a special feeling or immediately recalls an answer to every question. The text does not make the intensity of our feelings the evidence of his promise. We hold on to what the Lord has said. Even when prayer feels dry and the fruit of our meetings seems slow to appear, the way we feel that day does not justify concluding that the Lord has left us.
In John 14:16-18, Jesus speaks of another Counselor, the Spirit of truth, and says that he will not leave his disciples as orphans. This passage does not simply repeat the sentence in Matthew, but it shows how Jesus cares for his disciples as his departure approaches. A disciple’s life is not confined to maintaining personal resolve alone; it is a life that depends on the Lord’s care.
Paul Continued Sharing the Word amid Fear in Corinth
Acts 18:1-8 records how Paul met Aquila and Priscilla in Corinth, worked for a living, taught in the synagogue, faced opposition, and saw people hear the message, believe, and receive baptism. This sequence shows that the people addressed by the Great Commission are not abstract numbers. They are real people who hear the Word, believe, and begin a new life. Paul’s ministry also included coworkers and labor, teaching and opposition.
In Acts 18:9-11, the Lord speaks to Paul in a vision at night, telling him not to fear but to keep speaking and not remain silent. The Lord declares that he is with Paul, that Paul will not be harmed there, and that he has many people in that city. Paul stays and teaches God’s Word. The assurance of the Lord’s presence is connected to the strength to continue teaching.
We must not expand this specific promise of protection given to Paul in Corinth into a guarantee that every person in ministry will be free from physical harm at all times and in all places. We need to consider the setting and the person addressed. What we can learn is not to treat danger lightly, but to follow Paul’s response: relying on the Lord’s Word as we share the gospel with and teach the people entrusted to our care.
He Testifies to the Lord’s Help Even When Others Leave
In 2 Timothy 4:16-17, Paul says that at his first defense no one supported him and people deserted him. Yet he also testifies that the Lord stood beside him and gave him strength so that the message might be fully proclaimed through him and all the Gentiles might hear. The Lord’s help does not mean that Paul experienced no loneliness. It appears alongside his testimony that he received strength to proclaim the gospel even in that lonely setting.
In 2 Timothy 4:18, the salvation Paul looks toward is connected to the Lord’s heavenly kingdom. If we change this into a claim that our plans will always succeed and every difficulty will disappear, we narrow the passage’s vision. This gives us a reason not to judge the Lord’s faithfulness by immediate evaluations or the size of a gathering.
This does not lessen the community’s responsibility. Paul’s testimony does not imply that we may leave weary people alone because the Lord is with them. We can contact ministry workers or new believers who need help, listen to them, and pray together. Receiving care from fellow believers is not a sign that we depend on the Lord less.
Trust His Promise and Make Room to Learn with One Person
As a small beginning in responding to the command in Matthew 28:19-20, think of someone with whom you could read the Word this week. If you already share your faith with someone, you can make a specific arrangement for your next meeting. If no one comes to mind yet, consider joining a group in your church that helps new believers, or begin by listening to a neighbor who wants to learn about Scripture. Avoid rushing the other person or pressuring them to take part.
When you meet, you can read Matthew 28:18-20 together and consider three things in turn. What does Jesus say about himself? What work does he entrust to his disciples? What promise does he give as he entrusts that work to them? First establish what the passage says, then talk about each person’s fears and obedience. This makes room for help grounded in Scripture rather than vague encouragement.
If someone is preparing for baptism, connect them with the appropriate church minister so they can learn together what it means to be baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. With someone already baptized, discuss specific ways to obey the Word you have studied. Making disciples does not end with a single conversation, nor is it about keeping someone attached to our group. It means continuing to help that person know and follow Jesus.
At the next meeting, do more than check whether the agreed practice went well. Listen together to what proved difficult and what help is needed. When answers are inadequate, return to the passage. When wrongdoing comes to light, repent together and keep learning. Scripture does not prescribe this meeting pattern as the only procedure; it is a suggested application of the command to teach people to obey.
Depend on the One Who Will Be with Us to the End
In Matthew 28:20, the promise does not end with our teaching schedule or this year’s goals. Jesus speaks of the end of the age. We cannot control every outcome, but we can depend on the promise of the Lord who entrusted us with the mission. This promise is not pressure on weary people to take on more work alone. It gives us a basis for relying on the Lord and continuing in the obedience entrusted to us alongside our community.
Leave yourself one question to discuss today. Trusting the Lord’s promise to be with you, with whom will you study Scripture this week, and which passage will you read? You can begin with one honest meeting, one time of opening the Bible, or one prayer for each other, rather than a grand plan. Even that small beginning can have a place within the Great Commission, which calls people from all nations and leads them into baptism, learning, and obedience.
Prayer Lord, help me depend on your authority and promise, rather than looking only at my ability and today’s feelings. Help me honestly learn what I do not know and warmly care for the people you have entrusted to me. As we walk together along the path of disciples who are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and obey your Word, help us trust you, the Lord who remains with us to the end. Amen.
References
- Matthew 28 — The commission to send disciples and the promise of his presence
- Matthew 1 — The meaning of Immanuel
- John 14 — The Counselor and Jesus’ promise not to leave his disciples
- Acts 18 — The Lord’s words to Paul in Corinth
- 2 Timothy 4 — The Lord who stood beside Paul and strengthened him
- Matthew 28:20 in parallel translations — The English direct quotation uses WEB