Make Jesus’ last command your greatest priority

Can you imagine feeling so seen by God that you can’t help but see others? Can you imagine your everyday, ordinary life having a significant eternal impact? This 7-day devotional from Christine Caine will help you discover how God has seen you, chosen you, and sent you to see others and to help them feel seen the way God sees them—with 20/20 vision.

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Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. -Matthew 28:19-20 CSB

These verses are often referred to as The Great Commission because God has commissioned us to “go and make disciples.” Matthew recorded that these were the very last words Jesus spoke before he ascended into Heaven.

Don’t the last words someone utters always seem important? If someone is writing a Last Will and Testament, they are penning their final instructions and remembrances. Aren’t those words we never forget?

 When my mother passed away, it was on the same day as my 50th birthday party. Nick had thrown this marvelous party for me with so many friends, and on the way home, I found numerous missed calls from my brother, Andrew, and a simple text: “Mum is gone.” I’ll never forget how grateful I felt that my other brother, George, had helped her FaceTime with me earlier in the day. I had told her how I would call her after the party and give her a full report on all the fun. I’ll always treasure the last memory I have of her—looking at her face, seeing her sweet smile and hearing her last words to me, “I love you.”

How could I not cherish her last words?    

Has anyone every given you last words? What would you do if those last words contained an instruction? What if those words included a plea like, “Take care of your brother,” or, “Look after your mother for me”? Wouldn’t that request become a mission in your life? Wouldn’t that request become your biggest priority?

 Could it be that it’s time to make Jesus’ last words—his last command—our greatest priority? 

Imagine what would happen if we offered our lives to God for him to make his compassion, power, presence, truth and love known? What would happen if everywhere we go, every interaction we had, we simply said, “God, I am fully available. Use me, use this time, use this interaction to draw others to you?” Do you think he’d answer that prayer? I am convinced he would. 

God has chosen you and me to make him known in this world. There is no plan B. We are God’s plan A. Let’s go and make his last command our greatest priority.

PRAYER

God, everywhere I go today, I am fully available. Use me in every interaction, every encounter, to draw others to you. I am ever ready to go and make disciples, in Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Accompanying bible verses

NIV version

Luke 14:23

²³ “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.

Acts 1:7-8

⁷ He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 5:20

²⁰ “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.”

2 Timothy 4:2

² Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.