THE GOSPEL MESSAGE: JESUS IS THE RISEN LORD!

MATTHEW 28:18-20

[18] And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth.
[19] Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
[20] Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:  and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

VERSE 18

"All power is given unto Me" - the Greek ἐξουσία (exousia), speaks of His authority.  In Acts 1:8, the Holy Spirit would come and His disciples would also receive power.  Here, the Greek δύναμις (dynamis), could refer to the Gospel message, which is "the power of God unto salvation" (Rom. 1:16 where the Greek δύναμις (dynamis) is also used).  This makes sense because in the next verse, those who receive their message, were to be baptized.

VERSE 19

"Teach all nations" - the Greek μαθητεύω (mathēteuō), means to make disciples.  Again, only disciples would be baptized.  Those doing the baptizing were to do so as servants of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit!  The fact that the word "and" is there, indicates that there are three personages of the Trinity, and that the Trinity was part of the message accepted by the new babes in Christ. 

VERSE 20

"Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" - this clearly shows that the new believers were to be taught the same teachings that the disciples had received from Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry.

 

SOME OTHER VERSES TO CONSIDER

*  Mark 1:1 - "The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" (the entire Gospel of Mark is considered "the Gospel.").

*  Luke 24:47 - "And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."

*  Acts 1:8 - "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

*  Acts 15:7 - "And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the Gospel, and believe."  (Finally, they understood what Jesus meant when He told them to preach the Gospel to ALL NATIONS!).

*  Romans 10:9-13 - "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed.  For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek:  for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him.  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."