The Great Commission

Jesus, before he ascended into heaven, gathered his disciples on top of the Mount of Olives, just outside Jerusalem. He had risen from the dead 40 days before, and had been seen by many people. The evening of the resurrection he had walked along the road to Emmaus with two of his disciples. At first they hadn't recognized him, but after they ate some food together it became apparent who he was. Jesus met with and discussed salvation with several other people, including a crowd of 500, before the final meeting on the Mount of Olives.

On the Mount of Olives, Jesus gave his disciples what is now known as the Great Commission. He said, "All authority in heaven and on earth . 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, even to the very end of the age." (Matt 28:18-20 NIV)

Jesus, during his life, believed himself to be God, and simultaneously God's messenger to humanity. He was the sacrifice for the sin of the world. When he said "all authority has been given to me," he was establishing the basis for the command he would give to his followers. "Make disciples" means to not simply teach people about what Jesus said, but teach them to teach others. Jesus entrusted the message of salvation to 12 men, and within a few hundred years it had spread across the known world. The Great Commission is the charge to spread the gospel.

Today, it has spread, but there are still unreached people groups who have never heard it. There are also places, like India, where the gospel has gone in the past, but since been forgotten. It's the responsibility of those who believe to spread the word where it is not known.