Before His ascension, Jesus commanded His disciples to go and make disciples of all the nations. This is often called “The Great Commission” and can be found in Matt 28:19-20. This command was not just for the eleven disciples who were gathered there but it is a command for all of Jesus’ disciples. We, who call ourselves disciples of Jesus, are given the same command – to go and make disciples of all nations.
However, it is obvious that each of us cannot literally go into all the nations; and the disciples did not literally do it either. So, how do we carry out this command of Jesus. We can look at what the disciples did. Peter started by preaching a great sermon on the day of Pentecost and about 3,000 people were converted. Thomas traveled to India and made disciples there. Paul preached in the synagogues and also in gentile cities. However, can we go back to the giver of this command and see what He did? If Jesus commanded us to do something, did He do it Himself?
Jesus traveled to all the regions of Galilee and the surrounding towns and villages teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom (Matt 4:23; 9:35). But how was He going to reach all the nations? This is where we need to consider Jesus’ Master Plan of Evangelism (and yes, He had a plan!).
In his book, “The Master Plan of Evangelism,” Robert E. Coleman, lists eight principles that Jesus used to ensure that He will reach all the nations. These eight principles can be summed up in one sentence – Men (people) were His method of winning the world to God. Jesus did not invest in a program; rather, He invested in men He chose out of the world. And we can see more than 2,000 years later that His plan was perfect!
The 8 Principles
- Selection: Jesus’ first objective was to choose men who will be with Him and carry out His work after Him (Mark 3:14). We read in the Gospels that at the very beginning of His ministry, Jesus started by calling different people to follow Him. The disciples were of various backgrounds: fishermen, tax-collector, and others. These men did not occupy a prominent place in the society but for the most part were common laboring men. But they were willing to learn. We see this in the various interactions they had with Jesus – asking Him how to pray (Luke 11:1), to show them the Father (John 14:8) and through many other questions.
- Association: Jesus did not choose the disciples, give them a plan of study, and expect them to figure it out by themselves. No, He stayed with them and spent time with them. There was no curriculum, formal school, or course of study. He was with them and included them in all the activities He was doing. “Knowledge was gained by association before it was understood by explanation.”
- Consecration: Jesus expected His disciples to obey Him. They needed to be fully devoted to Him. He taught this in many ways. He expected them to deny themselves and carry their cross (Mark 8:34-38), to love Him more than anything/anyone else (Matt 10:37-38), and to count the cost before following Him (Luke 9:62). “Obedience to Christ thus was the very means by which those in His company learned more truth.”
- Impartation: Jesus not only expected all from His disciples, but He gave His all to them. He gave them all that He had heard from the Father (John 15:15), He gave them His peace (John 14:27, 16:33), He gave them His joy (John 15:11), He gave them His glory (John 17:22), He gave them His life (John 15:13), and He gave them His Spirit (John 20:22) through whom He continued to live in them (John 14:23).
- Demonstration: As mentioned in “Association” above, there was no curriculum or program of study; rather, Jesus taught them through His own example. Jesus did everything that He expected His followers to do. His disciples were so intrigued by every part of Jesus’ life that they wanted to imitate Him. They wanted to pray like He did (Luke 11:1), to heal and cast out demons like He did (Matt 17:19), to understand like He did (Matt 13:10), to drink the cup like He would (Mark 10:39).
- Delegation: It was not merely a show and tell with Jesus but also a hands-on practicum. Jesus assigned them work so they would learn by doing. He sent them out by themselves to preach and to heal (Mark 6:7-13), and He also asked them to baptize (John 4:2). Jesus knew very well that the message they were to preach was not something that the world will want to hear. However, He did not shy away from warning them about the hardships they would face.
- Supervision: As part of being with the disciples, Jesus also kept check on them. He wanted His disciples to tell Him the things they had done when they were sent out by Him. He taught them that they need to pray and fast more when they could not heal a demon-possessed boy (Matt 17:14-20). He told them to have faith in Him every time they began to encourage doubts. He was by their side making sure that they were learning and getting the right understanding.
- Reproduction: The main purpose of Jesus’ plan was that the disciples would in-turn make more disciples. This brings us back to The Great Commission. Jesus wanted His disciples to bear fruit (John 15:1-6) and to make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:19-20). But the disciples were not going to do this by their own power. He told them to wait for the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8) and when the Holy Spirit had fallen on them (Acts 2:4), the floodgates were opened, and the disciples produced more disciples, who made other disciples.
What can we learn?
The first lesson for us is to realize that we are called to reach the nations. The Great Commission is for us, and we have to be willing to make disciples and teach them to observe everything Jesus commanded. If you are a Christian, this is not an option.
But before we teach others, we have to learn the teachings of Christ. We need to be a follower of Christ before we can make other followers of Christ. A person cannot lead unless he/she has been led by the Master. This involves studying the Scriptures, praying, fasting, belonging to a body of followers, and other spiritual disciplines.
We cannot look to programs to achieve this mission. Instead, we have to invest in people. “The multitudes cannot know the gospel unless they have a living witness.” Not only must we preach and live the gospel, but we must also seek people to train and develop who will do the same in their context.
It does not have to be a large number; start with a handful of people or one person! Invest your time in them. Mentor them and teach them the things you are learning or have learned. Motivate them to grow in Christ and help them carry their burdens. When they are ready, expect them to find others that they can train.
If you are reading this and you need a mentor, reach out to your church elders, and ask them to suggest people in your church who can mentor you.
Conclusion
We are called to make disciples, and this is not an option. Just as we do not have an option to forsake our sin, we do not have an option but to evangelize. As Paul said, “Woe to us if we don’t preach the gospel” (1 Cor 9:16). Let us learn from the Master and invest in people. Men (people) were His method. Let them be ours too!
Further Reading
Robert E. Coleman, “The Master Plan of Evangelism”
