When we read about Jesus sending His disciples, He doesn’t say the exact same thing every time. Each Gospel (+ Acts) captures a different angle of the Great Commission, and together, they give us a fuller picture of what it actually means to be sent.
The mission stays the same. The emphasis shifts.
Let’s walk through how Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts each frame the call to go.
Matthew gives us the most quoted version of the Great Commission.
Matthew 28:18-20
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew’s focus is clear: authority and discipleship. Jesus doesn’t start with activity. He starts with who’s in charge.
Key themes of the Great Commission in Matthew:
This isn’t a call to start programs. It’s a call to reproduce a way of life under Jesus’ lordship. Matthew reminds us that we don’t go in our confidence, we go in His authority.
Mark’s Gospel is fast-paced and action-oriented, and his version of the commission reflects that.
Mark 16:15
Jesus said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”
Mark emphasizes proclamation and demonstration. The good news isn’t just explained, it’s announced. And it’s confirmed by God’s power at work.
In Mark, sending looks like:
Mark reminds us that missions isn’t timid or theoretical. The gospel is good news meant to be heard, seen, and experienced.
Luke’s commission is quieter, but deeply intentional.
Luke 24:46-49
He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
Luke highlights content and witness. The message matters.
What’s being sent isn’t vague spirituality, it’s a clear invitation:
Luke also emphasizes that the disciples are witnesses, not salespeople. They’re sent to testify to what they’ve seen, heard, and experienced. And importantly, Jesus tells them to wait. Mission flows from empowerment, not striving.
John doesn’t record a formal “go” statement in the same way. Instead, he gives us something deeply relational.
John 20:21
Then said Jesus to them again, "Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you."
John’s focus is identity and incarnation. Missions isn’t just about where we go, but how we go.
We are sent:
John roots mission in relationship, not strategy. We don’t just carry a message. We reflect a Person.
Acts doesn’t replace the Great Commission, it unfolds it.
Acts 1:8
He said to them, "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 shows us what happens when all the Gospel emphases come together.
Acts makes one thing unmistakably clear: Mission is impossible without the Holy Spirit.
The early church didn't grow because of charisma or resources. The church grows because ordinary people say yes to the Spirit’s leading.
None of them stands alone. Together, we see what it really means to be sent. Missions is shaped by obedience, intimacy, boldness, humility, and dependence on God. And it's the same Jesus who sent His disciples, who is still sending His people today. And He hasn’t changed His mind about the nations.