--- title: What is the Great Commission? description: Think you know the Great Commission? Take a quick quiz, explore Jesus’ call to make disciples, and see how it shapes missions today. image: https://www.ywamnuremberg.com/hubfs/kids%20on%20outreach%2c%20africa.webp --- [Skip to the main content.](https://www.ywamnuremberg.com/blog/what-is-the-great-commission#main-content) [![YNB. Logo](https://www.ywamnuremberg.com/hs-fs/hubfs/YNB.%20WhiteFullLogoFinalized.png?width=6000&height=1956&name=YNB.%20WhiteFullLogoFinalized.png "YNB. Logo")](https://ywamnuremberg.com?hsLang=en) [![YNB. Logo](https://www.ywamnuremberg.com/hs-fs/hubfs/YNB.%20BlackFullLogoFinalized.png?width=6000&height=1956&name=YNB.%20BlackFullLogoFinalized.png "YNB. 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[Jimmy](https://www.ywamnuremberg.com/blog/author/jimmy) : March 06, 2026 [Missions](https://www.ywamnuremberg.com/blog/tag/missions) ![What is the Great Commission?](https://www.ywamnuremberg.com/hubfs/kids%20on%20outreach%2c%20africa.webp) If you’ve spent any time around church or missions, you’ve probably heard the phrase “The Great Commission.” It gets mentioned in sermons, mission conferences, and outreach talks. But sometimes we assume everyone knows exactly what it means. So before we explain it, let’s try a quick quiz. ### Which of the following verses is the Great Commission? **Mark 8:34** *"Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."* **❌ Not the Great Commission.** But definitely a **Great Challenge**. Jesus makes it very clear that following Him involves surrender. **John 14:6** *“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”* **❌ Important verse, wrong category.** This verse tells us **who Jesus is**, not what He sends His followers to do. **Matthew 22:37-40** *“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind… and love your neighbor as yourself.”* **❌ Close!** This is the **Great Commandment**, which shapes how we live, but it’s not the Great Commission. **Matthew 28:18-20** *“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing... teaching them... And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”* ✅ **Yes! The Great Commission in its most well-known form.**  But did you know every Gospel has a version? **Mark 12:17** *“Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”* **❌ Important teaching. Not the global mission briefing.** If that quiz was trickier than expected, you’re not alone. A 2018 Barna study found that over half of churchgoers (51%) had never heard of the Great Commission. And when they were given this quiz, 37% of church goers picked the correct verse.[1](https://www.ywamnuremberg.com/blog/what-is-the-great-commission#ref) ## What Is the Great Commission? When Christians talk about the Great Commission, they are referring to Jesus’ final instructions to His followers, most often referencing Matthew 28:18-20. This moment happens right after the resurrection. Jesus gathers His disciples and sends them out with a clear mission for the future. In simple terms, the Great Commission is **Jesus sending His followers to help people from every nation become His disciples.** But that raises some important questions. ### Why Did Jesus Give Us This Commission? When Jesus first spoke these words, He was talking directly to His disciples. They were the ones standing in front of Him on that mountain. But the mission didn’t end with them. The disciples carried the message of Jesus into new cities and cultures, and new believers joined the movement. Generation after generation, followers of Jesus continued the same task: helping others come to know Him and follow Him. In other words, the Great Commission wasn’t just for the first disciples. It became the ongoing mission of the church. Jesus’ heart has always been for the world. Throughout the Bible we see God pursuing people from every nation, language, and culture. The Great Commission is simply the moment when Jesus clearly invited (and continues to invite) His followers to participate in that mission. It’s not just an assignment. It’s an invitation to join what God is already doing.  ### What Does the Great Commission Look Like Today? Sometimes people hear the phrase “Great Commission” and immediately picture missionaries moving overseas. While cross-cultural missions is definitely part of the story, the Great Commission is bigger than that. Today, followers of Jesus participate in this mission in many different ways. - Some people **go to places where the gospel is not yet known**, serving long-term among people who have little or no access to the message of Jesus. - Others **share their faith where they already live**:in their schools, workplaces, neighborhoods, and communities. - Many believers **pray for the nations**, asking God to open doors for the gospel around the world. - Others **give financially or support missionaries**, helping send people to places they cannot go themselves. The Great Commission has always been a global team effort. Different roles, different locations, but the same mission: helping people encounter Jesus and learn to follow Him. ### When Is the Task Complete? This is an important question. Jesus gave the command to make disciples of all nations, but when will that actually happen? The Bible gives us a glimpse of the finish line in Revelation 7:9, where John describes a future moment: > *“A great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.”* In other words, the story ends with people from every part of the world worshiping Jesus. The Great Commission is moving toward that moment. Until then, the mission continues. ### Is the Great Commission Only in Matthew? Most people point to Matthew 28:18-20 when they talk about the Great Commission. But something interesting happens when you read the rest of the New Testament. Versions of the same mission appear in all four Gospels and in the book of Acts. Each one highlights a slightly different part of Jesus’ instructions to His followers. If you want to explore that more, check out our post: [The Great Commission in Every Gospel](https://www.ywamnuremberg.com/blog/great-commission-in-every-gospel?hsLang=en) Seeing the full picture makes the mission of Jesus even clearer.   #### References: 1 Barna. (Mar. 27, 2018). 51% of Churchgoers Don’t Know of the Great Commission. Retrieved from [https://www.barna.com/research/half-churchgoers-not-heard-great-commission/](https://www.barna.com/research/half-churchgoers-not-heard-great-commission/)  - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [![Lifestyle of a Missionary](https://www.ywamnuremberg.com/hubfs/Blog/Blog%20Feature%20Photos%20-%20save%20as%20WebP%20files%20(max%20300KB)/Lifestyle%20of%20a%20Missionary%20-%20Blog%20Feature%20Photo%20-%20WebP.webp)](https://www.ywamnuremberg.com/blog/lifestyle-of-a-missionary?hsLang=en) #### [Lifestyle of a Missionary](https://www.ywamnuremberg.com/blog/lifestyle-of-a-missionary?hsLang=en) [![Picture of Elliot](https://www.ywamnuremberg.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Elliot.png?width=30&name=Elliot.png) Elliot](https://www.ywamnuremberg.com/blog/author/elliot) : March 06, 2019 The lifestyle of a missionary is a wholly, self-sacrificial choice of placing God as the director of their life. [Missions](https://www.ywamnuremberg.com/blog/tag/missions) [Read More](https://www.ywamnuremberg.com/blog/lifestyle-of-a-missionary?hsLang=en) [![How Can I Share the Gospel?](https://www.ywamnuremberg.com/hubfs/Blog/Blog%20Feature%20Photos%20-%20save%20as%20WebP%20files%20(max%20300KB)/How%20to%20share%20the%20Gospel%20-%20Blog%20Feature%20Photo%20-%20WebP.webp)](https://www.ywamnuremberg.com/blog/how-to-share-the-gospel?hsLang=en) #### [How Can I Share the Gospel?](https://www.ywamnuremberg.com/blog/how-to-share-the-gospel?hsLang=en) [![Picture of Lukas](https://www.ywamnuremberg.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Lukas.png?width=30&name=Lukas.png) Lukas](https://www.ywamnuremberg.com/blog/author/lukas) : November 10, 2022 Share the Gospel with anyone at anytime using four simple symbols. 💛➗✝️❓ It's not a math problem. It's all about God's love and our response. [Missions Tools](https://www.ywamnuremberg.com/blog/tag/missions-tools) [Read More](https://www.ywamnuremberg.com/blog/how-to-share-the-gospel?hsLang=en) [![How to Pray for Cambodia](https://www.ywamnuremberg.com/hubfs/Prayer%20for%20Cambodia.webp)](https://www.ywamnuremberg.com/blog/how-to-pray-for-cambodia?hsLang=en) #### [How to Pray for Cambodia](https://www.ywamnuremberg.com/blog/how-to-pray-for-cambodia?hsLang=en) [![Picture of Ileana](https://www.ywamnuremberg.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Ileana.png?width=30&name=Ileana.png) Ileana](https://www.ywamnuremberg.com/blog/author/ileana) : January 17, 2024 The church in Cambodia is only 100 years old. In that time there's been great growth, near complete wipeout, and back to strong growth. Let's pray... [Missions](https://www.ywamnuremberg.com/blog/tag/missions) [Read More](https://www.ywamnuremberg.com/blog/how-to-pray-for-cambodia?hsLang=en) [![YNB. 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