In Matthew 28:19–20, Jesus expected his disciples to develop others. The phrase, “Therefore go,” is often misleading in terms of Jesus’ focus. As a present participle in the original Greek, it should actually read, “As you are going, make disciples.” Jesus never told them to go; he expected it of them. He had modeled discipleship. He had trained them to be, think, and act like him. His emphasis was actually on making disciples, which happens to be the main verb in this passage. The process of developing others is further defined by the terms “baptizing” and “teaching.” As missional ambassadors in the kingdom of God, the disciples were to baptize new disciples and teach them to observe all of Christ’s commands. In other words, new disciples would symbolically die to their own desires in order to serve others and ultimately their Audience of One. Obeying Christ’s commands would ensure they remained aligned with the values of the kingdom.​

Lead, love, and serve, like Jesus!

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KEY QUESTIONS: How could a focus on “going” prevent me from “making disciples”? How could I model self-denial to those I am developing as leaders? Do I have a comprehensive list of what I want to pass on to others?