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The Great Commission and the Ascension
Matthew 28:18–20; Ascension 40 days after Easter (Acts 1)· Event· Bible story & events
Faith & scriptureHeld by believers on faith and scripture; history can neither confirm nor rule it out.
Before leaving the earth, the risen Jesus sent his disciples to 'make disciples of all nations', then was taken up into heaven.
See it on the Bible & Christianity map →What it is
Matthew 28:16–20 sets the scene on a mountain in Galilee: Jesus tells the Eleven to baptize 'in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit' and promises 'I am with you always'. Acts 1 adds that after 40 days of appearances he tells them to wait in Jerusalem for the Spirit and be his witnesses 'to the ends of the earth' (1:8), then is lifted into a cloud near the Mount of Olives.
Why it matters
It became the charter of Christian missions, from Paul's journeys to the missionaries who reached Korea, and its threefold baptism formula is used by nearly all churches.
Faith and history
Known only from the Gospels and Acts. Many scholars think Matthew's wording, especially the threefold formula, reflects church practice around AD 80–90; early converts in Acts are baptized 'in the name of Jesus' (2:38).
Questions and debates
Luke's Gospel seems to set the Ascension on Easter day itself (24:50–51), while Acts, by the same author, says 40 days later; how to read the two is discussed.
Connections (3)
▸Resurrection of Jesus (Easter) was followed by The Great Commission and the AscensionFaith & scripture
The connection
In Matthew the risen Jesus meets the Eleven on a mountain in Galilee and sends them out: 'Go therefore and make disciples of all nations'. In Acts he appears over 40 days, teaching about God's kingdom, then ascends near Jerusalem, promising the Spirit's power for their mission.
When and where
Galilee (Matthew 28:16–20) and the Mount of Olives (Acts 1:3–12), in the weeks after Easter, about AD 30 or 33.
How do we know?
Only Christian scripture records it. Historians note that the earliest followers did launch a mission, first to Jews and soon to Gentiles.
Questions and debates
Scholars debate whether a command to reach 'all nations' came from Jesus or reflects later experience, since Acts shows the apostles slow to accept Gentiles (Acts 10–11).
▸The Great Commission and the Ascension was followed, ten days later, by Pentecost: the Holy Spirit and the first churchFaith & scripture
The connection
Before ascending, Jesus told the apostles to wait in Jerusalem for 'power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you' (Acts 1:4–8). They waited, praying in an upper room with Mary and Jesus' brothers. Ten days later, at Pentecost, the Spirit came and the mission began with Peter's sermon.
When and where
Jerusalem, in the ten days between the Ascension (40 days after Easter) and Pentecost (50 days), about AD 30 or 33.
How do we know?
The sequence comes from Luke's Acts alone; the church calendar still keeps Ascension Thursday ten days before Pentecost Sunday.
Questions and debates
In John 20:22 Jesus breathes the Spirit on the disciples on Easter evening itself; how this fits Luke's Pentecost timeline is debated.
▸The Great Commission and the Ascension inspired William Carey and the modern missionary movementHistorical record
The connection
Carey's 1792 Enquiry opened by asking whether Jesus's command to 'go and make disciples of all nations' (Matthew 28:19) still bound Christians. Many Calvinists then held it was meant only for the apostles. Carey's answer, that it binds every generation, became the missionary movement's founding argument and its most-quoted verse.
When and where
Leicester and Kettering, England, 1792: the Enquiry appeared in May, and the Baptist Missionary Society was founded on October 2.
Historical evidence
The Enquiry's first section is titled 'An Enquiry whether the Commission given by our Lord to his Disciples be not still binding on us'; missionary sermons cite Matthew 28 constantly.
Questions and debates
The famous put-down 'Young man, sit down: when God pleases to convert the heathen, he will do it without your aid' comes from later recollections and may be embellished.