Go . . .Make DIsciples

"Go, therefore, and make disciples of people of all the nations." - MATTHEW 28:19.

THE apostles must have been full of anticipation as they gathered on a mountainside. Jesus had, after his resurrection, arranged  for them to meet him at that location.  (Matthew 28:16)  That was perhaps the occasion when "he appeared to more than 500 brothers at one time." (1 Corinthians 15:6) Why had Jesus called his disciples  to this meeting? To give them an exciting mission;  "Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations." -Read MATTHEW 28:18-20.

The disciples who heard Jesus' words became part of the first-century Christian congregation.  The primary mission of that congregation was to make more disciples of Christ.  Today, there are tens of thousands of true Christian congregations throughout the earth, and the primary mission of those congregations remains the same. In this article, we will consider four questions:  Why is disciple making so important?  What does it involve? Do all Christians have a part in making disciples? And why do we need patience for this work?

WHY IS DISCIPLE MAKING SO IMPORTANT?

Why is the disciple-makings work so important?  Because only disciples of Christ can be friends of God. In addition, those who follow Christ improve their lives now and have the hope of enjoying endless life in the future. (Read 14:6; 17:3)   Certainly, Jesus had entrusted us with an  important responsibility, but we do not do this work by ourselves. The apostle Paul wrote about himself and certain close associations: "We  are God's fellow workers."  (1 Corinthians 3:9) What a privilege Jehovah and Christ have give to imperfect humans!

The disciple-making work can bring us much joy. Consider the example of Ivan and his wife, Matilde, in Colombia.  They witnessed to a young man named Davier, who told them:  "I want to make changes in my life, but I can't." Davier was a prizefighter who used drugs, drank excessively, and lived with his girlfriend, Erika. Ivan explains:  "We began visiting him in his isolated village which meant riding our bicycles many hours along muddy road.  After noticing improvements in Davier's behavior and attitude, Erika joined  in the Bible study."  In time, Davier gave up drugs, drinking, and boxing.  He also married Erika.  Says Matilde:  "When Davier and Erika got baptized in 2016, we remembered that Davier use to say, 'I want to change, but I can't.'  We just couldn't hold back our tears." Without a doubt, we feel intense when we help people become disciples of Christ. 

Next time: Go . . . Make Disciples - WHAT DOES DISCIPLE-MAKING INVOLVE?

From the jw.org publications



























.