THE FULL PICTURE OF THE GOSPEL MANDATE
And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen (Mark 16:20).
When you study the Synoptic Gospels—Matthew, Mark and Luke—you’d observe different perspectives to the Lord’s instruction with respect to the preaching of the Gospel. However, one theme stands out: The Gospel is to be preached to every man, woman, boy and girl; it’s for all nations.
Mark gives us a clear structure for our mission as read in our opening scripture. The disciples went forth and preached everywhere; they did their part, and the Lord did His part by confirming the Word they preached with signs. This makes our responsibility clear: We preach the Word, and it’s the Lord’s responsibility to confirm it with signs following.
In Luke 24:46-47, we see another significant aspect of the Master’s instructions. Luke, who had a deep understanding of the events surrounding Jesus’ ministry, adds a crucial point about the content of the Gospel that we’re to preach: repentance and remission of sins, “…Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”
While Matthew emphasized teaching all that Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:19-20), and Mark focused on preaching the Gospel which the Lord confirms with signs (Mark 16:19-20), Luke gave us the full picture. The Lord’s message was not just to teach or preach but to declare repentance and remission of sins among all nations.
The early disciples initially kept the message within the Jewish community. They may have thought the Gospel was only for the Jews scattered among the nations, or perhaps they misunderstood the global scope of the Lord’s command. But the Gospel was always meant for all nations, for every creature (Mark 16:15). This revelation became clear through discussions like those recorded in Acts 15, where they finally embraced the full scope of the Lord’s mission.
Today, we carry that same mission, teaching all that Jesus commanded, preaching the Gospel to every creature and to all nations, declaring repentance and the remission of sins in His Name. And the Lord continues to work with us, confirming His Word with signs following. Praise God!
PRAYER
Dear Father, thank you for confirming your Word with signs, blessings and miracles as we, your children, all go forth and preach your Word today. Many receive salvation and are converted as your Word comes to them in the power of the Spirit, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY
Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 15:7-9Mark 16:19-20
1-Year Bible Reading Plan: Matthew 2 & Genesis 3-5
2-Year Bible Reading Plan: Matthew 1:15-25 & Genesis 2
