One of the most powerful statements proclaimed by Jesus Christ during His life on earth is recorded in the gospel of Matthew:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20, NIV)

This statement is known among Christians as the Great Commission.

Another well-known, life-giving statement that Jesus made is known as the Great Commandment, also recorded in the same gospel:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40, NIV)

(In the latter example, Jesus actually quoted Moses in the Old Testament for the first part of the statement from Deuteronomy 6:5 and for the second part from Leviticus 19:18)

Both statements are so profound that Christ’s followers today still strive to obey and live them out. These statements give the disciples meaning and purpose in their lives.

Loving God, the Creator and the Author of Life, and loving people, who are created in the image of God, is what ultimately gives us meaning and purpose.

When we love God and people, our heart is filled with joy and peace because we do what we are created for—we fulfill what our heart longs for.

In contrast, when we stop loving God and people, we are going to the path of destruction with no joy and peace in our heart—because we depart from the true reason for our being.

Let us now unpack Christ’s statement in the first example which gives us a significant revelation for the practical applications or manifestations of the divine calling or purpose in our lives as His followers. (While this command was contextually addressed to His early disciples, I believe it still applies to every believer in Christ today)

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me (Jesus) . . .

What a bold declaration! I don’t think I have ever heard anyone else in the history making such a grand statement. Was Jesus being overconfident? I don’t believe so. But I believe Jesus showed confidence in His identity and purpose. He has been given, not some, but ALL authority in heaven and on earth! This, of course, includes authority over life and death. That’s why, our ultimate calling or purpose in life is to KNOW and BELIEVE that Jesus is the Lord of heaven and earth, the Lord of the living and the dead.

“. . . Therefore go and make disciples of all nations . . .

We are commanded to go and make disciples of all nations. First, as Christ’s disciple, I believe that He commands me to go out of my comfort zones, to leave my past sinful life behind, and to depart from my own selfish agendas, ambitions, or addictions. And, importantly, He commands me to make disciples of ALL nations. What a divine appointment and a great privilege it is to partner with God in His mission! This means that I am called [and given purpose] to make Christ KNOWN, BELIEVED, and FOLLOWED by all people in my community and reaching out to the world. I curiously believe the Internet exists to facilitate this purpose.

“. . . baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit . . .

Here, Jesus clearly revealed the authority of the triune God, who plays an indispensable role in His mission with us and for the world. Does this mean we need to literally baptize people in water? Isn’t this baptism duty only assigned to pastors or priests? Well, I believe as God’s holy people who put faith in Jesus we can also fulfill this duty by calling people into repentance and baptizing them. We can go into water and baptize a repentant person (penitent) in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. But I also believe that I am called [and given purpose] to call sinners to REPENT—letting their old life be buried and their new life be raised—by the [cleansing] power of the Holy Water in God’s River of Love that transforms them into a new creation in Christ. Ideally, just as a new physical birth needs to be announced, a new spiritual birth requires a public declaration. I fill my purpose when I acknowledge and proclaim the amazing work God has done in my life.

“. . . teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you . . .

As Christ’s disciples, we need to be good at teaching! (Who says that teaching is not for every believer?). In order to excel in teaching, I first need to excel in learning. As a Christian, I must learn daily from the Word through the help and guidance of the Spirit. And here’s the hardest part of this commandment (to me, at least): to obey everything Jesus has commanded me! “Teaching people” is hard, “teaching people to obey” is harder, and “teaching people to obey every commandment” is hardest! How could I possibly fulfill this seemingly impossible mission? I may not have a perfect answer now, but I believe through this commandment God calls us to live a life with utmost dedication according to His [highest] standard. Our moral values, work ethics, and worldviews as Christ’s disciples must align with God’s standards and, therefore, reflect His glory [wisdom, love, and power]. So, yes, our ultimate calling or purpose is to ALIGN with God as we first ABIDE in Him.

“. . . And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

If you feel desperate already to fulfill the teaching commandment, here’s the good news that Jesus has promised: He is with you always, even to the very end of the age! This means that we should not struggle alone. It is true we can never fulfill these purposes without Jesus, as He says that apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). But it is also true that with Him we can do all things (Philippians 4:13). This is why we need to continually rely on Him. So, I believe that our ultimate calling or purpose is to be WITH GOD ALWAYS as it is also His desire in the first place to be with us always. Intimacy with God should be our utmost goal in life. If the God of the universe calls you by name and tells you, “I want you. I love you. I adore you. You are precious to Me. You are Mine.”, would you do the same to Him in response to His calling?

May you know that Jesus Christ has come so you may live an abundant and eternal life. And the life God has given us in Christ is filled with meaning and purpose, so we can truly experience the overflowing joy and lasting peace that the world cannot offer. Praise the Lord!

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^{This article was originally written on July 23, 2025 in Port Coquitlam, BC, Canada.
The featured image was originally designed by the author.}