Go into All the World with the Gospel

Jesus said to His disciples, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15). It’s one thing to hear those words here—surrounded by evangelists and leaders. But out there in the field, it can feel too heavy a burden. It is too hard to go into all the world.

But that is because the Great Commission does not make sense without its context. The disciples had seen Jesus executed in shame, in a spectacle of pitiful weakness. It looked like He had been defeated, but what they had not understood was that Jesus was the One doing the defeating. He was tying up the strong man in order to plunder his house. He was overcoming the world. He was crushing the head of the serpent. He was disarming the rulers and authorities and putting them to open shame—He was triumphing over them.

And therefore God exalted Him, raising Him as the Prince of Glory and the Lord our Righteousness. The Father gave Him all authority in Heaven and on Earth. And God put all things under Christ’s feet and gave Him as head over all things (see Ephesians 1:22). Friends, He is the One who gives the Great Commission—the One with all things under His feet. And that is why He says that He would give them power in the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and to all the ends of the Earth.

The message we are given is not a Western message. It is not a Middle Eastern message. It is not the product of the European Reformation. It is Good News from Heaven, the only message with the power to transcend every culture, and it is the power of God for salvation.

Jesus said, “I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32). Before seeing Christ, nobody loves God. They dread Him. But when they see Him lifted up on His blood-soaked throne of grace, there they see love. They see mercy, they see forgiveness. They see His glorious heart displayed, and that is what turns them from dreading God to delighting in Him, as they see just how good and beautiful and kind He is. It is through the Gospel that we behold the light of the glory of God (see 2 Corinthians 4:6). Only by this glory-filled, life-giving message will anyone turn, believe and come to life.

And as you go, take heart; He doesn’t send you out alone. You will go with the Lord Himself. He said, “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

But how does the Lord work with evangelists and Christians in proclaiming the Gospel?

First, the Spirit gives us power. In Acts 1:8, Jesus said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses.” And the Spirit will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment (see John 16:8). In other words, the Spirit is the One who opens blind eyes. He is the One who replaces hearts of stone with hearts of flesh.

But that is not actually the primary way the Holy Spirit works with us. In John 14:26, Jesus said, “The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” In other words, the first work of the Spirit is to teach us the Gospel. We bear witness because the Holy Spirit first bears witness to us about Jesus.

Now, this is critical: Faithful witness to Jesus depends on our own appreciation of Jesus. If we grow spiritually cold, if we become professional salesmen of the Gospel without enjoying Jesus for ourselves, the world is going to hear of a Jesus not even we enjoy.

Your mouth will give away the true love of your heart. We always speak of what fills our hearts. So the Spirit opens our eyes to grow in our delight in Jesus, so that we cannot but speak of Him, and speak of Him with pleasure and joy.

Friends, look to Him and be radiant before the world (see Psalm 34:5). As the Spirit turns you to behold Jesus, you will find yourself glorying in Him so much that you won’t care what others say about you. The more glorious He is to you, the more impervious you will be to all opposition.

Friends, go to all, for all things have been placed under Jesus’ feet. Make no distinction, for all have sinned and are justified only by His grace. Go with the Gospel, that life-giving light of glory, the only power of God to drive away the darkness. And go with a Spirit who bears witness to Jesus and who will make us radiant.

Then one day we will see a great multitude that no one can number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Revelation 7:9-10). ©2025 BGEA

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version.