SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION

- The times Jesus taught from the heights - as we saw earlier in Matthew 5 and 17 - seem to be significant. Here at the very end of this gospel, in Matthew 28:16-20, Jesus has brought his disciples together to hear his instructions before he returns to God. Considering that in the past, God's people were told to gather at the temple to be near God, what is new and unique in these instructions? What does this imply about where God is? What does this imply about who God's people are?

- Why do you think Jesus begins by talking about authority in verse 18? Why is authority important? What would you tell someone who claimed that he or she were not under anyone's authority, that they were their own authority?

- Verse 19 is Jesus' first command as the risen King. As followers of Christ, what are we commanded to do, and where are we commanded to do it? Do churches have to choose between going to other nations to make disciples or making disciples where they live?

- When does a person stop needing to be discipled? If this process lasts your lifetime, how encouraging are Jesus' final words to his followers in verse 20?