How the Old Testament Fits into the Great Commission

Have We Forgotten the Whole Story?

Let’s be honest. Somewhere along the way, the Church started singing the Great Commission like it was a solo, not a symphony.

Barna said it bluntly back in 2018: only about one in four churchgoers could say what the Great Commission even is. And you don’t have to look far to feel it—our pulpits are quieter about it, our programs are distracted from it, and our pews are less convinced of it. We talk about missions like it’s an optional add-on, not a central command from the Lord of glory.

But it wasn’t always like this.

Matthew 28:18–20 still reads the same, whether we remember it or not:

“All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”

That’s no postscript. That’s the marching orders of the risen King.

But here’s what we miss: it didn’t start in Matthew. That call to go—to bless, to proclaim, to invite the nations—that started all the way back in Genesis.

Jesus Didn’t Make It Up on the Spot

Flip over to Luke 24, and listen to the risen Christ:

“All things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me… that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations.”

Jesus isn’t introducing something new. He’s picking up the melody line that began at creation. Redemption has always been global. The Gospel didn’t debut in Galilee—it was whispered in Eden, shouted to Abraham, and sung by the prophets.

Eden Was the First Mission Field

Back in the garden, God gave Adam and Eve a commission—be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth (Gen. 1:28). That wasn’t just about population. It was about representation. The image of God was meant to go global.

Even after the fall, God repeated the call to Noah (Gen. 9:1). But humanity didn’t want to scatter. They wanted a tower and a name for themselves (Gen. 11). So God scattered them Himself. But He didn’t walk away.

Instead, He called a man named Abram.

“In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Gen. 12:3).

Not just Israel. Not just one tribe. All families. That promise echoed through Isaac, through Jacob, and down through the centuries until a baby cried in Bethlehem—the Seed of Abraham, come to bless the world.

Israel Wasn’t the Endpoint

When God rescued Israel out of Egypt, it wasn’t just to save them—it was to display His glory to the world. That’s why a “mixed multitude” left with them (Ex. 12:38). That’s why Canaanites like Rahab believed.

God told Pharaoh why He was raising him up:

“That my name may be declared throughout all the earth” (Ex. 9:16).

And Moses? He told Israel to live wisely—not for themselves, but so that “the nations” would see and know (Deut. 4:6).

David said it to Goliath:

“That all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel” (1 Sam. 17:46).

Solomon said it when he dedicated the temple:

“Concerning a stranger… that all people of the earth may know thy name” (1 Kings 8:41–43).

The Psalms say it again and again:

“Let the peoples praise thee, O God; let all the peoples praise thee” (Psalm 67:3).

The nations were always the aim.

Even the Exile Had a Mission

When Israel was scattered, the mission didn’t end. It spread.

God used Babylonian kings to proclaim His name. Nebuchadnezzar praised the Most High after the fiery furnace (Dan. 3). Darius wrote to “all peoples, nations, and languages” after Daniel’s lion’s den deliverance (Dan. 6).

God was never just rescuing individuals. He was making Himself known to the ends of the earth.

The Prophets Preached It Too

Isaiah didn’t mince words:

“I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth” (Isa. 49:6).

The Messiah was always meant to be more than Israel’s redeemer. He was to be the hope of nations.

The New Testament Doesn’t Change the Tune

So when Jesus says, “Go ye therefore,” He’s not switching songs. He’s bringing it to a crescendo.

• Matthew 28: Go make disciples of all nations.

• Mark 16: Go preach to every creature.

• John 20: “As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.”

• Acts 1:8: You’ll be my witnesses to the ends of the earth.

And He didn’t just give the assignment—He promised the power. “Lo, I am with you always.”

Conclusion: One Bible, One Mission

From the first garden to the final Amen, the story hasn’t changed. God is calling the nations. The Old Testament isn’t a detour—it’s the foundation.

The question is: have we forgotten?

We were never meant to keep this Gospel to ourselves. Like Israel, we’re not a reservoir—we’re a river. Like Abraham, we are blessed to be a blessing.

Jesus bought them.
Now we go get them.

Let’s not treat the Great Commission like a new hit single.
It’s the anthem of the whole Bible.
And it’s time to turn the volume back up.