The parting instruction of Jesus about making disciples captures in one sentence and four key words what is involved in the complex task of making disciples. First is to baptize them. And second, we see the four disciple-making key words: which are: “teach”, “obey”, “commands”, and “everything”.
“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.”
Matt 28:19-20
As disciple-makers, we need to (1) teach the disciples so that they would (2) obey, not just be aware of, not just be knowledgeable about, but to actually obey (3) everything, not just a few choice commands, but everything (4) that Jesus commanded.
When I focused on that last item, “everything”, I suddenly felt the need and the urge to look for a list of everything that Jesus commanded. Yes, of course, I know it’s in the four gospels. And yes, I’ve read those gospels many times over. But never, until now, did I feel that I wished I had in one neat little list, a compilation of every single command of Jesus.
SEARCH FOR ALL THE COMMANDS
I did a Google search for “commands of Jesus” and I saw quite a number of articles enumerating the commands of Jesus. I was delighted and thanked God that people have actually done this and made it easier for me to study the list, and to begin planning on how to teach others how to obey all these commands.
However, I noticed that the lists that I saw in the internet do not all have the same set of commands. Some listed 29 commands, others had 49, and still others more than that. In fact some people listed verses that I thought didn’t really represent what I think was really a command that Jesus meant His disciples to be obey. And so, I took it upon myself to go through all four gospels myself to “seek and find” what I personally thought were the commands of Jesus that He wants us to teach others to obey.
(Side bar) For those of you who might want to do this yourselves, don’t be daunted by the 89 chapters and 3,779 verses in the 4 gospels combined. Fortunately, there are bible apps or even printed bibles that have the words of Jesus in red font, and so if you had this, this would greatly facilitate your search. And you will soon find that there are many passages where Jesus is not giving instructions, but narrating a parable, talking about Himself, about His mission, and so on. If you’re already familiar with the gospels, you’ll know when to slow down and when to skim over.
COMPILING MY OWN LIST
As it turns out, I was able to go through all four gospels and complete my list in one nice, lazy Sunday afternoon. Having made the effort on my part, I felt God being true to His promise that those who seek Him will find Him. This experience in searching and the process of wading through the words of Jesus gave me a very different view of the agenda and the messages of Jesus in a way that I had never before considered or thought about. I therefore encourage anyone who is reading this article to invest the time to make your own list. I am certain you will feel greatly rewarded for this effort. So, please, go ahead, and try it.
WHAT NOT TO INCLUDE
TIP: While you do this, remember that not all verses that sound like commands of Jesus would qualify for this “obey-everything” list. What we’re looking for are specific commands that are more or less clear cut, and that do need long reflection time to interpret. Specifically, we want to exclude the following:
- Instructions that are specific to a situation or to a specific individual, like “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” or “Go, call your husband and come back.” Or “Zacchaeus, come down immediately.” (Luke 19:5)
- Verses that sound like instructions and commands, but are really explanations of certain other lessons or principles like “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s.” or “Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
Don’t get me wrong; I don’t mean to diminish the value of these verses — for everyone can extract great wisdom just by reflecting on the symbolisms of these words. But as for tagging them to include in the list of commands-to-be-obeyed-by-all-His-disciples, these are not the verses we’re looking for.
I’d be happy to hear what your experience is in your search for and listing of the commands. In another article, I shall share with you my own list of verses that I compiled from all the four gospels, and how I suggest you might use a list like this as a bible study exercise for your discipleship group. Go here for my compilation of All the Commands of Jesus.
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