Spring Warrior Church of Christ

7432 S. Red Padgett Road

Perry, FL 32348
584-5176

WHAT wOULD JESUS dO? No. 27

JESUS WOULD EVANGELIZE by Bill Blue
People oftentimes place importance on a person’s final words. What
can lessons can we learn from Jesus’ final instructions to the apostles before
He ascended into heaven?

JESUS EXPECTS US TO EVANGELIZE. The books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and
Acts all record that Jesus’ final instructions to the apostles included the
commands to preach the gospel (Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:44-52,
John 21:15-17; Acts 1:8).

Matthew and Mark quote Jesus as requiring the Gospel to be preached

in “all nations” (Matt. 28:20; Luke 24:47), and to “the whole human race”
(Mark 16:15 - AMPLIFIED BIBLE).

JESUS EXPECTS US TO PREACH THE NECESSITY OF BAPTISM. According to Jesus, baptism

is necessary for salvation (Mark 16:16), and to become one of His disciples
(Matt. 28:19). Luke records that Jesus commanded, “repentance and
remission of sins should be preached” (Luke 24:47). Peter, Luke, and Paul all
say that baptism is for the remission or “washing away,” of sins (Acts 2:38.
22:16).

JESUS EXPECTS US TO OBEY HIS COMMANDS AS THEY ARE GIVEN. The apostles and early
disciples followed Jesus’ instructions exactly. Luke wrote that Jesus
commanded the apostles to remain in Jerusalem after His ascension and wait
for the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5). Then, preach the gospel first in Jerusalem,
then the rest of Judea, Samaria and finally the rest of the world.
46
“Then He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, and thus it was
necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the
third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be
preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48
And you are witnesses of these things. 49 Behold, I send the
Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem
until you are endued with power from on high.’” (Luke 24:46-49)
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon
 you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all
Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8, NKJV).

Following this instruction, the apostles returned to Jerusalem (Luke

24:52; Acts 1:12). They were in Jerusalem when they received the baptism
of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:12–2:4). Immediately after receiving the Holy Spirit,
Peter preached the first gospel sermon in Jerusalem and 3,000 people were
baptized (Acts 2:14, 41). Afterwards, Peter and others continued preaching
and working miracles until the doctrine of Christ had “filled Jerusalem” (Acts
5:28).

Later, Philip went to Samaria. Many there “heeded” his teachings, and
were baptized through his preaching of Jesus and the kingdom of God (Acts
8:5-6, 8:12-14).

Other Christians, fleeing Jewish persecution, spread the Gospel “as far
as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch” (Acts 11:19-20). Eventually, the apostles
and others succeeded in “turn[ing] the world upside down” (Acts 17:6) for
the Gospel had not only been successful in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria,
but also “throughout almost all of Asia” (Acts 19:26).

Thus, as Jesus commanded, the apostles preached the gospel first in

Jerusalem and Judea, then Samaria and the rest of the world.

JESUS EXPECTS US TO FOLLOW THE APOSTLES’ EXAMPLES AND TEACHINGS . Jesus instructed
the apostles to teach the new disciples they baptized to obey everything He
commanded the apostles (Matt. 28:20). Thus, we too, are responsible for
“preaching” or “proclaiming” God’s word (2 Tim. 4:2; 1 Pet. 2:9; 1 Pet. 3:15).

This is our final article in this series. We hope that you have enjoyed these
articles, and found them useful and edifying. All of the articles are reprinted
online at http://www.bibleweb.com.