[CYM] 23.0 Be My Witnesses to the Ends of the Earth

Yeshua repeatedly commands His followers to bear witness to His life, death, resurrection, and message. This calling culminates in the Great Commission and is central to the mission of believers and followers of Messiah, and the Church.

In Matthew 28:18–20, after His resurrection, Yeshua declares,

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. Amen.

This command emphasizes active outreach, baptism, and teaching, making disciples globally.

Similarly, Mark 16:15 records Yeshua’ directive: Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Here, the scope is universal, and preaching the good news is the core task.

In Luke 24:47–48, Yeshua instructs the disciples to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem, designating them as witnesses of these events. It says,

And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things.

The book of John focuses more on the internal sending and empowerment, as Yeshua promises the Holy Spirit to empower believers (John 20:21–23), preparing them to be witnesses. Its says,

Then said Yeshua to them again, Peace be unto you: as My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you. And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.

The Book of Acts expands on this command: in Acts 1:8, Yeshua says, ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. This verse maps out the progressive expansion of the good news—from local to global—empowered by the Holy Spirit. Together, these scriptures establish the essential mission of believers: empowered by the Spirit, they are to witness boldly, ensuring the good news reaches all peoples.