The Great Commission (28:16-20)
The gospel of Matthew ends with Jesus meeting with His apostles in Galilee. This was told by Jesus before He was betrayed (Mt 26:31-32) as well as by the angels (Matt.28:7, 10). It was a meeting in which Jesus gave His disciples a command (Mt8:18-20) to make disciples of all the nations and to    baptizing and teach them whatever He taught them.
This command is commonly called "The Great Commission”

Jesus (Yahshua) has been given "all authority"...As the Creator; He had the right to all things. By him were all things made (Col.1:16-17). As our Redeemer, even more so! That at the name of Jesus (Yahshua) every knee should bow… (Phil. 2:6-11)
All authority means that he now rules in the heavens. He is even now right hand of God (Yahweh); angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him. (1Pet. 3:22; Eph. 1:20-23).
He also rules over the kings of the earth.”...the Prince of the kings of earth” (Rev. 1:5; Ps. 110:1-6)
As we continue, we notice that they were to "make disciples". The KJV says "teach", the Greek word means "to make disciples". They were to make "learners", "adherents", "imitators" of Jesus Christ.
Jesus had been inviting people to become His disciples all along (Mt. 4:18-22; 11:28-30).  He expected His disciples to become like Him. (Lk. 6:40)

They were to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom and salvation through repentance and the power of the Savior. They began to realize the nature and extent of their work, to see that they were to proclaim to the world the truths entrusted to them. The events of Jesus' life, His death and resurrection, the prophecies pointing to these events, the mysteries of the plan of salvation, the power of Jesus for the remission of sins  --to all these things they had been witnesses, and they were to make them known to the world.

They were to make disciples first, by baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Then by teaching them to observe all things He had commanded. This baptism is for the remission of sins (Acts. 2:38). We are buried with him by baptism into death; that like Messiah was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father; even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Rom.6:4). Since
Baptism is only the beginning, teaching must continue. This was what the early disciples did. Both baptism and continuous teaching is essential to true discipleship!

The Gospel commission is the Great Missionary Charter of Messiah's coming Kingdom. The disciples were to not to wait for the people to come to them; they were to go to the people with their message.
They were to go into the entire world, and preach to every creature. (Mk 16:15). They were to be witnesses to the uttermost parts of the earth (Acts. 1:8). Now the Gentiles (all nations) could become fellow-heirs (Eph. 2:11-22). This shows that while we should be mindful of our local community, we should also be thinking of those abroad.
Lastly, He promised them that He would be with them always, even to the end of the world. This is a promise that ought to provide much comfort when oppressed (Rom. 8:31-38; Heb. 13:5-6)

Labor in faith and confidence; for the time will never come when He will forsake you. He will be with you always, helping you to perform your duty, guiding, comforting, sanctifying, sustaining you, giving you success in speaking words that shall draw the attention of others into your pilgrimage of faith, to qualify them to inherit the coming Kingdom.
  
Throughout this Christian age or dispensation, Jesus will forever be with His disciples as they go into all the world making more disciples.

Is "The Great Commission" limited just to the apostles? The disciples were to "observe all things that I commanded you". The command was to make disciples. Future disciples were to observe all commands, including this one! Therefore "The Great Commission" is a commission to the present day church also.
St. Paul has repeatedly mentioned in his epistles that we are to preach the gospel. He tells Timothy, ‘preach the word: be instant in season, out of season…’ (2Tim.4:2). ‘Take heed unto thyself and unto thy doctrine…for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.’
Paul writes in1Cor.9:16,’ woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel’. ‘Your labour is not vain in the Lord’. (1 Cor.15: 58)
Jude tells us (verse 23), ‘save others with fear, pulling them out of the fire”, so that you can bring them to the Lord, to everlasting life.

Are we honoring "The Great Commission" in our lives?  Are we submitting to the authority of Jesus (Yahshua) by making disciples in all the nations of the world? Are we abiding in His Word and thereby ensuring His abiding presence in our lives?

May these words of Jesus motivate us to do great things in his service.