How does Luke 8:39 connect with the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20?

two commands, one mission

• Luke 8:39 – “Return to your home and describe how much God has done for you.”

• Matthew 28:19-20 – “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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Both statements come from Jesus, and both charge ordinary people to become storytellers of His saving work. One speaks to a single, newly delivered man; the other speaks to all who follow Christ. Yet the heartbeat is identical: go, tell, disciple.

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personal testimony launches disciple-making

• In Luke 8, the formerly possessed man has only one qualification—Jesus changed his life.

• The Great Commission assumes the same starting point: people who have met the risen Lord pass on what He has done (Acts 1:8).

• Firsthand testimony turns listeners into learners; learners become disciples; disciples reproduce the process (2 Corinthians 5:18-20).

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from the decapolis to the nations

• The man in Luke 8 begins at home, then proclaims “throughout the whole city” (Mark 5:20).

• Jesus later widens the circle: “all nations.”

• The pattern matches Acts 1:8—Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, ends of the earth—showing that local witness and global mission are not competing but consecutive steps.

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same authority, same presence

• Jesus sends the Gerasene man with implicit authority: the miracle itself affirms God’s power.

• In Matthew 28, Jesus explicitly states, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.”

• Both passages close with presence: the man returns “with Jesus” in his story; we go with the promise, “I am with you always.”

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living the connection today

• Start where you are—family, friends, workplace—just as the delivered man began at home.

• Tell what Jesus has personally done; no need for elaborate credentials.

• Expect your obedience to ripple outward; God can amplify a single testimony into regional or even global impact.

• Rely on Christ’s continuing presence and authority; the same Lord who calmed Legion and conquered death empowers every step of witness and discipleship.