How does Mark 5:20 connect with the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20? Opening the Texts “So the man went away and began to proclaim throughout the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And everyone was amazed.” “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.” The Immediate Scene in Mark 5 • Jesus has just delivered the man possessed by a legion of demons (Mark 5:1-13). • The man begs to stay with Jesus, yet the Lord gives him a different assignment: “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you” (Mark 5:19). • Obediently, “the man went away and began to proclaim throughout the Decapolis.” • Decapolis = a league of ten largely Gentile cities east of the Jordan—significant because the gospel is already crossing cultural lines even before Pentecost. Previewing the Great Commission • Jesus’ directive to this single convert foreshadows His later mandate to all disciples. • What the delivered man does locally in the Decapolis anticipates what believers will do globally after the Resurrection. Shared Threads Between the Two Passages 1. Command to Go • Mark 5: “Go home to your own people.” • Matthew 28: “Go and make disciples of all nations.” 2. Focus on Testimony of Jesus’ Works • Mark 5:20: “how much Jesus had done for him.” • Matthew 28:20: “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” 3. Target: People Groups Beyond Israel • Decapolis = Gentile territory. • “All nations” = everyone, everywhere. 4. Divine Authority and Presence • Implied in Mark: only Jesus’ power could deliver; His word commissions. • Explicit in Matthew: “All authority… I am with you always.” Supporting Scriptures • Luke 8:39 – parallel account reinforcing the call to “declare.” • Acts 1:8 – “You will be My witnesses… to the ends of the earth.” • Mark 16:15 – “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” • Romans 10:14-15 – the necessity of heralds so others can believe. Key Lessons for Today • Personal experience with Christ is a springboard for witness. • Obedience begins right where we are—home, workplace, neighborhood—and extends outward. • The same Christ who sent one delivered man into ten cities sends His church into every nation. • His authority secures our mission; His abiding presence sustains it. Practical Takeaways • Share what Jesus has done for you in simple, concrete terms; that testimony carries power. • View every sphere of life as part of your “Decapolis,” a mission field prepared by God. • Trust that Christ’s authority over evil, shown in Mark 5, guarantees success for the gospel mandate of Matthew 28. |
    |