Baptism and the Great Commission

Matthew 28 teaches us that belonging precedes maturity. Baptism is God’s way of welcoming people into His family. He places His name on us, ensuring that we belong, and then that belonging shapes us into mature disciples over time. God doesn’t make us pass a doctrinal examination before He claims us as His own. Baptism marks the beginning of the life of a disciple of Jesus, it is not a graduation into a higher level of the program. This baptismal truth underscores God’s generosity and big-hearted desire to bring all people into His family, hence the presence of this teaching at the heart of the Great Commission. Baptism is a wide open front door to the Kingdom of God, not a hurdle that’s hard to clear.