The Great Commission in Matthew 28 reminds us that being cheerful givers is not simply about dropping money in a plate. Jesus tells us that, to truly be his disciples, we need to be willing to give ourselves–denying ourselves, taking up our cross daily, and following him. Jesus made disciples. A disciple is someone who becomes a student, sitting at the feet of their instructor and soaking up everything they had to teach.
Jesus didn’t only teach them through lecture, but he sent them out into the towns, villages, and cities to heal diseases, raise the dead, and teach. When Jesus ascended, he went to a mountain in Galilee and met the eleven apostles. “And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. . . ‘” (Matthew 28:17-19).
Jesus commissioned the apostles to enroll people as Gospel students (disciples), baptizing them and teaching them to obey everything he commanded. This certainly meant that people were taught to put their lives on the line. Not long after the apostles made disciples all over the Roman Empire, Christians were put to the test by way of persecution. They refused to denounce Christ and we have lots of reports of Christians being proud to die for the name of Christ. We need to be making disciples today just like the apostles did thousands of years ago.