The Basic Commands of Jesus

I sometimes begin teaching on discipleship with a very simple exercise. I will read the Great Commission out loud:

“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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19–20)

Then I ask a question.

“Can someone name a command of Jesus and the passage where we find it?”

At first, the room responds with confidence. Someone usually says love your neighbor. Someone else may mention the Great Commission itself.

But then something interesting happens. The room grows quiet. People begin flipping through their Bibles. A few smile nervously. Others start thinking hard, trying to remember something Jesus clearly commanded.

What becomes apparent in that moment is not that people lack faith or desire. Most Christians genuinely want to follow Jesus and help others do the same. The challenge is simpler than we expect.

We often lack confidence in knowing Jesus’ commands.

And if discipleship is teaching people to obey everything Jesus commanded, then that gap matters a lot.

Discipleship Is Simple, But Not Easy

Making disciples is difficult work. It requires time, patience, relationships, prayer, and perseverance. It requires walking with people through real struggles and real growth. And beyond that, we are completely dependent on the work of the Holy Spirit to produce fruit.

But the task itself is not complicated. Jesus described discipleship in remarkably simple terms. Baptize people into the life of the triune God and teach them to obey everything Jesus commanded. Discipleship, at its core, is helping people follow Jesus through obedience.

So what exactly did Jesus command?

The Heart of Jesus’ Teaching

Jesus gives us a clear summary in Matthew 22:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37–39)

Everything in the Law and the Prophets depends on these two commands. The goal of discipleship is therefore not merely knowledge. It is love for God and love for neighbor. But even here we need clarity.

Love can easily become vague or sentimental unless it takes concrete shape in obedience. Jesus himself explains this connection.

“If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love.” (John 15:10)

Love for Christ is demonstrated through obedience to Christ. So if we want to help people love as disciples, we must help them identify and practice Jesus’ commands.

Love and obedience are inseparable from one another. To pit them against one another as we often do is to twist Scripture and pit God’s Word against itself.

The Basic Commands of Jesus

Many disciple-making movements have sought to summarize Jesus’ foundational commands in simple, memorable ways. One helpful framework identifies some basic commands that shape the life of a new disciple. These commands form a pathway of obedience that helps people grow in their relationship with Christ and in their participation in his mission.

Repent and Believe

Jesus began his ministry with this call:

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15)

Discipleship begins with turning from sin and trusting in Christ. Repentance and faith mark the beginning of new life in the kingdom of God.

Be Baptized

Jesus commanded his followers to baptize new believers.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them…” (Matthew 28:19)

Baptism is the public declaration that a person now belongs to Christ and to his people.

Pray

Jesus taught his disciples to pray and gave them a model in the Lord’s Prayer.

“Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven…” (Matthew 6:9)

Prayer expresses dependence on God and shapes the daily life of a disciple.

Go and Make Disciples

Every follower of Jesus participates in his mission.

“Go therefore and make disciples…” (Matthew 28:19)

Disciple-making is not a specialized calling for a few leaders. It is the normal pattern of life for every believer.

Love

Jesus summarized the heart of obedience with the command to love God and neighbor.

“You shall love the Lord your God… and your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37–39)

This love becomes visible through sacrificial service, forgiveness, and compassion.

Worship Through Perseverance

Jesus called his followers to worship God alone and remain faithful even in trials.

“You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.” (Matthew 4:10)

True worship includes enduring hardship while remaining faithful to Christ.

Celebrate the Lord’s Supper

On the night before his crucifixion, Jesus instructed his disciples:

“Do this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19)

Through the Lord’s Supper, the church continually remembers Christ’s sacrifice and proclaims his death.

Give

Jesus taught his disciples to give generously.

“When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” (Matthew 6:3)

Generosity reflects trust in God and love for others.

Gather

Jesus did not call people to follow him alone. He called them into a community.

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Matthew 18:20)

Disciples gather in the name of Jesus to exercise authority. We also worship, pray, encourage one another, and practice the life of the kingdom together. The early church embodied this rhythm as they devoted themselves to teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer (Acts 2:42). Discipleship is never a solitary journey.

The Power of Obedience in Community

One of the most important insights from disciple-making movements is that obedience is learned best in community. Discipleship rarely flourishes in isolation. Instead, it grows when small groups of believers gather around Scripture and ask simple questions:

• What can this passage teach us about God?
• What can it teach us about ourselves?
• What might Jesus be calling us to obey?
• Who else needs to hear this?

When groups of believers practice obedience together, something powerful begins to happen. Prayer becomes normal. Scripture becomes central. Generosity grows. People begin sharing the gospel. New believers are baptized. And eventually, new churches are formed.

A Simple Challenge

The mission Jesus gave his church is breathtaking in scope: Make disciples of all nations. But the method is surprisingly simple: Teach people to obey what Jesus commanded.

This is not complicated. But it is difficult. When ordinary followers of Jesus begin living this way together, I believe God is pleased, and ever so slowly through God’s power and grace, disciples will multiply, communities will change, and the kingdom of God advances into every nook and cranny of this earth.

Where might you be overcomplicating disciple-making in your own life?