Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Matthew 28:18-20
“At this point, it may be well to look again at the Great Commission itself.
It begins with the words go therefore .
The word therefore requires an antecedent, a reason for what follows. In this case, that antecedent is the word of Jesus, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me .
In the final analysis, the reason why believers are to go to all nations is not that we feel sorry for those who are lost, or that our culture is superior, or even that we have something to teach others. The reason for our going is the universal lordship of Christ, who tells us that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. There is no place where he is not present.
There is no place where he needs believers to take him. The Lord who was at the beginning with God, through whom all things were made, the light that enlightens everyone, is already there. Christ is active in individuals and cultures, even though they may not be aware of it and even through an anonymous presence. Thus, the most that believers can do as they bear witness and invite others to believe is to present the name of Jesus, his teachings, his promises. But they are not taking him anywhere where he was not!”
González, Justo L., and Carlos F. Cardoza-Orlandi. To All Nations from All Nations : A History of the Christian Missionary Movement, Abingdon Press, 2013.