The Great Commission, then, isn’t intended for the Apostles alone, as some have argued. The Great Commission is the glorious mission of the church, which is built on the foundation of the Apostles and prophets (Eph. 2:20). Another common misconception is that the Great Commission is synonymous with evangelism. But look at the scope of Jesus’ marching orders: go, make disciples, baptize in the triune name, teach to observe and keep all that Christ commanded, and be mindful of His authority and presence. This sounds a lot like the ordinary work of the church—and that’s precisely the point.

It’s easy to admire the grit and determination of farmers. My great-grandfather and grandfather were farmers. I loved riding in the combine with my grandfather, watching the vast fields of corn being gathered in. As I got older, I realized that not every day as a farmer was like that day. I only got to enjoy the harvest day. For months before the harvest, the farmers till, sow, and wait. There’s a long wait between the plowing and the harvesting, and there are many environmental elements that threaten to derail the healthy growth of those crops in the months of waiting. Although farming has changed over millennia, one thing has remained: there’s always a time of waiting. Imagine, then, the surprise of an Israelite farmer during the eighth-century BC when he read that a day was coming when there would be no time of waiting between plowing and reaping.

In Amos 9, the Lord revealed to the prophet that a day would come when the nations would call on His name. This promise was no different from the Lord’s promise to Abraham that he would be “the father of a multitude of nations” and that through him “shall all the nations of the earth be blessed”; or to Isaac that he would “become a company of peoples”; or to Jacob that “a company of nations shall come from you” (Gen. 17:5; 22:18; 28:3; 35:11). In the day Amos speaks of, the crop would be so abundant that the harvester wouldn’t have enough time to collect the harvest before the plowman was already tilling the ground for the next batch of crops—a farmer’s dream (Amos 9:13)! But when will this day be?

According to Amos 9, this day of abundant harvesting and blessing with God in the promised land would come when the booth of David is raised up (Amos 9:11). The house of David was in ruins at the time of Amos’ prophecy, but when the One who will rebuild the booth of David—the Messiah—appears, He will restore true Israel under God’s rule and bring the gentiles into His fold. A righteous descendent of David needed to repair the harvesting fields of Israel.

Aware of the prophecy of Amos, it is no wonder that many faithful Israelites in the first century were on the lookout for the Son of David (e.g., Luke 2:25). Around that time, a Judean man named John began preaching about the kingdom of God (Matt. 3:1–2), and about One coming after him who would “gather his wheat into the barn” and burn the chaff (Matt. 3:12). The One John spoke of—Jesus—seemed to give some Israelites hope. Jesus’ life and ministry harkened back to the glory days of Israel when the house of David reigned. Could He be the one to “restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). The Gospel writers leave no doubt that Jesus Christ is the long-awaited “Son of David” (see Matt. 1:1; 9:27; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30–31; 21:9, 15; Luke 1:32; 18:38).

Further, Jesus situated Himself in the “agricultural” mission of God. He said that His work was to accomplish the will of the Father (John 4:34) and to gather the wheat into the Father’s barn (Matt. 13:30). He told His disciples that the “harvest is plentiful” (Matt. 9:37) and that “the fields are white for harvest” (John 4:35). He fulfilled the Lord’s ancient mission to gather His wheat into the barn. This is good news.

But there’s a problem. The One who was to restore Israel was delivered over to crucifixion. He “breathed his last” (Luke 23:46) without completing the harvest. It appeared that the booth of David had fallen once more. The disciples expressed their shattered hope: “We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel” (Luke 24:21).

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