Matthew 28:16, “Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.”

Because Matthew ends his writings with “The Great Commission,” most associate it with the words Jesus spoke immediately before He ascended into heaven. But Matthew 28:16 tells us these words were not spoken on the Mount of Olives, but on another mountain almost 100 miles to the north.

Mount Arbel is the traditional location where the Great Commission was first given. Standing on top of this mountain, you have a majestic view of the Sea of Galilee to the east, the place where the Sermon on the Mount was preached to the northeast, and many other places where most of the miracles occurred during the earthly ministry of Jesus.

It’s obvious the Great Commission was still on the mind of Jesus in Acts 1, when He said similar words, but on that occasion, He defined the world as Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, reaching out to the uttermost regions of the world. Those words were spoken on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. Jesus then stepped on a cloud and ascended into heaven, leaving us with the command to go everywhere and preach the Gospel. That command is still valid today. Are we sharing Jesus with our generation?