04/30/20 THE GREAT COMMISSION (Mat. 28:18-20) #4—Why did Jesus tell believers to teach new believers to “keep” or “observe” ALL His commandments. Why didn’t He say “obey”? I’m so glad you asked.

The original Greek word is “tereo,” which means to watch, guard or preserve. It’s often used in a military sense, including 70 times in the NT. Soldiers must not only OBEY the commands of their superiors; they must PRESERVE the order in their squad, ensuring that their fellow soldiers are also obey and preserve the chain of command. Everyone’s life depends on it.

In the same way, disciples MUST NOT ONLY OBEY Jesus’ teachings; we must also GUARD and PRESERVE them as we PASS them along to NEW disciples. Soldiers of the Cross: Attention, Forward, March!