The Great Commission and Its Near Fulfillment

In the Gospel of Matthew, one of the most well-known passages is the Great Commission, the last directive Jesus gave to his disciples before ascending to heaven. Gathered on a mountain in Galilee, Jesus instructed them, stating, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 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 obey everything that I have commanded you. And indeed, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).

This command, issued nearly two millennia ago, has been embraced by countless devoted Christians who have spread the gospel worldwide. Today, as entrepreneur and Christian missionary leader Douglas Cobb emphasizes, that mission is approaching its conclusion. He has written a book titled “Sprint to the Finish: A Global Push to Complete the Great Mission in This Generation”.

Currently, there are fewer than 100 people groups that remain unreached. The Bible Translation Organization anticipates that by 2033, the entire global population will have access to the Bible or significant portions of it. Missionary networks are now actively establishing churches in the last areas yet to be reached.

We seem to be getting closer to meeting the Great Commission, which, in a sense, precedes Christ’s return.

On a recent episode of “The Steve Deace Show,” he and Cobb pondered whether this generation might fulfill the mission Jesus entrusted to the church.

Cobb quoted Matthew 24:14, “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” He remarked that this could be viewed as one of the clearest promises regarding the timing of Jesus’ return. The mission to spread the gospel is central—once completed, it seems to trigger His return. “I honestly don’t believe Jesus will return until we see this accomplished,” Cobb told Deace.

Interestingly, there’s a sense of urgency in the air. Cobb suggests that those living today might very well be the ones to cross the finish line.

“I have a feeling that within a couple of years, we will have reached that ‘all nations’ milestone, signifying that the gospel work has been initiated among every group,” he noted.

According to the Finishing Fund, an organization founded by Cobb to complete the Great Commission, the number of unreached people is “definitely below 100.”

He mentioned that those involved in Bible translation aim to have a Bible in every language by 2033. Additionally, another initiative he’s associated with, the ACHIEVE Alliance, is also working diligently toward this goal, emphasizing a global effort. “We’ve condensed all three finish lines to less than ten years,” he added.

For further details, check out the video linked above.