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The Ministry Of Jesus Christ
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Why did Jesus, Creator of heaven and earth, give up everything to take on the form of a man and suffer so much here on earth?
For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8)
The reason for Jesus’ ministry can be summarized in one scripture verse.
He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8)
When sin entered the world through Adam and Eve every person born since then was born in sin. We suffer from spiritual death and separation from God because of that sin. Hardly seems fair, does it? A little baby, a few minutes old, is full of sin? God is such a holy God that we can’t measure up to His standards through our own good deeds. Our own righteousness is ridiculously inadequate when confronted by His holiness and goodness.
God’s solution? In the Old Testament He instituted a system of laws, priests, and sacrifices, culminating every year in Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, where the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the sacrificial blood on the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant. If he survived the people knew their sins were forgiven for another year. But because of our sinful nature we had no ability to comply with all the Laws and live a sin free life. However, God had a plan.
The blood that was shed each year only covered our sin each year – it did not wash away our sin forever and it could not break the power of sin in our lives forever. God had to send someone to overcome sin once and for all. Someone had to defeat satan, to conquer sin and to pay the price for all time. No sinful human could do that. God chose to pay that price Himself when He sent His Son to earth in human form. Jesus, the son of God, gave up His heavenly throne for a pile of straw in a manager, lived a sinless life on this earth for 33 years and had His own blood sprinkled on the Mercy Seat at the cross. At the moment of His death, the veil in the Temple, separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies, was torn from top to bottom. The High Priest was out of a job! We now have access directly to the throne of God. The price was paid forever. Satan thought he had the victory but when Jesus rose from the dead on the third day satan’s power over sin was broken and his authority was destroyed forever.
(Jesus) having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:15)
This was the culmination of His ministry. For the three years leading up to the cross He dealt with the result of our sin. He announced at the beginning of His ministry this was fulfilling prophecy from Isaiah 61 written about 700 B.C.
The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed; (Luke 4:18)
The word “gospel” simply means “good news”. The message that Jesus came to preach is that He is the answer to sin, sickness, poverty, and death.
During His ministry: He revealed Himself as the Source of Eternal Life.
We are composed of three parts - a spirit, a soul (our mind, will and emotions), and live in a body. Our spirit and soul are eternal, created at conception. They never die, ever, while our bodies die and return to dust from which we were originally made by God. As our souls and spirits are eternal it’s vital to understand where we go when our bodies cease to function. We have a choice – heaven or hell. The choice is ours to make. We can spend eternal life with Jesus in heaven or with satan and his demons in hell. Remember, the choice is ours to make.
Jesus came and revealed himself as the source of eternal life. He came from God the Father, our Creator.
John 3:16–18
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 5:24
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
John 14:6-7
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (NKJ)
Jesus was not shy in making claims about Himself. Whether we believe Him or not will determine where we spend eternity. I know that I believe in Him and will be spending eternity in heaven. I would love for you to join me.
He came to forgive our sins.
John 8: 3–11 tells of the story of the woman caught in adultery (funny thing about this – her partner in crime, the man, is nowhere to be seen. Makes you wonder if this was a setup for Jesus.).
John 8:3-11
Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
Luke 5:17-25 - Jesus forgives and heals a paralytic.
Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them. Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him. And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus. When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.
He came to heal our bodies.
The four gospels are full of Jesus healing the sick of many different diseases:
Blindness: Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus
Mark 10:45-52
Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.” And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.
Leprosy: Ten Lepers Cleansed
Luke 17:11-19
Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”
Deafness and dumbness:
Mark 7:31-40
Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee. Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him. And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly. Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”
Fever: Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law
Mark 1:30
But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once. So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them.
Bleeding:
Luke 8:43-48
Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped. And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?” When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.” Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately. And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” The Ministry Of Jesus Christ - Part 2
(All scriptures on this page are from the NKJ version.)
