The life and ministry of Jesus Christ

Understanding Jesus Christ, who he is and what he came to do, is the foundation for understanding all that our Christian faith entails.

As we paused and spent a second week considering the place of the prophetic ministry, we took a little closer look at Jesus and his preaching and teaching, as we looked to go through the Bible in ten weeks and get an overview.

Reviewing the life and ministry of Jesus can be inspiring, because it is Jesus who says, “Follow me.”

This can also help us explain to other people what we believe and why we believe it, and this knowledge is the most valuable knowledge we can have.

When we see Jesus Christ, there must be that desire, that longing, that yearning, not just to admire and follow, not just to obey him, but to seek to be like Jesus, and that is the challenge that each one of us faces.

John chapter 20 verses 19 to 29 – we have this responsibility to trust the biblical message.

Four Gospels – were written around AD 60-90 They complement each other.

Matthew talks about Jesus as king and the kingdom of heaven. Mark presents Jesus as a servant.

Luke focuses on Jesus as a man, and John highlights Jesus as God. These are four images of Jesus from different angles.

The name of Jesus – Savior – he will save his people from their sins – Matthew 1 verses 21 and 23 – Emmanuel – God with us.

John 1 verse 41 – Messiah – Christ. Jesus the Christ – or the Savior, who is the anointed – or the anointed Savior – and anointed of God. Messiah was a term for consecrated servants of high standing at the time. Future kings were anointed for their task, just like Jesus.

Jesus is the Hebrew word Joshua, which means God saves or God’s salvation. (It’s interesting how the name “Jesus” came to be, but that’s for another day.)

Jesus was born of Mary and the conception was miraculous and supernatural. The birth was ‘normal’, although the setting was unusual.

God the Father used the Holy Spirit to produce conception, and if someone asks a biological question, we cannot give a biological answer. There isn’t one!

We know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, not the West Bank!

Jesus grew up with his mother, stepfather Joseph, and several younger siblings, the natural children of Mary and Joseph.

Jesus was certainly a precocious child, capable at 12 years of age of discussing the Scriptures with the scholars and theologians in the Temple. Luke chapter 2.

To make the perfect sacrifice on the cross, Jesus never sinned. Hebrews chapter 4 verse 15.

At the age of 30 Jesus began His ministry – Luke Chapter 3 verse 23.

Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River to fulfill all justice, and then he went into the desert for 40 days fasting and praying, where he was tempted.

Interestingly, Saul of Tarsus fasted and prayed for 3 days, after the risen Jesus met him outside Damascus, what a way to begin one’s ministry. I have often thought that if we started our Christian life with prayer and fasting, fewer people would turn away later: the foundation we lay is vital.

Jesus came preaching the kingdom of God – Jesus preached repentance – and called people to believe in the Gospel – Mark chapter 1 verses 14 and 15.

Gospel means ‘good news’ – the kingdom where Jesus is king – forgiveness of sins – salvation – eternal life.

Matthew chapter 4 verse 23 – Jesus comes teaching – preaching – healing.

Matthew chapter 9 verse 6 – Jesus had authority to forgive sin and heal us of our spiritual problems.

Jesus is the chief cornerstone of the Church and the Head of the Church. Colossians 1 verse 18.

Jesus willingly allowed himself to be arrested, tortured, crucified, and killed. Jesus Christ laid down his life-John 10 verses 11 and 15 and 17 and 18-this is the amazing Savior that Jesus Christ was and is-no one took his own life-Jesus laid down his life-Jesus laid down his life willingly and with sacrifice.

Three days later Jesus Christ rose from the dead – just as Jesus prophesied – or predicted – Matthew Chapter 12 verses 38 to 40. No other leader has done this – Jesus Christ is unique.

Jesus was crucified, probably on a Wednesday, spent three days and three nights in the tomb, you can’t turn that into a Friday crucifixion.

Jesus rose from the dead and forty days later ascended – promising to one day return – with great power and glory – Mark Chapter 13 verses 26 and 27.

What will we do? Peter in Acts Chapter 2 verses 36 to 38 on the Day of Pentecost gives us the answer.

It was when these people became convinced that Jesus was Lord and Christ, that they wanted to do something. They knew they needed to act, they realized they needed to act.

Peter’s instruction is as valid today as it was then. When you realize who Jesus is and when you come to believe in Jesus, repent of your sins, be baptized in water, receive the Holy Spirit.

I know of no other way to enter the Church of Jesus Christ. You?

“For the breadth and depth of the ministry of Jesus, we thank and praise you, O loving Father God. For showing us so clearly how to enter the Church of Jesus Christ, we thank you, for every blessing we receive through the Word .of God, and fellowship with others, we say “Thank you. Empower us to seize the opportunities for witness and service that come our way – in Jesus’ Name. Amen.”