THE MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIST

Jesus is the most important person is history! Everything! Absolutely everything is contingent upon what Jesus the Christ did!

Regardless of the fact that mankind has largely chosen to ignore the truth of God’s creative purpose, His truth is absolute! Poking our head in the sand will not make God go away. The day of reckoning is as near as the day of our death. The miracle of Jesus birth is followed by his baptism and then his ministry. These next two lessons will explain the significance of how Jesus is the key to the whole plan of God.

After returning from the wilderness, Jesus went out to preach the “gospel of the kingdom”, Matthew 4:23, Luke 4:14-15. Being full of the spirit of God, Jesus shared this ‘good news’ and backed up his message with healing the physically, mentally and spiritually sick. Imagine the joy of being healed or seeing your child healed! This experience was provided to show delight at what the kingdom of God would be like. We should anticipate the time when, through the work of Jesus, we will be free from our human frailty.

The four Gospels document Jesus’ work and ministry with conciseness mixed with powerful and insightful lessons from which we can examine ourselves in an honest and true light. This record can be divided into four periods of time which highlight the continuation of God’s overall plan of salvation through Jesus Christ which culminates in his death and resurrection!

1. Jesus spent the greater part of his first year’s ministry in Judea and about the lower Jordan. During this year his first disciples came to him and through his teaching he began to find recognition as a teacher and prophet. The Scribes and Pharisees became increasingly aware of his growing power and sent their representatives to evaluate his influence with the people.
2. Toward the end of his first year Jesus journeyed northward through Samaria to Galilee. For a year and nine months he was actively engaged in this area preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom and healing the sick. It is during this period he chose twelve apostles who became his constant companions through the rest of his ministry. By now the Jewish authorities had become alarmed and apprehensive about Jesus’ tremendous popularity with the common people. They feared the loss of their own prestige and even a possible revolt against the state under the leadership of this Galilean prophet. It was under these conditions that Jesus began to speak to the people in parables, many of which were directed against the Scribes and Pharisees. With their pride and hypocrisy often laid bare in these parables, they demonstrated hostility to Jesus by endeavoring to discredit him before the people through questions of the Law and Sabbath. At this time the work of John the Baptist came to an end when he was imprisoned by Herod in March A.D. 28 and the following year in March A.D. 29 he suffered a martyr’s death–at the hand of this wicked and depraved ruler.
3. As the third year drew to a close Jesus began to speak frequently of his final journey to Jerusalem and the cruel death awaiting him there. In spite of the opposition from his disciples, the time came and he ‘was determined to go to Jerusalem”, Luke 9:51. His journey southward first brought him to the district east of the Jordan, where he spent 4 busy months in preaching the Gospel and healing the sick. The Pharisees and Scribes now joined by the Sadducees openly opposed him, seeking an excuse to put him to death. Their hatred had grown to such proportions that the animosity that existed among these groups was put aside in their common cause.
4. The events of the final week of Jesus ministry are during the preparation that coincides with the Passover. During this time, Jesus returned each evening to the home of Lazarus, Martha and Mary in Bethany from which he made the short journey to Jerusalem each morning. The events of this final week follow are parallel the the Passover in Egypt. Then, Jesus made a triumphal entry into Jerusalem John 12:13, with the enthusiastic acclamation of the pilgrims heralding his approach from the Mount of Olives. The following day he came again to the city and entered the temple where he enraged the priests and rulers by casting out those that were merchandising the worship of God: IE the money changers and those that sold doves. As he taught in the temple on the final day of his ministry, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him and demanded his credentials,Matthew 21:23. In this confrontation he answered their challenge with a series of parables which exposed their hypocrisy and their intention to put him to death. They were unable to arrest him at this time because of his popularity with the people, Matthew 21:46, but their opportunity would come shortly from a surprising and unexpected source. They were to have an ally and fellow conspirator in one of Christ’s own disciples. Once again he turned his steps toward Bethany and at the ascent of the Mount of Olives he rested for awhile and during this pause gave his disciples a graphic preview of the awesome events that would terminate two great time periods in world history: the destruction of Jerusalem, and the end of the time of the Gentiles, Luke 21:21,24. The significance of Christ’s Mount Olivet prophecy will be explained later in the series.

In preparation for the feast of unleavened bread, Jesus sent two of his disciples into Jerusalem to prepare for the Passover. In the evening he came to the “prepared” upper room with his disciples. There he taught them them an unforgettable lesson in servitude and humility. Then together, as they participated in the Passover supper, he declared that one would betray him – and Judas, the betrayer left that upper room. The institution of the Lords supper followed in which the bread and wine were given to commemorate their association with Christ. Jesus then gave his farewell discourse and prayers were given as recorded in John chapters 14 through 17. At the close of Christ’s prayer the disciples joined him in the singing of a Psalm and then went out to the Mount of Olives. There in the Garden of Gethsemane, in extreme anguish of spirit, Jesus prayed for delivering himself to his Father’s will he received strength for the dreadful ordeal that lay ahead.