The Ministry of Jesus
Some people may think that Jesus’ earthly ministry, ordained by God, was a failure. What did He really accomplish? He succeeded in alienating the very people he came to save, the Jews, who then crucified him.
For centuries the Jews had been promised by their prophets that their Messiah would soon come. I’m sure they waited with much anticipation for the arrival of a great King who would destroy the control of the Roman Empire and restore them to the days when King David ruled and they prospered They would celebrate this royal birth, and the Kingdom of Israel would be re-established for the entire world to see, envy, and fear.
But instead, a young man from Nazareth, a carpenter’s son, followed by a group of 12 men, some just fisherman and others of questionable reputation, enters the picture. I’m sure some said, “Really, this is the Messiah we were promised?”
But Jesus did not come to establish an earthly Kingdom to rule over them and restore them to greatness, instead he came to establish His Heavenly Kingdom for all eternity. The ministry of Jesus lasted just three years but with a definite purpose:
- To testify to the truth of God.
- To prepare a group of 12 men to go out and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world after His death and return to Heaven.
- To die for our sins on the cross so that we can be reconciled to God our Father, thus breaking Satan’s hold through sin.
Let’s take a look at each purpose in more detail:
1. Testify to the truth of God:
Jesus’ response to Pilate as He stood before him a condemned man:
37So Pilate asked him, “Are you a king, then?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. I was born and came into the world for this one purpose, to speak about the truth. Whoever belongs to the truth listens to me.” John 18:37 (GNT)
What is this truth Jesus was talking about? We find the answer in John 14:5-6:
“5Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; so how can we know the way to get there?”
6Jesus answered him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me.”
So we find that the only way to God, our Father, is through believing the truth of Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection for our sins.
2. Prepare a group of 12 men to go out and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world after His death and return to Heaven.
For three years, these men followed Jesus. They witnessed Jesus heal the sick, make the lame walk, raise the dead, and feed 5,000 people with just five loafs of bread and two fishes. They listened to Him give the Sermon on the Mount and rebuke the religions’ leaders of the day, the Sadducees and the Pharisees. They watched as he threw out the money changers in the Temple. They watched Him walk on water. They shared His last meal with Him before His crucifixion. They watched as one of their own betrayed Him for 30 pieces of silver. They saw Him arrested, beaten, and crucified. They saw Him after His resurrection from the dead. They watched as He ascended into Heaven to sit at the right hand of God. And they were filled with His Holy Spirit so that they could carry on His ministry after He was gone. They witnessed everything.
Let’s listen to Jesus’ final instruction to His apostles just before He ascends up to Heaven to be with the Father.
44Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. 47It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’48You are witnesses of all these things.
49“And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.” Luke 24:44-49
Many of you may have heard Jesus say it this way in Mark 16:15-16:
15And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. (NKJV)
It seems appropriate for Jesus to end His ministry on earth where He began it when he was baptized in Bethany.
50And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.51 While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. Luke 24:50-51 (NASB)
3. Die for our sins and reconcile us to God, thus breaking Satan’s hold.
Paul best describes this in the book of Romans:
6For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7(For rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person perhaps someone might possibly dare to die.) 8But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Much more then, because we have now been declared righteous by his blood, we will be saved through him from God’s wrath. 10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, since we have been reconciled, will we be saved by his life? 11Not only this, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation. Romans 5:6-11 (NET)
Don’t get me wrong, my friends. Jesus’ ministry on earth was only a failure in the eyes of the Jews. They were looking for a short term earthly solution to their pain and suffering. But Jesus was bringing an eternal Heavenly solution through His death, burial and resurrection that they didn’t understand, and when we don’t understand something what do we normally do?
It was important for Jesus to do what He did and to leave us an example of how God truly wants us to live our Christian life. You can turn to any page in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and find examples and practical answers to today’s problems. Jesus’ ministry was truly amazing. Who do you know who has had such a profound impact on the world since His death over 2,000 years ago?
