Christ and His Ministry

(having had a few issues with getting this blog published, the links for the scripture on this blog are unactive, so you will need you bible- will try to fix this soon)

At our church over the past month, we have been looking at Christ and His Ministry, a subject that is so vast really that the decision has been made to continue into January.


What follows is the message that I was led to give to our fellowship at the beginning of December.


So if you are anything like me, when I mentioned Christ and His Ministry, your first thought was about the Gospels. The time Jesus walked upon the earth, His public ministry between getting baptised by John in Matthew 3:13, right through to the Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension - All before the book of Acts begins.


As I began to study, something hit me like a freight train. Jesus' ministry was and is far more than the 3 years He spent walking the earth.

Let us begin with something a little different: -

During biblical times, Jewish boys would attend the local synagogue on a daily basis. From the age of about 6 years old, they would learn the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Scripture - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy from the local Rabbi, who would teach them verbatim. By the age of just 10, the boys would have the Torah memorised.

At this stage, the best students would continue with their studies - and for the next four years, they would learn the rest of the Hebrew scripture, all 39 books from Genesis right up to Malachi. The result was that by the age of 14, these students would know the whole of the Hebrew scripture by heart.

They would also have learnt the art of questions. For the Jewish student, when a question was asked, they would be taught not to answer in the conventional way that you and I are taught in school. But rather the answer would come in the form of a question.

Although I simplify this system a great deal an example would be - what is 4+4? the answer would come something like what is 16 divided by 2?

Jesus grew up in this environment - and although the bible doesn't tell us a great deal about His childhood, we can use a little creative assumption based on what we do know.

Luke 2:46 ESV

From this scripture, its easy to piece together that Jesus was familiar with this aspect of Jewish life.

Now at the age of 14, the Jewish boys, now considered men, who were the best of the best would seek out a Rabbi, in order to become a disciple.

In the culture, Rabbi's were considered one of the highest honours in society, every boy wanted to be one, it was the equivalent of when I was a kid and wanted to become a fighter pilot of a fireman, or like kids today wanting to become football players.

Now a Rabbi knew the law, and taught the law, and each Rabbi would have their own interpretation on how a person would live by the law. This teaching was known as the Rabbi's yoke. And when looking for a disciple, the Rabbi would look for someone that he could teach his view on how to live, so that they could continue his teaching spreading the Rabbi's yoke.

So when the student approached a Rabbi, the teacher would question the prospective disciple, firstly to be sure that they were in fact the best of the best, and secondly to be sure that the student could in fact take on the Rabbi's yoke and continue his teaching. Only once he was satisfied would the tell the student - 'Come follow me'

The new disciple would leave everything behind to take up life as a disciple, to follow the Rabbi everywhere we went. Giving up their entire lives to become just like the Rabbi.

Maybe you can see where I am going with this, but first, what happens to the students that don't make the cut, the ones that do not measure up?

For these young men, the Rabbi would say 'My Son, you know the Torah and your know it well, but you are not able to be my disciple - my student. Go home to your village, make babies and pray that they become Rabbi's - Go home and learn the family business'

We are not told where in this set up Jesus fit in. The bible is quiet on the subject. But it is often assumed that Jesus learnt the family business.

Mark 6:3 ESV

This scripture seems to suggest that Jesus learnt from Joseph and so the people saw Jesus as the carpenter. It was after all the fathers duty to teach the son his trade.

In her fictional work - 'A Lineage of Grace' - Francine Rivers tells her imagined the story of Mary - during the story, Mary is frustrated with Jesus and the fact that he does not reveal himself. Jesus replies simply 'It is not my time'

Now although its just a made up story of what could have been the case, I quiet like that as a possible explanation as to where Jesus fit in with the culture of his day.

Since we know the Jesus was the best of the best.

So why have we looked at all this? what is the relevance of all this to the Ministry of Jesus?

Lets take a look at Matthew 4:18-22:-

18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”[a] 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John - All Jewish men who were now fisherman - why?

At some point in their past, they had not made the cut - at some point a Rabbi had perhaps turned to them and told them to go home and learn the family business.

Jesus comes along and calls them ' Come follow me' and that's exactly what they do. They drop everything and go. Now you might have noticed, particularly with James and John, that they leave their father to it. Yet Zebedee doesn't complain that he is left alone to do all the work.

See Jesus used the Rabbi's words, words that these men had longed to hear, and so they respond.

Jesus chose the everyday man to follow Him, to be His disciples and take on His ministry.

But what is that Ministry?

Jesus began preaching 'The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand' in Matthew 4 immediately follow His return from the wilderness.

This should tell us something about the ministry of Christ.

His 3 years on earth are dominated with miracles and parables with the express purpose of teaching

To make the mystery of God open, in simple terms so that people could understand.

Matthew 11:28-30 ESV

There is a second element to the purpose of Christ's time on earth. Everything Jesus did was to give glory to His father in Heaven.

This has not changed today Hebrews 13 tells us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, Today and forever.

Giving Glory to God, and opening up the mystery of the gospel to the world is still the dominant purpose of our lives today.

For me this is why Jesus said in Matthew 28:18-20

'All authority in Heaven and on the earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age'

That command is also recorded in Luke 24:44-49 and some versions of Mark 16

Jesus work on the cross and His resurrection have open the way for us.

2 Corinthians 5:14 1 Peter 3:18

Now like Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John as well as the other disciples - we can and do receive the call

'COME FOLLOW ME'

Are you ready to do just that?

And Jesus' ministry finished upon his Ascension into heaven? Or did it. I for one don't believe that it did.

Firstly because Romans 8 tells us a different story. Jesus now stands at the right hand of the father interceding on our behalf. That's a continuation for Jesus' personal ministry.

At the very same time, as we have already discussed, a Rabbi takes on a disciple to carry, continue and spread the yoke. To continue the Rabbi's teaching and demonstration of how to live.

There is just one reference to Jesus as being s carpenter, but there are 14 references in the bible that call Jesus Rabbi.

We are therefore His disciples. We as Christians have received His call to follow.

Colossians 1:27

Because of the cross, we have the hope of Heaven, the sure hope of Salvation and the hope of all the promises of God.

What is the Hope of Glory?

Its the hope of displaying the nature and character of God - if glory being bestowed on God and who He is - revealed to the nations.

That responsibility rests on each of us.

You maybe the only bible a person ever gets to read. The only way someone might encounter the nature and character of Christ - God.

2 Corinthians 5:20 ESV tells us that we are Ambassadors for Christ.

You are an official envoy - you carry the full authority and power of the one who sends you. You are seen not as yourselves, but as the one your represent.

This is why when people know that you are a Christian, they watch you closely for the moment you slip up, so that they can say 'you call yourself a christian'

Are you ready and prepared for that responsibility?

The Hope of Christ receiving Glory is in you.

Christ’s trust, His confidence is that YOU will bring Glory to Him and therefore the father. Not the person next to you in church, not the neighbours that go to chapel every week without fail.

But YOU.