what Jesus did

And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.

Matthew 4:23

Jesus sets the standard for gospel ministry. It helps me to evaluate how I serve in His church when I look at what Jesus did and endeavor to have Him do the same in and with me as well. This is still what He does in His church. This verse describes three activities that were the early ministry of the Lord. They still mark authentic ministry today.

TEACHING. From village to village Jesus went into the synagogues and taught people. The style of teaching expected in the synagogues was scripturally grounded. As a rabbi, Jesus would have read from a scroll and then taught what was said there. The gospels record several episodes of this very thing (see Matthew 9:35; 13:54; Mark 1:21; Luke 4:15; John 18:20). Authentic ministry will still teach the Word of God clearly and point people to Jesus as it is done.

PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL. Jesus had His own message to proclaim. He taught the good news of His kingdom. We know this was of vital importance to the Jewish listeners in the synagogues since Jesus was the Messiah they awaited. To His disciples, who were convinced of this, He also revealed His coming crucifixion and resurrection to accomplish salvation for the sins of the world. The gospel was the defining message taught by Jesus and now entrusted to us.

HEALING. Lives were made whole again in the wake of Jesus’ ministry. He healed the blind, the deaf, the lame, the sick, and those oppressed by demonic forces. And God still does this today, though there is a great deal of fraud on this subject within some elements of His church today. The remarkable wholeness Jesus brings in saving souls is still one of the greatest joys that I witness in ministry all the time. I am privileged to always be in some ongoing story of His grace restoring a life, a home, a marriage, a family, or a broken heart. It is one of the pastor’s greatest joys to see God work in this way. Jesus teaches truth... Jesus saves souls... Jesus makes people whole again! Amen!