The True Gospel: Jesus’ Ministry

In the last few articles we’ve discussed who Jesus is and how the gospel is described by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15. We have looked at how the Old Testament has pointed to a Messiah that would come to reconcile God to His people. Jesus is this long-awaited Savior. When we think of the gospel, we may think about the death and resurrection of Jesus but what about the ministry of Jesus leading up to those events? Aren’t they important? Of course they are. The gospel message would not be complete without the narrative of the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). In this article, we are going to look at how the gospel authors crafted the story of Jesus that drives home the good news about Jesus. 

There are five main aspects about Jesus’ ministry I want to focus on for this study. 

• Jesus’ royal birth fulfilled the Davidic promise
• Jesus’ miracles point to God’s kingdom being present
• Jesus’ teachings were the values of the kingdom of God and how to join
• Jesus’ death atoned for sins
• Jesus’ resurrection brought life

Starting with the birth of Jesus, the gospel writers create a picture through the use of Hebrew passages of Jesus being of royal descent and a fulfillment of God’s promise to David. When David became king, God promised him that he would always have a descendant on the throne and that One would come from Him who would rule over his people. Jesus, proven through genealogies, was born of the tribe of Judah in David’s royal family bloodline. Jesus fulfills the Davidic promise as he now sits at God’s right hand on the heavenly throne. 

Jesus performed many miracles during his ministry and they all proved a point. In Mark 1, Jesus launches his ministry by proclaiming that God’s kingdom has come near and is in their presence (Mark 1:15). What follows are narratives about Jesus driving out demons and healing the sick. Both actions prove that Jesus has authority over evil and illness, testifying that He really is God’s kingdom walking amongst the people and he is bringing the message of the kingdom through his teachings. Jesus’ teachings such as the Sermon on the Mount and his many parables were all about describing how God’s kingdom works and how differently it relates to people than worldly kingdoms do. Worldly kingdoms were about power and status and living for the self. God’s kingdom is about servitude, generosity, and showing love even to those who mistreat us. Through Jesus’ teaching we find out about how we live and work in His kingdom and He leaves us with a choice of accepting his invitation. 

The Gospels all end with Jesus’ death and resurrection. Jesus was anointed for burial with expensive perfume, he was then tried as a criminal, executed on a cross, placed in a tomb, and three days later, the tomb was found to be empty. Jesus’ death was a sacrifice that atoned for our sins and allows us to be brought into a right relationship with God. His resurrection allows us to share in his victory over death which leads to eternal life. Jesus was seen by many witnesses testifying that it was not a hoax, Jesus did rise from the dead and he invites us to follow His way of living through sacrifice and servitude. 

The gospels tell the story of Jesus picking up where the prophets left off and igniting us to follow the Son of God, through the narrative of his ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension.