Module 5: The Ministries of Jesus

Specific Objectives:
At the end of this unit, the students would have:
1. named the different ministries of Jesus
2. identified and discussed salient themes in the ministries of Jesus
3. discovered opportunities of service in their context where they could participate
as individuals.

Jesus at 30, commenced a ministry of preaching, teaching,

and healing after his baptism and Satan’s inducements to
divert him from his calling. He ministered mainly in Galilee
(northernmost part of Palestine), in Judea (John 1-3), and
visited Jerusalem towards his arrest and death at Passover
time about 30 A.D. With him were primarily the twelve
disciples who lived and learned from him how to minister
(See Map of Israel reflecting the major events and
ministries of Jesus). There were also a number of followers
who joined Jesus in the ministry but the twelve were the
mainstay. They walked and lived with Jesus and witnessed
the way he did his preaching, teaching, and healing
ministries.

As a whole, the three-year ministry of Jesus was an expression of God’s love and God’s
grace of service to people, to a Jew or a non-Jew. He himself was an example of a servant
as he came to serve and not to be served (Mark 10:45).

Preaching Ministry

The main message of Jesus’ preaching centered on the Good

News of the Reign of God (Kingdom of God). This Reign of God
was contrary to the hope of the Old Testament prophets, that the
Messiah or Christ belonging to the kingly line of David would be
a warrior-king to deliver them from their Roman enemies.
Instead, God’s rule in Jesus the Christ (the “anointed”) was not
in military victories but in mighty works of preaching, teaching,
and healing, bringing salvation to all people. Jesus, the Christ,
delivered people from condemnation of sin by offering them
forgiveness, and by calling them to become his disciples as they
confess Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

The Sermon on the Mount in Galilee brings about revolutionary views of Jesus. Take a
look at the Beatitudes that outlines the very nature of individuals under the
Reign/Kingdom of God.
Matthew 5:13-16 calls individuals in the Kingdom to be the Salt of the Earth and Light of
the World. Jesus in his preaching called people to live godly lives in spite of the conflicts
and difficulties that surround them. (Survey of Christianity, 2008)

Activity:
A. Read through “The Sermon on the Mount” and list down all salient points Jesus
had emphasized in his sermon.
B. Write at least three questions for class discussions.

Teaching Ministry

The teaching ministry of Jesus had brought

enlightenment and liberation to many. His
teachings were very much differentiated from the
teachings of the learned during his time, such as
the Pharisees and the Scribes among others. In
fact, he taught to fulfill the law instead of break
them (see Matthew 5:17-20). Chapters 5-7 of
Matthew (also known as

“The Sermon on the Mount) present the teachings

of Jesus on dominant issues in his time; teachings
on righteous living; teachings on devotion to God; and various admonitions for Christian
living. Aside from these, parables were used by Jesus to bring about lessons concerning
the Kingdom of God.

The Sermon on the Mount

Matthew spotlighted the teachings of Jesus. He mentioned five sections of Jesus’ teachings
or discourses. Each passage presented a different aspect of Christ’s life and person.

The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 showed the meaning of genuine righteousness.
The commission to the twelve apostles in Matthew 10 led these disciples to expect both
persecution and reward. The parables in Matthew 13 explained the meaning of the
Kingdom. The discussion of humility and forgiveness in Matthew 18 showed the spiritual
traits necessary for greatness in God’s sight. The Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24-25
showed believers what they could expect both before and after Christ’s return.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew presented Jesus as a Prophet like Moses (Deut
18:15), who went up into a mountain to receive and transmit a new law from God.

The Beatitudes

In Matthew 5:3-12, Jesus pronounced blessings on those who demonstrated certain types
of spiritual attitudes. For example, Jesus pronounced a blessing to His followers who
hungered and thirsted for righteousness like starving people.
Palestine was a land where many people knew about hunger. Many of the people were
poor. The land was dry, arid. Many knew about thirst. Jesus promised them a filling with
righteousness if they desired righteousness this deeply.

The Beatitudes set forth the basic principles or laws of the Kingdom of God. The Ten
Commandments were ten words or a summary representing the total law given by God to
Moses on Mount Sinai. Jesus as God’s Son issued new teachings binding on kingdom
citizens. The new element of the Kingdom of God announced by Jesus included attitude
as well as action.

Attitudes of kingdom citizens are to be different from those of the men of this world.
Beatitudes are attitudes that bring happiness. The word comes from the Latin beatus
(happiness).

Attitudes required for entering the kingdom (Matt. 5:3-5)

1. The poor in spirit
2. Those who mourn
3. The meek

Attitudes characterizing those within the Kingdom (Matt. 5:6-12)

1. Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness
2. Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness
3. The merciful
4. The pure in heart
5. The peacemaker
6. Those persecuted for righteousness

Healing Ministry

Jesus’ healing was holistic as he brought real restoration on

the individual spiritually, physically, socially, morally, and
mentally. Search the following Scripture texts and find out the
healing works of Jesus. Chart at least ten healing works of
Jesus and discuss common and uncommon occurrences in the
way Jesus healed people.

Healing of Individuals
1. Man with leprosy, Matthew 8:1-4; Mark 1:40-44; Luke 5:12-14
2. Roman centurion’s servant, Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10
3. Peter’s mother-in-law, Matthew 8:14-17; Mark 1:29-31; Luke 4:38-39
4. Two demon-possessed men from Gadara, Matthew 8:28-34
5. Paralyzed man, Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26
6. Two blind men, Matthew 9:27-31
7. Man mute and possessed, Matthew 9:32-33
8. Man blind, mute, and possessed, Matthew 12:22
9. Canaanite woman’s daughter, Matthew 15:21-28
10. Boy with epilepsy, Matthew 17:14-18
11. Two blind men, Matthew 20:29-34
 12. Man with a shriveled hand, Matthew 12:9-13; Mark 3:1-5; Luke 6:6-11
13. Man with an evil spirit, Mark 1:23-26; Luke 4:33-36
14. Deaf mute, Mark 7:31-37
15. Blind Man, Mark 8:22-26
16. Bartimaeus, or one blind man, Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43
17. Woman with bleeding, Luke 8:43-48
18. Crippled woman, Luke 13:11-13
19. Man with dropsy, Luke 14:1-4
20. Ten men with leprosy, Luke 17:11-19
21. The high priest’s servant, Luke 22:50-51
22. Royal official’s son, John 4;46-54
23. Man at the pool of Bethesda, John 5:1-9

Jesus revealed his power by healing people without the use of medicine except the use of
soil and oil. People were astonished because of these healing wonders. People wondered
at what Jesus had done and called these “miracles.”

Prepared by: Rev. Adiel Nathan G. Caspe