Modeling the Ministry of Jesus

He who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.
—-John 14:12

What’s the application of the 24-hour glance at the life of Christ that we have seen this week? I want to share with you two timeless truths we can learn from Luke 4.

First, we are to submit to the authority of Jesus. One reason Luke includes these vignettes from a day in Jesus’s life is to remind us that He really was the Son of God. The fact that He had authority in His teaching, the fact that He had authority over demons, and the fact that He had authority over sickness shows that Jesus really was the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Isn’t it interesting that every creature in heaven right now is submitting to the authority of Jesus Christ? They know who He is. Even the demons under the earth have submitted to the authority of Christ. There is only one place in the universe where God’s creatures are not yet submitting to His authority: it’s that spinning clot of dirt called planet Earth. Right now there are human beings who are not submitting to the authority of God, but one day they will. Philippians 2:10-11 says that “at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Let me ask you a question: Are you doing right now what you will do one day? Are you submitting to God’s authority, obeying what you know to be His will in your life?

Second, we are to model the ministry of Jesus. In John 14:12 Jesus said, “He who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.” That’s an exciting passage. Jesus is saying: You, too, can have supernatural power in your life. You, too, can have a purpose and enjoy God’s blessing and approval. Greater works can you do than even the Son of God did. But to experience the power of Jesus, you must maintain the balance of Jesus.

Notice that Luke 4 is a picture of a balanced life and ministry. First, Jesus ministered in the synagogue. Today that would be the church. That was home base of His ministry. The synagogue was central to Jesus’s life and ministry. Second, Jesus ministered in the home. He was in Peter’s home. The home is God’s creation. It’s the basic unit of society. We have to minister in our homes as well to our families. Third, Jesus ministered in the world. The world was filled with sickness and need. Jesus didn’t cloister Himself with His apostles; He made contact with the world. And finally, Jesus’s ministry placed Him in the wilderness, a place where He could be revitalized in His relationship with God.

When we model the ministry of Jesus, we, too, can experience the power of Jesus through our lives.

***

Today’s devotion is excerpted from “24” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2016.

Scripture quotations are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.