“Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.” Matthew 9:35
Jesus teaches us by what He speaks and by what He does. He gives us the example of how we should conduct ourselves in the Christian life. He shows us how to be an effective minister of the gospel. Remember, Peter tells us that every believer is a minister. In 1 Peter 2:9 he writes, “…you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood.”. Matthew gives us three activities of Jesus’ ministry and he puts them in order. They are teaching, proclaiming, and healing. Each subsequent activity builds upon the previous.
Teaching is the first activity listed. For each of us to apply the Great Commission to our ministries, we must teach others about Jesus, that is, make disciples. This is at the heart of the ministry. It is simply introducing others to Christ Jesus and describing who He is. Before we can teach others about Jesus, we must learn about Him ourselves. To make a disciple, we must be a disciple. This is why personal spiritual growth is necessary for the effective Christian walk. It is growth achieved through Bible study and prayer.
Proclaiming is next. Jesus and His followers proclaim the “good news,” namely, the gospel of the kingdom. Every Christian is a witness of the gospel, some are effective, some are silent. Our actions make us a good witness or a poor witness, it’s our choice. Remember, someone told you about Jesus; shouldn’t you tell someone else?
Healing is certainly God’s work. Yet, we have the privilege to pray for each other. We participate in the ministry of God when we pray for someone’s healing. It is a powerful feeling when another Christian prays for you.
We are to tell others who Jesus is, what He has done, and what He will do.
Blessings,
Scott Kinnick – Executive Board member
