Faith Expressions

About 3 decades after his birth, Jesus began his ministry of preaching, healing and reconciliation. This ministry was preceded by the ministry of baptism and forgiveness of John the Baptist, a man who was considered a prophet by the people of his time. Jesus had himself baptized by John the Baptist, who recognized the superiority of Jesus as he was the Lamb and Son of God.

The place where Jesus began his ministry was in Galilee, and he spent a lot of time in this region, particularly in areas surrounding Lake Galilee. He spent a considerable time in Jerusalem, especially during festivals. He went to many places in order to preach the good news of salvation. His purpose was to bring all people to the kingdom of God: to save individuals who were lost, marginalized, shunned and ostracized, to save the people who were waiting for their savior, and to save all who were wanting to repent, be healed and believe in God. In a sermon on a mount, Jesus declared that the kingdom of God belonged to those people who recognized their need for God. He went about preaching the forgiveness of sins and the coming of the kingdom of God. He, in fact, forgave the sins of the people who went to hear him preach and be healed by him. He matched his claim to the power to forgive sins with his power to heal, miraculously, people who were suffering from various kinds of diseases.

Jesus spent time teaching his gospel and performing miraculous acts in places which he visited, and he gave two reasons why. He informed the people that his very existence at that time was the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah about the servant of God who was destined to bring the good news to all people. He taught in order to fulfill the Laws of Moses and to bring into fruition the teachings of the prophets. He taught the people that lust was a form of adultery, anger was as bad as murder, and swearing was an evil behavior. He informed the people that fasting and praying for public approval was unacceptable to God, inordinate affection for wealth was a hindrance to one’s spiritual growth, and “lip-service” worship was an act to discredit God’s teachings. He asked them to resist temptation, to avoid judging and condemning people, to remain faithful to their spouses, to love their friends as well as their enemies, and to give to others in order to receive God’s blessing in full measure. 

Indeed, Jesus taught the people how to achieve the kingdom of God. He told the people that now was the right time to turn away from their sinful lifestyles and be forgiven by God. He showed them how to pray to God the Father and to ask and seek for his assistance. He, himself, prayed a lot. He told them that true fasting and true worship involved acts of social justice and acts of love of neighbors who were in need of help. He gave them the two greatest commandments which were loving God without any reservation and loving one’s neighbor. He told them that God’s mercy was dependent on God’s infinite love and operated on the command to love and forgive one another. He informed them that love was at the heart of his ministry and it was the love of God that will save humanity.

During his ministry, Jesus performed a lot of miracles. In Cana, he changed water into wine. In Capernaum, he healed a man with many evil spirits and brought back to life the dead child of an official. In Capernaum, too, the power of Jesus to heal manifested itself when a woman, who was suffering from bleeding for 12 years, touched the edge of Jesus’s cloak, believing that if she did so she will get healed. And she got healed! In Bethsaida, Jesus fed five thousand people using five loaves of bread and two fish. In Jericho, he made a blind man see. On Lake Galilee, he commanded a storm to stop at one time and walked on its water at another time. In Bethany, he raised to life a dead Lazarus quite dramatically. In many places Jesus went, he healed the sick, cured people with various kinds of diseases and physical disabilities and exorcised individuals with evil spirits.

During his ministry, too, Jesus informed the people who he was. He told the people that he was the bread of life that gave sustenance to humans. He told them that he was truth and the way to reach God the Father. In fact, Jesus claimed that he was God when he used the title “I Am” for himself. He told the people that he was the resurrection and the life, the one source of eternal life. He told them that he was the good shepherd who was willing to die for them in order to save them.

Many people heard the teachings of Jesus and saw the healing and miracles he performed. They were astonished by what Jesus did. Some have learned to accept the idea that he was a prophet while many were beginning to accept the idea that he was the messiah and promised king for the Jews as prophesied by their prophets of long ago. This disturbed, greatly, the officials and religious leaders of that time. They knew quite well what the consequences were if Jesus was accepted by the people as the messiah. For the officials and religious authorities, they had no king but Caesar. They were able to put Jesus on a farcical trial and to sentence him to die on the cross.

Three days after Jesus died on the cross and was buried, he rose from the dead to be with his disciples and followers. Many days later, he ascended into heaven to be with God the Father.

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