The Early Ministry of Jesus
Jesus Begins His Ministry
Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been arrested. Jesus then moved to Capernaum by the sea. Isaiah had prophesied this. Jesus told everyone that they needed to repent of their sins because God's kingdom was near.
The First Disciples
Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee when He saw two brothers, Simon and Andrew. Simon was later called Peter. They were casting nets into the sea, trying to catch fish. Jesus told them to follow Him, and He would make them fishers of men. They left their nets and followed Him. They saw two more brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in a boat mending nets. Jesus called them, and they went with Him and left their nets.
Jesus Speaks to Large Crowds
Jesus went all over Galilee teaching in the synagogues. He proclaimed the gospel and healed the sick. Everyone in Syria heard about Jesus, and many brought sick people for Him to heal. Large crowds of people followed Jesus from Galilee. Jesus returned to Nazareth, where He was raised. He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath and taught. He read a scroll from Isaiah that said: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" (Luke 4:18-19, ESV®).
Jesus gave the scroll back to the attendant and sat down. Everyone in the synagogue was watching Him. They mentioned that they had heard of the healing He had done in Capernaum. They wanted Him to do that in His hometown as well. Jesus pointed out that there were many widows in Elijah's days, but Elijah had only helped the widow of Zarephath in Sidon. There were many lepers in Israel, but Elisha had only healed one. The crowd grew angry and chased Jesus out of Nazareth. They drove Him to a cliff to throw Him off, but He walked through the middle of the crowd and left.
When Jesus was in Capernaum teaching, a man yelled and asked if He had come to destroy them. The man cried out that he knew that Jesus was the Holy One of God. Jesus rebuked him, commanding the demon in the man to be silent. He ordered the demon to come out. The demon came out, and the people were amazed at Jesus because He could call out demons.
Jesus Heals
Jesus went to Simon's house, where Simon's mother-in-law was sick with a fever. Jesus laid His hands on her and made her well. Later, a leper came to Jesus, fell down, and begged Jesus to heal him. Jesus stretched out His hand and healed the man. He instructed the man to go to the temple and make an offering for his healing, and to tell no one what Jesus had done. Great crowds continued to come to Jesus, but He would often go elsewhere to be alone and pray.
During this time, Pharisees and teachers of the law also came to see Jesus. Some men brought a paralyzed man to Jesus to be healed. They could not find a way into the house where Jesus was, so they took the man onto the roof and lowered him into the house in front of Jesus. Jesus told the man that he was forgiven. The scribes and Pharisees wondered who this Jesus thought He was, because only God could forgive sins. Jesus knew what was in their hearts, so He asked them which was easier—to say someone's sins were forgiven, or to tell someone to rise and walk. Jesus announced that He had the authority to forgive sins. He told the paralyzed man to take up his bed and walk, and the man did.
Levi Is Called
Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi (later known as Matthew) sitting at a tax booth. Jesus told Levi to follow Him. Levi left everything and followed Jesus. (Tax collectors were greatly despised during this time because many were dishonest.) Levi hosted a great feast with many of his fellow tax collectors. The Pharisees and scribes complained to Jesus' disciples and wanted to know why they ate with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus answered the Pharisees and scribes. He made the comparison of how a person who is in good health does not need to go to the doctor because doctors are for the sick. Jesus explained that He had not come to call righteous people but to bring sinners to repentance.
The Pharisees then asked Jesus why His disciples ate and drank when the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fasted. Jesus answered them using parables. (A parable is a simple story used to teach a moral lesson.) He posed a question to the Pharisees about whether or not wedding guests should fast while the bridegroom is with them. Jesus also stated that new wine must be put into new wineskins, or it destroys the old wineskins. (Jesus was expressing that His kingdom was new and would not work with the religious practices of the Pharisees.)
Water into Wine
One day, there was a wedding in Cana. Jesus' mother, Mary, was there. Jesus and His disciples were also there. The wine ran out at the wedding, and Mary told Jesus that there was no wine. Jesus asked what that had to do with Him. His time (to reveal Himself) had not yet come. Mary directed the servants at the wedding to do whatever Jesus said to do. There were six large, stone jars that were used for ritual cleaning. Each jar held twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus instructed the servants to fill the jars with water. They filled the jars to the top. Jesus then had the servants draw some out—the water had now become wine—and take it to the person in charge of the wedding feast. They did as Jesus ordered and took it to the master of the feast. He called the bridegroom up and spoke about how most people would serve the best wine first, and when people had drunk plenty, they would bring out the cheap wine. He remarked that the bridegroom, however, had kept the good wine until the end. This was the first of Jesus' miracles that caused His disciples to believe in Him.
Jesus and the Temple
Passover was near, so Jesus went to Jerusalem. There were people in the temple selling oxen, sheep, and pigeons. There were also men changing foreign money into local currency. Jesus made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple. He poured their coins out, overturned their tables, and ordered the men that sold pigeons to remove them. Jesus announced, "[D]o not make my Father's house a house of trade" (John 2:16). The Jews asked Jesus what right He had to do this. Jesus replied that if they tore the temple down, He would raise it in three days. The Jews thought He was speaking about the building they were in, but Jesus was talking about Himself. When Jesus was raised from the dead after three days, the disciples remembered what Jesus had said at the temple.
What Is in a Man's Heart
Many at the Passover feast in Jerusalem believed in Jesus when they saw what He was doing. However, Jesus did not fully trust these people. Jesus knew all people inside and out. He did not need anyone to tell Him about a man because He knew what was in the heart of each man.
Born Again
There was a Jewish ruler named Nicodemus. He told Jesus he knew that Jesus was a teacher that came from God and that no one could do what Jesus was doing unless that person was of God. Jesus responded that a man must be born again to see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus asked how a man could be born once he was already grown. Jesus answered that a man must be born of water and the Spirit in order to be born again. He explained that just like Moses had lifted up the snake in the wilderness, the Son of Man must also be lifted up. (This was a reference to Jesus' coming crucifixion on the cross.)
God Gave His Own Son
God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son. Anyone that believes in Him will not die but will live forever. God did not send Jesus to condemn the world but to save it through His sacrifice. If a person does not believe in Jesus, then he or she is already condemned.
John the Baptist Praises Christ
Jesus and His disciples went into the countryside of Judea and began baptizing people. John the Baptist was also baptizing in the area. (This was before John was sent to prison.) Some of John's disciples were discussing purification with a Jew. John's disciples came to him and informed him that the one he had spoken of was there baptizing, and all of the people were going to Him. John responded that no one could receive anything unless it was from heaven. He explained that he was not Christ but that he was sent before Him, and that he must become smaller and Christ must become greater. John said that God loved His Son and had given everything to Him. If anyone believed in the Son, that person would have life forever. If anyone refused to obey the Son, the wrath of God would be on that person.
The Samaritan Woman
Jesus was passing through Samaria with His disciples. They came to a town called Sychar, near Jacob's well. Jesus sat beside the well. A Samaritan woman was there, and Jesus asked her for a drink of water. She was surprised and asked how a Jew could ask a Samaritan for a drink of water. Jesus answered that if she only knew who was asking her for a drink of water, she would have asked Him for living water. The woman wanted to know where He would get the living water, and if He was greater than Jacob. Jesus replied that anyone that drank at the well would be thirsty again, but if anyone drank the water He gave, they would never thirst again. The woman requested that water so that she would never be thirsty again.
Jesus told her to call her husband to come there. She admitted that she had no husband, and Jesus revealed that He knew that she had no husband—rather, she'd had five previous husbands. The woman thought that Jesus must be a prophet. She stated that her people worshipped on the mountain, but that He would say that people should worship in Jerusalem. Jesus announced that the day was coming when people would worship God in spirit and truth, and that God was looking for such people to worship Him. The woman responded that she knew that the Messiah was coming, and that He would tell the people everything when He came. Jesus said to her that this Messiah was Him.
The woman went to her village and left her water jar behind. She exclaimed to the people in her town that they could come and see a man who had told her everything she had ever done. They went to find Jesus.
The disciples were trying to get Jesus to eat, but He said that His food was doing the will of the one who had sent Him. The Samaritans from the woman's town came to Jesus. They asked Him to stay in their town, and He stayed for two days. Many came to believe in Him. They knew that Jesus had come to save the world.
The Official's Son
Later, Jesus went to Cana in Galilee. There was an official there that had a sick son. He asked Jesus to come and heal his son because his son was close to dying. Jesus told him to go and that his son would live. The man believed and went home. As he was approaching, his servants came to him and let him know that his son was recovering. He inquired when it was that his son had begun to recover. When they told him, he knew that his son's recovery had begun when he was speaking with Jesus.
A Centurion's Faith
When Jesus arrived in Capernaum, a centurion (a Roman army commander) came to Him and told Him that he had a sick servant. The servant was in terrible pain and was lying paralyzed at his home. Jesus said that He would come to heal him. The centurion replied that he was not worthy to have Jesus in his house. He asked Jesus to just say the word, and the servant would be healed. When Jesus heard this, He was amazed at the centurion's faith. Jesus promised the centurion that his servant would be healed, and sure enough, the servant was healed at that very moment.
The Storm
When Jesus got into the boat, a great storm came up. Jesus fell asleep, but the boat was filling with water. The disciples woke Him up and begged Him to save them, or they would die. Jesus rose and told the wind and the waves to quiet and be still. They immediately calmed down. Jesus then asked the disciples why they had such little faith. The men were amazed that even the wind and the sea obeyed Jesus.
Two Men with Demons
When Jesus was in Gadarenes, He was met by two demon-possessed men that came out of some tombs. They were so fierce that no one could get by them. They cried out, wondering if Jesus had come to torment them, and they called Him the Son of God. There was a herd of pigs feeding a distance away from them. The demons asked Jesus if He could send them into the pigs when He cast them out. Jesus told them to go, and the demons came out and went into the pigs. The whole herd of pigs immediately ran into the sea and drowned. When the herdsmen and the entire city came out, they begged Jesus to leave their region.
The Healing at the Pool on the Sabbath
Jesus went to Jerusalem, to a pool near the Sheep Gate. There were a significant number of blind, lame, and paralyzed people lying in the area. There was a man there that had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. Jesus knew how long the man had been there. Jesus asked him if he wanted to be healed, and he answered that he could not get into the pool. Jesus told him to take up his bed and walk. The man was healed instantly.
This happened on the Sabbath. The Jews warned the man that it was the Sabbath, and he could not take up his bed on the Sabbath. He replied that the man who had healed him had told him to carry his bed. They asked who this man was. The man did not know who had healed him because Jesus had already left. Later, Jesus found the man in the temple and told him to sin no more. The man went to the Jews and said that it was Jesus who had healed him. The Jews began persecuting Jesus because He had done this on the Sabbath. He responded that His Father was working, and so was He.
Equal with God
The Jews wanted to kill Jesus because He had broken the Sabbath and had called God His own Father. This would make Him equal to God. Jesus told the Jews that He could do nothing on His own, but that whatever God did, the Son could do. Jesus said that God loved His Son and revealed Himself in what the Son did. There were greater works to come. God could raise the dead, and the Son could give life to whomever He willed. God did not judge but left that to the Son. If anyone did not honor the Son, then they did not honor the Father.
In My Father's Name
Jesus declared that He had come in His Father's name. The testimony that He had was greater than that of John the Baptist. God had sent Him and had borne witness about His coming. Jesus spoke about how the Jews searched the Scriptures, thinking that they would give them life, but the Scriptures spoke of Him. If they believed Moses, who wrote about Him, then they would believe Him.
Cursing the Name of the Holy Spirit
The scribes accused Jesus of being possessed by Satan. They claimed that this was why He was able to cast out demons. Jesus asked them how Satan could cast out Satan. He pointed out that if Satan was against Satan, he would not be able to stand.
The Apostles
One day, Jesus was on a mountain and called up the men who would be His apostles. These were the twelve apostles:
Simon (Peter)
James the son of Zebedee
John, the brother of James (also the son of Zebedee)
Andrew
Philip
Bartholomew
Matthew
Thomas
James the son of Alphaeus
Thaddaeus
Simon the Zealot
Judas Iscariot
Summary
Jesus began His ministry and initially chose two disciples. They were Simon and Andrew. They were soon joined by James and John (the sons of Zebedee). Jesus began speaking to large crowds and healing people. Jesus healed Simon's mother-in-law. Jesus called Levi (Matthew), a tax collector, to follow Him. Matthew had a feast at his home. The Pharisees and scribes complained to Jesus' disciples, asking why they ate with tax collectors and sinners. In response, Jesus pointed out that sick people need doctors, not healthy people. Jesus was at a wedding in Cana, and the people ran out of wine. Jesus turned water into wine.
Jesus told Nicodemus that people must be born again. This confused Nicodemus, and Jesus explained that people are born once to their mother in the flesh but also must be born of water and the Holy Spirit to enter heaven. God loved the world. He gave His Son for the sins of all people so that they may be saved. Jesus met a Samaritan woman at the well near her town. The woman informed the people in her town about Jesus, and many came to believe in Him.
Jesus met a centurion that asked Him to make his servant well. The centurion had such faith in Jesus that he knew that Jesus could heal the man without even seeing him. Jesus was amazed by this great statement of faith. Jesus was in a boat when a storm came up. He calmed the wind and the sea. Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath, drawing criticism from the Jewish officials. The twelve apostles were named.
Application and Reflection
Application
Jesus spent time speaking with the Samaritan woman at the well. As a result, He delivered the gospel to her town. Many were saved because Jesus had talked to someone that Jews would not usually talk to. When sharing with people about Christ, we should not discount anyone because of their background or position.
Reflection
The Roman centurion asked Jesus to heal his servant. Jesus said that He would come to the centurion's home. Instead, the centurion told Jesus that he knew that Jesus could heal his servant without even seeing him. Jesus was amazed by the centurion's faith. Is your faith as strong as the centurion's faith?