Jesus was not only the Message of the gospel, but He was also the Messenger. This devotional reading looks at how and through whom He taught.
Nuggets
- Jesus approached the Jews according to what they would know and built from there.
- Jesus expects greater works out of disciples than He accomplished.
- Jesus expects ministry to be organized.
In the last devotion, we pulled out some Old Testament verses that spoke about Jesus. We are going to do the same thing for this devotion — only use the New Testament verses that Boston cited.
Let's Put It into Context
To read devotions in the On the Day of the Lord theme, click the button below.
Devotions in the Gospsel Tidings about Easter series
The foundation of this series is Boston’s sermon, Jesus and the Meek.
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The headings are Boston’s words.
Preaching to the Jews as the Minister of Circumcision
“For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs” (Rom. 15: 8 ESV)
Jesus approached the Jews according to what they would know and built from there.
The gospel message began with Jesus’ teaching of it. He told the story in which He was the main character.
Jesus’ audience was primarily other Jewish people. “He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel’” (Mt. 15: 24 ESV).
Tough audience – I know!
Jesus was talking to the people who thought they had it all figured out. They knew exactly what God was expecting of them – and only them.
Because of that, Jesus had to come as “one of them.” He had to be a Jew – one of God’s chosen people. The vernacular in that day said it “… became a servant to the circumcised … (Rom. 15: 8 ESV).
Since Jesus was coming to fulfill the law, He had to come under the auspices of the law. He couldn’t fulfill it if He wasn’t in it.
It was more than our just looking like them in order to witness to them. God’s primary concern is not that we have representation so we “see ourselves” in the person(s) witnessing to us.
In fact, God wants us to break down barriers. What are our marching orders?
- “And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation’” (Mk. 16: 15 ESV emphasis added).
- “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Mt. 28: 19-20 ESV emphasis added).
The world is so busy dividing itself into the are’s and are nots or the have and have nots. Satan is all about division.
That allows covetousness to rear its sinful head. The world says, “We’re so busy about wanting what others have – until they have Christ. We don’t want that.”
Jesus’ gospel is all about unity. “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise” (Gal. 3: 27-29 ESV).
Jesus witnessed under the conformity of the law. That was the only way to learn God’s character.
We are to conform to God’s character, not Him to our culture.
Inspiring His Apostles to Preach and Write the Doctrines of Salvation
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father” (Jn. 14: 12 ESV)
Jesus expects greater works out of disciples than He accomplished.
It always amazed me growing up that Jesus said that the Apostles were to surpass the works that Jesus did.
No, I didn’t think like I am sure the Apostles did. They initially thought that everything would have stopped with His death. Obviously, hindsight has told us that didn’t happen.
Also — obviously — there is a part of Jesus’ work that we can’t do. I didn’t think there was any expectation that we would be saviors of the world.
Rather, I thought, how could flawed, earthly men do more than the sinless Perfect Son of God? And applying that to today — how can us continue to use flawed, earthly us?
Then I realized that it wasn’t the doing that was going to surpass Jesus’ ministry. I was looking at it wrong.
What was one reason that the Apostles had so much trouble understanding what Jesus was trying to tell them? Jesus didn’t say things in plain Hebrew.
“I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father” (Jn. 16: 25 ESV emphasis added).
That leads to the second reason. Jesus didn’t speak so that everyone understood first pass. They — and we — have to open the eyes of our hearts so that we can see the meaning behind the words.
God doesn’t want to spill His soul to anyone but His children. Because of that, much of our discipleship training is through revelation. The Holy Spirit teaches us what we need to know.
I think the third reason is the main one as to why the Apostles were struggling with everything they were experiencing. It also shows us how they accomplished greater works than Jesus.
While Jesus was here on the earth, the Plan of Salvation was still being accomplished. He needed to return to the Father and send the Holy Spirit.
“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged” (Jn. 16: 7-11 ESV).
Conviction of sin didn’t come until after the Plan of Salvation was completed.
Whitelaw cautioned us to not read John 14: 12 to mean that Jesus won’t use non-believers to get His message across. He uses anything that He has created — which is everything — to introduce us to Sovereign God.
Also brought up by Whitelaw is the fact that the Apostles did not necessarily perform greater miracles than Jesus.
What was greater is the reach that they had. Jesus stayed around the same areas during His life. He went to the house of Israel (Mt. 15: 24).
The Apostles went everywhere. Paul specifically went to the Gentiles.
Even today we feel the reach of the Apostles as we read the words written by Peter, Matthew, John, Paul, and the others. We wouldn’t be disciples today if not for their reach.
Whitelaw summed it up this way. He wrote, “If Christ is the prime worker and the believer the instrument, connection must be established between them.
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The apostles — and us when we witness — cannot work if we aren’t working the work assigned to us for Jesus. We are just the instruments.
What is the foundation of these works? We have to believe in Jesus.
We work for the exalted Lord to exalt Him even more.
Our work is only great because The Lord is within us. He guides us in the work and accomplishes it through us.
All this is saying is that there will always be work for Christ’s disciples to do. Maclaren put it this way. He wrote, “One form of His work was ‘finished’ on Calvary, but there is another work, which will not be ended until the angel voices shall chant ‘It is done, the kingdoms of the world are the kingdoms of our God and of His Christ.’”
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We are going to work for Christ all the way from Calvary to the seventh trumpet. “Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever’” (Rev. 11: 15 ESV).
Think of it this way. Jesus said at the beginning of His ministry that “… ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand …’” (Mk. 1: 15 ESV). His kingdom has been at hand all this time.
On the Day of the Lord, it will arrive!
Rising Up a Gospel Ministry
“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4: 11-13 ESV)
Jesus expects ministry to be organized.
Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and God works in an orderly fashion. Therefore, the ministry done is their Name is done in an organized manner.
Cunningham told us what ministry is about. He wrote,
“The object which the Christian ministry is designed to effect is the conviction and conversion of sinners, and the edification and consolation of saints; but these are effects which no human, and, indeed, no created, power is able to produce. The office of the Christian ministry — that is, the institution of a separate order of men to attend, more peculiarly, to the religious instruction of others — is admirably adapted in its own nature as a means to effect the object intended …”
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Jesus knows if His work is to be accomplished, we need structure. We need a plan and a designation of who is going to do what.
We shouldn’t necessarily think of the list Paul gives us in Ephesians 4: 11 as a hierarchy. I know. We would probably put the apostles first.
But who is “more important” — the once who came before or the ones who came after? Yes, the prophets told how things would be, but the evangelists truly leave others to Christ.
Both are important.
That leaves the shepherds and teachers. Both are important, too.
Shepherds are pastors that lead the flock, as Jesus did. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (Jn. 10: 27 ESV). The churches are to follow their pastor.
Teachers assist the pastor in growing the congregation to be closer to God. It is part of the Great Commission: “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you …” (Mt. 28: 20 ESV).
The goal of our Christian walk should be to grow closer to Him as we mature in our faith. Pastors and teachers are “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Eph. 4: 12 ESV). The body of Christ is the Church.
The work is not only are we to strive to mature in our faith and holiness, but we are also to help others grow.
By Continuing a Gospel Ministry in the Church
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Mt 28: 19-20 ESV)
Jesus expects the ministry to continue until the Day of the Lord.
We just talked about the teaching part of the Great Commission. Let’s look at the end of it.
Jesus said He would be with us in performing this commission until the end of the age. He meant that He would be spiritually with us until the Day of the Lord.
Bersier reminded us that God’s Word is a living Word. Jesus reveals Himself to us through those words, not just the written words.
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The words Jesus gives us are those of love.
Remember, Jesus was saying these words to the Apostles after the resurrection. He had been through death with its separation.
Jesus was giving His final words of peace.
Making the Connections #1
Maclaren gave us a list of conditions on which Jesus works within us: faith and prayer.
Remember, Jesus is standing at the door of our hearts, knocking. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me” (Rev. 3: 20 ESV).
When we trust Him enough to open the door of our hearts to Him, He strengthens our abilities to do His work and He increases our success. Remember, our success is defined by our obedience to Him, not by the outcome.
Prayer has to permeate our work. Said that wrong, didn’t I?
It is not our work. It is Jesus’ work through us.
Prayer is the only way in which we are connected to Him.
Look what Maclaren had to say about that. He wrote, “Our power depends upon our prayer, Not God’s and Christ’s fulness and willingness to communicate, but our capacity to receive of that fulness, and so the possibility of its communication to us, depend upon our prayer.”
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How many things do we start without bathing it in prayer? Oh, we may feel God calling us to that work, but that doesn’t mean we are to skip the prayer stage at any point in the exercise.
Instead, prayer brings us a necessarily element in doing Christ’s work — unity with Christ.
Making the Connections #2
Bersier said something that backs up what I have been saying. He wrote, “This presence of Christ consists in something more than there is in His word. … Behind the written word there is the living word, the invisible [Savior] who manifests Himself to the heart.”
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What is in God’s Word is an introduction to Who He is. We must become His children before He reveals Himself to our hearts.
We are to focus on our inward relationships with God.
Making the Connections #3
Bersier said something else. He wrote, “But what makes men doubt the presence of Christ in the Church is the sight of the inward state of the Church itself. But what Christ announces to the Church He announces to the individual soul.”
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We spent a long series on dealing with our doubts. Ooo, baby. This is an interesting take.
Most of our individual doubts stem from the condition of the Church. Tie that to what God has been telling Pastor Steve. The Church is missing God because of its ignorance and apathy.
The Church is getting it wrong, causing doubt in its members.
But Jesus will reveal to us individually what is truth. Remember, He is the truth, the way, and the life (Jn. 14: 6 ESV).
How Do We Apply This?
- Realize Christ meets us where we are and then brings us to where He is.
- Don’t conform to the worldview – be transformed by God.
- Find a good Bible teacher because it is hard to understand God’s Word.
- Never stop working to grow ourselves or others.
- Do our part in God’s ministry.
- Watch for Jesus’ return.
Father God, as we celebrate the death and resurrection of Your Son, let us do so by growing closer to Him. When we do that, we grow closer to You. Let us be found on the Day of the Lord being about Your work. Amen.
What do you think?
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