04/21/10 “Who Is Jesus? And Why It Matters” Part 3
Who is Jesus and why it matters – Jesus Ministry –
Who He ministered to and how He did it
4 /21/10 HT PM
Matthew 5:21-48 NKJV
Tonight, we will be looking at the ministry of Christ – His platform, His push and the people. His ministry is a great example to us about how effective ministry is done through both the individual believer and the local church.
If the local church is the present representation of Christ upon the earth today, then it should represent Christ upon the earth today.
The platform the Jesus built His ministry upon:
- 1. Inside is greater than the outside ( Matt 5:21-26)
Matthew 5:21 NKJV
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’
Matthew 5:22
But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca !’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.
Matthew 5:23
Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,
Matthew 5:24
leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Matthew 5:25
Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.
Matthew 5:26
Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.
- 2. Thoughts are greater than actions ( Matt 5:27-32)
Matthew 5:27 NKJV
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
Matthew 5:28
But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Matthew 5:29
If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
Matthew 5:30
And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
Matthew 5:31
“Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’
Matthew 5:32
But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.
- 3. Restraint above retaliation ( Matt 5:38-42)
Matthew 5:38
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’
Matthew 5:39
But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
Matthew 5:40
If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.
Matthew 5:41
And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.
Matthew 5:42
Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
Observations:
- Six separate times Christ contrasted what they had been told or taught in the past with a new perspective, Christ was doing a new thing built upon the old thing. This is called a CHANGEJ
- Christ perspective address the internal, man addresses the external
- The ministry of Christ reflected these transitional thoughts –
- What we have been taught can be the greatest hindrance to what we are being taught.
Jesus ministry and style created a paradigm shift – this passage is a foundation for all He would say and do. As you keep this platform in mind it will help you to better connect with how He ministered to people, who He ministered to and His ability to NOT let the culture or religious community dictate how and what He did.
The push behind Christ as it relates to His ministry?
John 5:6 NKJV
When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”
John 5:7
The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”
John 5:8
Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.”
John 5:9
And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.
John 5:10
The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.”
John 5:11
He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’”
John 5:12
Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?”
John 5:13
But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place.
John 5:14
Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”
John 5:15
The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.
John 5:16
For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, ◙ and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath.
John 5:17
But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.”
John 5:18
Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.
John 5:19
Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.
The people that Jesus ministered to:
- 1. Woman caught in the act of adultery -
John 8:1 NKJV
But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
John 8:2
Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them.
John 8:3
Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst,
John 8:4
they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act.
John 8:5
Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?”
John 8:6
This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.
John 8:7
So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”
John 8:8
And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.
John 8:9
Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
John 8:10
When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”
John 8:11
She said, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
Contrast briefly between Jesus and the religious leaders
Christ Religion
Cared (vs11) Criticized
Connected (vs 10) Commended
Directed Distracted (vs.3-5)
Restraint (note vs 7) Retaliation
- 2. Women at the well
John 4:7 NKJV
A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.”
John 4:8
For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
John 4:9
Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
John 4:10
Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
John 4:11
The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water?
John 4:12
Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”
John 4:13
Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again,
John 4:14
but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
John 4:15
The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”
John 4:16
Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”
John 4:17
The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.”
Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’
John 4:18
for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.”
View this exchange as a series of object lessons…
- I. Removal of Thirst
Shift from the natural to the supernatural – this is really our life journey. You can live at the well, if it’s the wrong well you will always leave and return thirsty!
This woman had spent her life trying to meet her thirst. Yet her journey from place to place only left her with the marks of her past.
Society is seeking and searching for fulfillment, society lives to fulfill its natural thirst.
Matthew 5:6 NKJV
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
- II. Replenish with fulfillment
Drink of the wells of Christ – seek the things that fulfill not just fill (food analogy)
John 4:31 NKJV
In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”
John 4:32
But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.”
John 4:33
Therefore the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?”
John 4:34
Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.
III. Refresh the world
John 4:28 NKJV
The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men,
John 4:29
“Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?”
Three Closing Questions;
Have you met “the Christ”?
Does the city know about it?
How would these two ladies fair in the present church culture?
NEXT WEEK – FROM HERE DOWN J
- 3. Women with the issue of blood
Luke 8:43 NKJV
Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any,
Luke 8:44
came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped.
Luke 8:45
And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?”
When all denied it, Peter ◙ and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, ◙ and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’”
Luke 8:46
But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.”
Luke 8:47
Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.
Luke 8:48
And He said to her, “Daughter, ◙ be of good cheer; your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”