Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1945-06-08
THE MINISTRY OF JESUS

LESSON TEXT-Mark liza, l5 Luke
tI6-2l; Mark 8.27a, 20. 81.
GOLDEN TEXT am come that they
might have life and that they might
have II more abundantly 1910.
The dawn of new day had eomel
The Compromised and expected
Messiah came to break the 400 years
oil silence by His personal presence.
We learn of His coming. His
life and ministry, His death and
resurrection, and find the prom
Use CT His comm. again in the four
Cos is, They are our complete les
son for this Sunday, but we obvious.
ly cannot review them in their en-
tlrety in our limited space.
Our Scripture references speak Of
His ministry in presenting the good
news OF the gospel to needy man
kind.
l. The Good News Preached
mark liza, l5.
Jesus always honored preaching
rs the primary and the effective
means of spreading the good news
of the gospel
The forerunner, John the Baptist,
had borne his witness. Jesus had
come, had been baptized and as
John was cast into prison, He began
to preach, Repent we and believe
the gospel" The key verse OF Mark
Is l0:45. For even the Son OF Man
came not to be ministered unto, but
to minister" The characteristic
words are "straightway," forth
with" and Immediately. The
Greek word thus translated ap-
pears about forty times in the book.
The Servant Of God went quickly
about the Fathers business. Chris
tians, can we say the same for our
selves?
II. The Good News Practiced
duke 4;l6-2D.
The daily ministry Of Jesus as He
lived here on earth Is summarized
in the prophecy Of His coming
which was given by Isaiah the
prophet. AS we read these words,
we realize that we who profess
to follow Him need to learn more Of
His spirit Of tender and loving serv-
Ice to others.
1t Is significant and appropriate
that Jesus declaration Of Himself
a. the fulhllment of Isaiah 6l.l, 81
was made in the synagogue. on the
Sabbath day. He met with the people
In the house and at the time set
apart for Gods worship. He opposed
spiritual deafness, the misinterpre-
tation of the truth, the distortion of |
religious principles; but He was not,
as some would have US believe, a
religious free lance who despised |
the established worship Of His peo-
Pile.
Having been prepared by the thirty
years Of privacy, and more particu-
larry by the baptism and the
temptation in the wilderness, He
appeared at the synagogue in Naza-
reth to declare Himself as the full
flllment Of prophecy.
Those who teach that Jesus was
only young Jewish teacher with a
new philosophy Of life have evident
ly not read the Scriptures. He knew
Himself to be Gods Son come into
the world to bring the good news Of
salvation by His own blood to poor,
sin-captive, blinded and bruised HUI
manity. He is the Saviour!
Look at Isaiah 6l:l, 2 and note
that Jesus stopped reading before
the end Of the sentence. THE day
Of vengeance OF our God" will come
when Christ returns. This Is the day
Of grace. Sinners are urged to &C.
cept Gods love now. and thus to
escape the terrible day Of judgment
which Is TO come.
III. The Good News Prepared
mark 8:27a, 20, 81.
Jesus preached the gospel of the
kingdom. He went about doing
good, but always He knew Himself
to be the Christ. the One who was
to die for the sins of the world and
to arise again for the justification of
those who put their trust In Him.
Even those who deny to our Christ
the recognition Of His deity, and the
devotion Of life which Is His Just
due, must, II they are at all intel.
ligent, admit that no man ever
lived who has made such an impact
on human history. Even now, un-
believing men speak Of Him as the
founder Of Christianity, a mighty
leader, wonderful example. or an
unequalled teacher.
II is not enough that we stand with
the mass Of humanity who may thus
admire Him, but who do not count
Him as Saviour and Lord. The ques-
ton comes to us as 1t did to the
disciples, Whom say ye that I
ann" Thou art the Chris" this
alone sufl1ces as the foundation for
Christian testimony and conduct.
Although Jesus was not yet ready
to have His Messiahship pro-
claimed to the public, He was pre-
pared to teach His disciples concern
ing not only that important truth, but
Of His rejection and death.
Note the divine must" ". 80.
While II Is true that wicked men