HOW TO MINISTER LIKE JESUS DID
INTRODUCTION
All followers of Christ are on a mission from God. Whether preacher or plumber, none are exempt from making disciples in every nation. But what does that look like? Luke 4:31-44 gives us a day-in-the-life of the chief disciple maker, Jesus Christ.
He launched his ministry in Nazareth after being tempted in the wilderness. After some mixed results in His hometown, Jesus moves to Capernaum on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. There He does amazing miracles but also some amazing teaching. Why? Because truth and the miraculous are inextricably linked together.
If a minister heals the sick but fails to teach them how to live their life for Christ, then he is not “declaring the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27b). The converse is also true. To declare truth and deny the supernatural power of God presents a stunted gospel. Christ healed the sick and cast out demons. He commands us to follow His example. Jesus commanded:
As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give (Mt 10:7-8)
Disciple-makers prioritize truth because Jesus did. They also trust God to act supernaturally as they go about His business. Luke 4 shows us how Jesus obeyed the mission of the Father leaving us an example to follow.
THE SABBATH
Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he taught the people. They were amazed at his teaching, because his words had authority (Lk 4:31-32).
Jesus left Nazareth and goes to Capernaum, a city known for great wealth and sinfulness. Capernaum was the headquarters for Roman troops in the region of Galilee. Jesus’s ministry in this area is strategic for the gospel. Roman soldiers working in the area will, at some point, return to Rome. When they do, they carry with them the stories of the miracle working Jewish Rabbi.
In Capernaum, Jesus enters the synagogue on the Sabbath and teaches. In Jewish custom, the Sabbath starts sunset Friday and ends sunset Saturday. The synagogue service where Jesus teaches began on Saturday morning. Jesus teaches the people, and they are amazed. Why? Luke connects their astonishment with Jesus’s authority. He is no ordinary Rabbi who popped in to bring a stale message borrowed from others.
When other Rabbi’s taught, they said things like, “Rabbi So and So says this or that about this Scripture.” They might offer a few opinions about what they read to the crowd but rarely said, “Here is what I say this passage means.” In other words, their authority is borrowed from other respected teachers.
This is not how Jesus taught. He spoke with personal authority, not borrowed. He is acting on behalf of the Father. As such, He speaks with the authority given to Him “in heaven and on earth” (Mt 28:18). Operating in that authority, Jesus makes decisions and acts on them.
But like anything else, Satan, does not want anyone to be “amazed” by Jesus for very long. So, Satan sends someone to church to challenge Christ’s authority.
In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, “Go away! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” 35 “Be quiet!” (Lk 4:33-35a)
Jesus’s authoritative teaching stirred up the Kingdom of Darkness. Suddenly a man in the crowd jumps up and begins screaming: “Go away! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?
Everyone in the synagogue is startled at this outburst. I can just see some cowering and questioning what they are seeing. In those days the Jews had special Rabbis who performed exorcisms. They were equipped with special words to speak, incense only used to drive out demons, and sometimes they submerged the possessed under water to rid them of demons. Jesus does none of these things:
Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him (Lk 34b-37).
Jesus, speaks with authority, “Come out.” Two words! No long elaborate ceremony. No incense. No water boarding! He speaks as one with authority causing the demoniac to fall on the floor and the devil to flee. I live this little detail offered in Luke’s description of this event. Jesus casts out the demon “without injuring him.”
Apparently, some exorcisms got violent causing injury to the demon afflicted person. Jesus speaks and the demon is compelled to obey the One with authority. Now, I am in no way comparing myself to Jesus, but I have learned from Him and, because He lives in me, I can call on His NAME and HIS AUTHORITY to handle the evil of this world.
We were experiencing tremendous growth in our church in South Africa. We baptized dozens of people and the many were baptized in the Holy Spirit. We opened a new church in another area and things were taking off. But my wife and I were tired. One night while sleeping I sensed a presence in our bedroom. It was so strong I woke up.
Glancing toward the end of the bed and saw a demon standing there. His taunting voice and erratic actions were meant to make me fear. Instead of fearing, I simply said, “I really have no time for this. In Jesus Name leave my house.” The creature bowed its head, turned, and passed through the outside wall of our home. I rolled over and went back to sleep – in peace.
Children of the Most-High God are not subject to or are supposed to bow to the pressure Satan attempts to lay on us. Believe me, when God is at work, there is a tremendous amount of burden put on the church by Satan. He desires to confuse God’s people. His goal is to distract the body of Christ from its mission. He knows that if our focus is on everything else but Jesus, then we are sunk. The Devil is a liar! The church is victorious through the power of Christ.
Look at “the people’s” reaction to what Jesus did…
All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out! “And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area (Lk 4:36-37).
No Rabbi they’ve every known ever acted with this much authority. That is Jesus’s morning, now let’s see what happens in the afternoon.
THE AFTERNOON
Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her. So he bent over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up at once and began to wait on them (Lk 4:38-39)
The likely scenario here is that Peter shows up with friends expecting his wife and mother-in-law to have food prepared. However, when they arrive there is nothing to eat. Instead, Jesus and Peter walk in and find Simon’s mother-in-law ill with a high fever. All the people in the house ask Jesus to “help her.” So, Jesus rebukes the fever, and it subsides. She is so thoroughly healed that she gets up, goes to work, and prepares lunch. I call that a win-win!
Jesus enjoyed an afternoon with Simon’s family. They have a meal. Talk about the stuff of life. Share stories about their morning at the synagogue. But Jesus’s day is not over, and Luke moves us into the evening.
THE EVENING
At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them. Moreover, demons came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Messiah (Lk 4:40-41).
Remember, this is still the Sabbath. The Sabbath began the night before at sunset but was coming to an end at sunset. Luke writing “at sunset” is important to the story. Jews do not work on the Sabbath. They generally prepare their meals the day before to avoid working on this holy day.
Now, picture this scene, people who were at the synagogue that morning spread the news of Jesus delivering the demon possessed man. News pertaining to Jesus’s ministry and authority is being told everywhere. I want you to get a sense of anticipation that Luke is trying to create when he says, “at sunset.”
Those who saw what Jesus did in the synagogue that morning are waiting for the sun to go down - the Sabbath to end – so they could grab their infirmed family members and get them to Jesus! Now, the sun is set.
As the sun dips below the horizon, droves of people show up at Simon’s home. Jesus does not turn them away. He heals all kinds of sick people. He delivers people possessed by demons. The infirmed are set free and the fleeing demons are screaming out that Jesus is the Son of God.
Jesus told these demons to be quiet! The Greek word here mean “to muzzle.” Jesus is, by His authority, muzzling the demons so they could not call Him “the Son of God.” That seems funny to me. As I’ve considered Jesus’s command to the demons one thing has risen to the top of my mind: He wants people to confess Him as the Son of God, not demons. Not sure if I am on theologically strong footing, but it kind of makes sense in my head. Satan must not get any credit for the revelatory knowledge of the Divinity of the Son dwelling among them.
This healing party goes on for most of Saturday evening and into daybreak on Sunday.
AT DAYBREAK
At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea (Lk 4:42-44).
I think it’s obvious that Jesus wants to heal people’s pain. Ultimately, however, He wants them to understand the gospel. After all, what good is physical healing if one enters eternity in Hell. Jesus says, “Hey look folks. I’ve got to get back to my main mission.” What is that mission? Preaching the good news of the kingdom in other places.
WHAT WE LEARN FROM A DAY IN THE LIFE OF JESUS
What can we take away from this day in Jesus’s life. How can seeing it help us as we go about making disciples?
Let’s begin with a principle: all believers in Christ are called on mission for God. That mission includes serving others through the power of the Holy Spirit. I believe God moved on Luke to write this narrative to show us how we can serve others just like Jesus did.
Imagine making disciples is a three-legged stool. Each leg depends on the other or it will fail to hold up under weight. For Luke, the legs of this stool of ministry are: 1) prayer, 2) touch, and 3) healing.
PRAY
Jesus knew His strength and ability to do the will of God came through abiding in the presence of the Father. He went away to solitary places often. There He communed with Abba gaining focus, strength, direction, and so much more. I cannot overstate the value of prayer to keep you and I focused on the mission of God. Prayer is the fuel empowering us to take the gospel everywhere and make disciples of every nation (Mt 28:19-20). Prayer is how we connect to the source of the power needed to preach truth in the face of opposition and rebuke the devil. So, pray!
TOUCH
Did you notice in Luke 4:40 that when the sick and possessed were brought to Jesus, He laid hands on each one? Have you ever walked through a dark season of life? Ever felt lonely or experienced broken relationships? I imagine many of us have dealt with all of these at some juncture of our existence.
Here is good news! Every person around you is struggling with some sort of life issue. That means believers in Jesus are perfectly positioned to be available to hurting people. You may not always have answers to their dilemma’s. Truthfully, they aren’t looking for a guru. They are looking for a friend. Jesus is the answer to everything. He lives in you! Being present with people is powerful because it touches their heart.
HEAL
Notice when Jesus only spoke words when healing the demon possessed man. Let me ask a question, “Are we speaking words of healing?” Sometimes our focus on physical healing overshadows the desperate need of our day: emotional and mental healing.
Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” James the Apostle says that the tongue can set great and destructive fires (James 3:6). The words we speak to others can heal or kill. Let’s take the advice of the Apostle Paul to the Colossians:
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer everyone (Col 4:6 NET).
What words are we speaking to and about our co-workers? What words are we speaking about our children? Let me tell you a truth, your children will become what you tell them to become. Call them wild child, hyper, stupid, and that’s what they become. The whole world wants to label your kids: do not help them mold their future. Speak words of encouragement and strength; words of power and ability; tell them they are made in God’s image. Tell them they are valuable. Bring healing to them with the power of your words.
If you find this blog helpful, and you’d like to say thanks, click here to buy Danny Davis a coffee
