The Ministry of Jesus Christ
Luke 8:1-3
June 17, 2018
This morning we get an interesting passage of Scripture to look at.
It really almost feels like a parenthetical section.
• We are fresh off the story of the woman in the Pharisees house who demonstrated great love to Jesus,
• We are about to hear one of the most famous sermons Jesus ever preached.
But in between these two stories we get these 3 verses
Which show us not only the ministry of Jesus,
But also who is accompanying Him in this ministry.
It certainly follows along that continual theme of Luke
To make sure we are aware of exactly the type of people whom Jesus is using and who are being saved.
• Again we are reminded of the willingness of our Lord to save even the most
forgotten and rejected.
• Again we are reminded of the propensity of our Lord to use the overlooked
and the outcast in His ministry.
• Again we are reminded that those who seem so unworthy of salvation are
also the ones who often times end up being the most devoted followers.
To put it plainly, the most devoted followers
Are the ones who were most aware of their need.
These 3 verses are indeed brief,
But they certainly fit Luke’s overall perspective well.
What I also like about these 3 verses are
The simplicity with which they describe the ministry of Jesus.
What we have here is a typical day in the ministry of Jesus.
And there are certainly things which we can learn from this text.
3 things
#1 A SEEKING SAVIOR
Luke 8:1a
“Soon afterwards, He began going around from one city and village to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God.”
If you were to ask what a day in the ministry of Jesus was like,
I feel like most people would immediately start listing tremendous miraculous works.
I think the mindset for many is that every day of Jesus was filled with healings and miracles and deliverances from demons, on so on.
And certainly the miracles of Jesus are not to be overlooked,
They do furnish the validation to His ministry that is vitally important.
However, at the same time, focusing only on the miraculous works
Seems to miss the heart of Jesus’ ministry.
Jesus was first and foremost a preacher,
And preaching was what He did day in and day out.
While days without a miracle may have occurred,
It is doubtful that days without preaching occurred.
And certainly Luke has revealed this primary devotion of Jesus already.
Luke 4:15 “And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all.”
Luke 4:16 “And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read.”
Luke 4:31 “And He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and He was teaching them on the Sabbath;”
Luke 4:42-44 “When day came, Jesus left and went to a secluded place; and the crowds were searching for Him, and came to Him and tried to keep Him from going away from them. But He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.” So He kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.”
Luke 6:6 “On another Sabbath He entered the synagogue and was teaching; and there was a man there whose right hand was withered.”
All of those reveal His determination to enter synagogues
And proclaim the truth to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
But synagogues where not His only places of preaching.
Luke 5:1 “Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret;”
Luke 5:17 “One day He was teaching; and there were some Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was present for Him to perform healing.”
That was in the house that would eventually get the roof torn off.
Luke 6:17 “Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place; and there was a large crowd of His disciples, and a great throng of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon,”
That of course was the Sermon on the Mount
Luke 7:24 “When the messengers of John had left, He began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?”
All of those are various places where Jesus set up shop
And began to preach to the masses
And that is not even to mention all the various teaching moments
Jesus had with the disciples, or even with other people, like the mini-sermon Jesus preached in the Pharisee’s house just last week.
The point is that Jesus was a preacher.
That is what Luke is showing us.
“He began going around from one city and village to another”
It is possible that by now He has worn out His welcome in the synagogues.
• We certainly know that a point comes in His ministry where He is no longer welcome there.
• In fact we learn in John 9 that by that time even anyone who confessed Jesus would be thrown out of the synagogue.
• With all the hostility we’ve already seen between Jesus and the Pharisees, I don’t think it’s too far-fetched to assume that He is no longer welcome there.
But that doesn’t stop Jesus.
He just starts preaching “from one city and village to another.”
He isn’t limited to highly populated areas,
He’ll preach and cities and villages alike.
After all, any shepherd who will leave the 99 to go and find the 1
Most certainly doesn’t limit his search only to the populated areas.
Jesus is taking the gospel to the people.
He is “proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God”
That is to say, He is proclaiming how access into the kingdom is obtained.
• He is preaching repentance
• He is preaching faith
• He is preaching forgiveness
• He is preaching salvation
Each and every stop presents an opportunity to offer forgiveness of sins
Through repentance and faith in Him.
And really, more than the miraculous stories we read about,
THIS IS THE NORM.
• Yes He works miracles…
• Yes He does the extraordinary…
• But the norm of His ministry; the day in and day out work; is that of preaching about how to enter God’s kingdom.
And I do think it’s important for you to see that
Since that is an aspect of the ministry that we most certainly replicate.
We may not have the power in our fingertips to restore sight to the blind, or cleans the lepers, or raise the dead,
But we all have been given the authority to proclaim the gospel.
Acts 1:8 makes that clear.
Acts 1:8 “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
We follow this example.
And it is really quite clear.
Jesus was not on a social mission.
• That is to say, His main objective was not to rid the world of all hardship and suffering.
• His goal wasn’t to hand out bread or install air conditioning
• He wasn’t distributing clothing or food or tents
He was preaching the gospel.
Nor was Jesus on a political mission.
• His main objective was not to rid the world of all it’s injustices
• He didn’t set out to overthrow tyrant leaders or crooked monarchs
• He didn’t confront Rome
• He didn’t fight political battles over statues or school systems or other political things
He preached the gospel
He will state it clearly later in His conversation with Zaccheus
Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
And that is what He is doing here isn’t it?
He is going where the lost are to make sure the lost hear the gospel.
Certainly the DAY WILL COME when Jesus will return
And then His ministry will be very social and very political.
• We know that He will wipe away all injustice…
• We know that He will reign on David’s throne…
• We know that He will destroy the wicked and then put an end to war…
But that is not what He did when He first came,
And that is not what He left us here to accomplish.
We take our cues from the daily ministry of Jesus
And see the simplicity of the job.
Go to where the lost are and preach the gospel to them.
It’s really not that complicated to understand.
• He didn’t ask us to figure out ways to get the lost to come to us…
• He didn’t challenge us to cure the world of all its social problems…
(In fact we are reminded that we’ll always have the poor)
• He didn’t challenge us to fight political battles for political turf…
He simply told us to go out into this world to where the lost are
And to preach the gospel to them.
That’s what He did day in and day out.
He was seeking the lost to give them the message of good news.
A Seeking Savior
#2 THE STEADFAST STUDENTS
Luke 8:1b
“The twelve were with Him”
These are the disciples whom our Lord called to Himself.
Luke 6:13-16 “And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles: Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James and John; and Philip and Bartholomew; and Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.”
• These were the men who Jesus would endow with authority to proclaim His gospel after His ascension.
• They would take His truth as ambassadors and proclaim His message to the world that had rejected Christ.
• Right now they are in their training phase.
They were “with Him”
That is, they were watching Him and listening to Him.
Jesus is discipling them.
The simplest way I know to define DISCIPLESHIP is
When you reproduce yourself in someone else.
You not only set the example, but you also encourage following
And for them to imitate how you do it.
It is what Paul meant when he wrote:
1 Corinthians 4:16 “Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me.”
1 Corinthians 11:1 “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.”
Well that is what Jesus is doing here for the 12.
• He’s showing them how to approach a city
• He’s showing them how to address the crowd
• He’s showing them what things are important to teach
• He’s showing them how to handle opposition
• He’s showing them how to endure
THEY ARE BEING TRAINED.
Later, He’ll send them out.
Luke 9:1-2 “And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing.”
Their internship is coming,
But right now they are still at His side learning all they can.
They are “with Him”
I think it is also important to note that they are “with Him” in the sense that they have stayed with Him.
Theirs is a culture that is increasingly rejecting Jesus.
The religious establishment is already antagonistic.
• Certainly by now it is becoming obvious that Jesus isn’t getting rich…
• Certainly by now it is becoming obvious that Jesus isn’t forming an army…
• Certainly by now it is becoming obvious that Jesus isn’t gaining earthly
power…
In fact, it is not uncommon for Jesus to be rejected by the masses
As demon possessed, or as a drunkard who eats with tax collectors and sinners.
We’re familiar with the account in John 6.
John 6:66 “As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.”
There were times when nearly everyone left.
But not these 12.
John 6:67-71 “So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. “We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” Jesus answered them, “Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?” Now He meant Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him.”
These 12 were staying.
In fact, we learn at the end of Jesus’ ministry that He was keeping them.
John 17:12 “While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.”
This is yet again a day in the life of Jesus.
• On one hand He is preaching to the lost.
• On the other hand He is discipling and training those whom He has called.
You see in that, Jesus performing on a daily basis
The very mandate He will leave for us.
Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Jesus didn’t just command that, Jesus lived that.
That was His daily routine.
That means that as His followers
It is our job to go and preach the gospel to the lost
It is our job to then disciple those who are saved to do the same.
This is basic ministry as modeled by Jesus.
And I’m glad Luke shows us that.
HOWEVER, in spite of that informative verse,
I think the main thing Luke wanted to show us comes in verses 2 & 3.
A Seeking Savior, The Steadfast Students
#3 THE SHOCKING SUPPORTERS
Luke 8:2-3
Now, Luke is NOT the only one to mention these women,
Other gospel writers mention them to.
But only Luke includes them
As part of the daily ministry and routine of Jesus.
Some things we already knew about these women, and other women in the gospels.
Last week we saw their propensity for overwhelming love.
• We saw that unnamed woman wet His feet with her tears and dry them with her hair.
• Later we know that Mary (sister of Martha) will do the same as she figuratively anoints Jesus’ body for burial.
• Of course that is after the famous story of her sitting at Jesus’ feet as He teaches.
• Or of course of Mary Magdalene clinging to Jesus in the garden after He rose from the dead.
TURN TO: John 20:11-18
We know about their propensity for great faith.
• Who could forget the Canaanite woman who approached Jesus that her daughter might be healed, and even after it appeared Jesus was unwilling she just kept trusting?
TURN TO: Matthew 15:21-28
And certainly we know about the tremendous dedication of these women.
• There at the cross
• There at the tomb
• First to believe He rose from the dead
Matthew 27:55-56 “Many women were there looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee while ministering to Him. Among them was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.”
I’ve always remember the quote, though I don’t remember who said it:
“No woman denied Him, No woman deserted Him, No woman betrayed Him; yet it was a woman, who by act of intuition, tried to save Him.”
(Of course that was Pilate’s wife who had the dream regarding Christ)
We are certainly aware of the tremendous love and faith and dedication of the women listed throughout the gospel accounts.
WHAT LUKE ADDS TO THAT LIST IS THAT
• These women didn’t just pop up from time to time,
• They were integral pieces to the daily ministry of Jesus.
Let me break these two verses down a little further and Luke gives 3 important pieces of information about these women.
1) WHO THEY WERE
Luke actually lists 3 by name and then seems to broaden that list by saying “and many others”
WE HAVE “Mary who was called Madalene” (Magdala was her hometown)
• This was NOT the woman we just saw in the last story
• This was NOT the woman caught in adultery form John 8 as Hollywood likes to suggest
• This was NOT the sister of Martha and Lazarus
This Mary is distinguished by the fact that
From her “seven demons had gone out”
That doesn’t necessarily imply that she was an immoral woman,
As not all who were demon possessed were immoral,
But it does make very clear that she was a TORMENTED woman,
And most certainly an OSTRACIZED woman.
WE ALSO HAVE “Joanna” who is revealed as “the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward”
• This may well have been where Herod got all his information on Jesus.
AND WE HAVE “Susanna” who is not mentioned anywhere else in Scripture.
ALONG WITH “many others”, like perhaps His mother, Salome, or any other of the women mentioned.
That’s who they were
2) WHY THEY WERE THERE
“some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses”
Very simply these women were there
Because they had been delivered by Jesus.
• We know “Mary” had been delivered from 7 demons,
• But this also explains how “Joanna” had come to follow Jesus. (Jesus had healed her.)
• Jesus had done the same for “Susanna”
They were there because Jesus had set them free.
He had mercifully delivered them from the bonds that afflicted them.
And now, they follow in line with the woman we saw in chapter 7.
THEY LOVED MUCH
And this love is seen from them, not in anointing Jesus’ feet, but in another way.
3) WHAT THEY DID
“who were contributing to their support out of their private means.”
This was their alabaster vile.
• Nothing is said how much any of these women had.
• We don’t know if they are rich or poor.
• It really didn’t matter, the focus is on the fact that they contributed.
Their story is the same story as the woman in chapter 7.
• That woman saw a Savior whose feet had not been washed and she took the job upon herself.
• These women saw a Savior with other needs and they stepped up to do the same.
Many of you have seen the Amy Carmichael quote from the mission video we’ve shown on numerous occasions.
“You can give without loving, you cannot love without giving.”
That describes not only the woman of chapter 7, but these women as well.
• They loved Christ.
• They were grateful to Christ.
• And so they gave to Christ.
And here’s something interesting, JESUS LET THEM DO IT.
Does it surprise you that He didn’t just miraculously supply food for His followers at all times?
Most of the time they bought their own food.
• That’s why Philip actually told Jesus on the day that crowd of 5,000 arrived
that 200 denarii was not enough to buy food for that whole crowd.
• They were used to having to buy their own food.
Beyond that we know they had money they reserved for the poor
Because Judas used to pilfer out of it.
Jesus could have supplied food at all times
Jesus could have snapped His feet clean too
But He didn’t. Instead He set the precedent for ministry.
These women weren’t the preachers.
• I can certainly imagine they bore testimony to the deliverance and healing Jesus had worked in their lives, but they weren’t the preachers.
Instead, they ministered through the support of Christ.
And in so doing they were a vital part of His ministry.
• It was their sacrifice that allowed Jesus and the 12 to travel from city to city and village to village.
• It was their sacrifice that funded the mission.
And that is yet another picture of the ministry of Christ
And the ministry that still continues.
There is a very practical side to the ministry of Jesus.
We understand that we live in a physical world with physical needs,
And things like work and sacrifice and giving
Are required to make those ministries go.
And so certainly here we see from Luke a real basic blueprint for ministry.
We see what it is: Going, Preaching, Discipling, Learning
We see how it goes: Sacrificial contribution from those who have been delivered
And that is all good stuff to see.
But I think Luke uses this story for a greater point.
BUT HERE IS THE MAIN POINT TO ALL OF THIS.
I don’t think Luke is as concerned in showing you WHAT they were doing as he was with reminding you WHY they were doing it.
These women served because they had been delivered.
Their ministry was born out of love for the Savior.
I think Luke purposely adds this information
Right after the story of the woman who washed Jesus feet with her tears.
• That woman’s story is not peculiar.
• That woman’s love is not strange.
• That woman’s love is meant to be the norm.
Everyone who has been delivered by Jesus should have that kind of love.
No, it doesn’t always mean washing Jesus’ feet,
Sometimes it means contributing to Jesus’ ministry.
But the motive is the same.
Those who have been delivered much, love much,
And those who love much, clearly sacrifice much for Him.
ISN’T THAT WHAT WE LEARNED LAST WEEK?
A lack of love for the Savior indicates a lack of deliverance by the Savior.
Or, as Jesus put it.
“He who is forgiven little, loves little.”
You just cannot over emphasize
The importance of the church’s love for Christ.
What is the greatest commandment?
• To love God with all your heart.
• And without it, ministry is half-hearted, cold, and even dead.
When Jesus recommissioned Peter, what was the main thing He first wanted to know? (He asked him 3 times)
• “Do you love Me?”
Evangelism and ministry and sacrificial giving are far too costly
If there is no love for Christ.
I fear that too often we buy the message that
Our lives are all about Christ proving His love for us.
He proves His love for me by:
• Healing me when I’m sick…
• Providing for me when money is tight…
• Protecting me in danger…
• Delighting me when I’m unhappy…
• Giving me friends when I’m lonely…
• And anything else we can think of.
I’m afraid that far too often our mindset is that
“If Christ loved me, then He’d….”
That is the mark of a selfish people.
And anywhere we see a lack of commitment to Christ,
This is the root cause.
A lack of sacrificial devotion for Christ
Only indicates that I love myself more than I love Christ.
It’s when I’m only interested in how Christ can love me.
But when is the last time you asked how you could prove your love for Christ in the midst of your circumstance?
• How do you show Christ love when you are sick?
• How do you show Christ love when you are poor?
• How do you show Christ love when you are in danger?
• How do you show Christ love when you are unhappy?
• How do you show Christ love when you are lonely?
And perhaps one should ask,
If Christ treated me the way I treated Him, would I feel loved by Him?
It’s not hard to tell how His early followers felt about Him.
• They left it all to follow Him.
• They gave it all to fund His ministry.
• They risked it all to tell the world who He was.
AND THE CHURCH MUST RETURN THERE
If we are ever to be who we are intended to be.
