Jesus’ ministry is now quite large. People from all over Israel are coming to hear him, to be healed, and have demons removed from them. Sounds amazing right? Well, not everyone thinks so.
The angels announced that Jesus’ birth meant “Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth…” But if the word “peace” simply means “the absence of conflict” or “freedom from disturbances”, then the angels were full of garbage or Jesus did a terrible job and failed miserably at what he came to do.
We might think of love as a warm fuzzy feeling we get when we're with another person, or simply as the enjoyment we get from something we like. But God's love goes far deeper than that.
Fear moves units off shelves. Fear sells products, runs governments, etc. But we’re commanded to be joyful and rejoice, even in the face of intense hardship. How does that work???
We use the word “hope” in situations of wishful thinking. “I hope it snows for Christmas.” But biblical hope isn’t based on something unpredictable, like weather. It’s based on something as predictable as the morning.
Jesus is the king who has come to establish his kingdom, but it comes not through political or military conquest – it comes by setting people free from things that held them captive. Sometimes that means demons are cast out. Other times it means idols of the heart are cast out.
Jesus tells a fisherman to do the impossible, touches a leper, and forgives the sin of a cripple who didn’t ask. The kingdom is here!
Jesus announces that his mission is to bring good news to the poor (the outcast, the disenfranchised, the disadvantaged, those on the outside looking in.... and it still is.
Jesus is about 30 years old, and ready to begin his ministry. The question is: Does he really know what he is here to do? Has he understood what his mission will be? The phrase "time will tell" isn't going to be helpful. Like a good teacher tests her pupils to learn what they know, Jesus gets a test to see what he knows about the mission.
Empowered by the Spirit, Jesus is full of the Spirit, and inspired by the Spirit. His primary role on earth is to serve the plan of the Father, and it is this special relationship and its implications that lie at the root of Jesus’ identity.