|
IV.
Life, Parables, and Miracles of Christ
»
Chapter 33
:
Christ's Ministry
1. WITH what words had John the Baptist announced
Christ's ministry?
"He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes
I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the
Holy Ghost and with fire." Matt. 3:11.
2. How old was Jesus when He began His ministry?
"And Jesus Himself began to be about thirty years of
age." Luke 3:23.
3. By what act and what miraculous manifestations was
His ministry opened?
"And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from
Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in
Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water,
He saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove
descending upon Him: and there came a voice from heaven,
saying, Thou art My beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased." Mark 1:9-11.
4. Before entering upon His ministry, through what
experience did Jesus pass?
"And immediately the Spirit driveth Him into the
wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty
days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild
beasts; and the angels ministered unto Him." Verses
12,13. See also Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13.
5. With what was Jesus anointed for His work?
"How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy
Ghost
and with
power:
who went
about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of
the devil; for God was with Him." Acts 10:38.
6. Where did Jesus begin His ministry?
"And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into
Galilee: and there went out a fame of Him through
all the region round about. And He taught in their
synagogues, being glorified of all." Luke 4:14,15.
7. How did He announce His mission while at Nazareth?
"And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up:
and, as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on
the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was
delivered unto Him the book of the prophet Esaias. And
when He had opened the book, He found the place where it
was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because
He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He
hath sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach
deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to
the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to
preach the acceptable year of the Lord. . . . And He
began to say unto them, This day is this scripture
fulfilled in your ears." Verses 16-21.
8. How were the people impressed with His preaching?
"And all bare Him witness, and wondered at the
gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth."
Verse 22.
9. Why were the people at Capernaum astonished at His
teaching?
"And [He] came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and
taught them on the Sabbath days. And they were
astonished at His doctrine: for His word was with
power." Verses 31,32.
10. Wherein did His teaching differ from that of the
scribes?
"And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these
sayings, the people were astonished at His doctrine:
for He taught them as one having authority, and not as
the scribes." Matt. 7:28,29.
11. How did the common people
receive Christ?
"And the common people heard Him gladly."
Mark 12:37.
12. In His ministry, what work was closely associated
with His preaching?
"And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their
synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and
healing all manner of sickness and all manner of
disease among the people." Matt. 4:23.
NOTE.-In His ministry, Christ combined plain,
practical teaching with practical, helpful relief
work.
13. How extensive was His fame, and how many were
attracted to Him?
"And His fame went throughout all Syria: and they
brought unto Him all sick people that were taken with
divers diseases and torments, and those which were
possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and
those that had the palsy; and He healed them. And there
followed Him great multitudes of people from
Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from
Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from beyond
Jordan." Verses 24,25.
14. What expression used frequently in narrating His
ministry shows Christ's deep sympathy with mankind?
"But when He saw the multitude, He was moved with compassion
on them, because they fainted, and were scattered
abroad, as sheep having no shepherd." "And Jesus
went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved
with compassion toward them, and He healed their
sick." Matt. 9:36; 14:14.
15. In what
few words did Christ sum up the object of His ministry?
"For the Son of man is come to seek and to
save that which was lost." Luke 19:10.
16. How did Christ feel over the
impenitence of Jerusalem?
"And when He was come near, He beheld the
city, and wept
over it."
Luke 19:41.
NOTE.-In no other place did Christ appear so much a
reformer as in Jerusalem, the headquarters of the
Jewish religion, which religion, though having come
from Christ Himself, had degenerated into mere
formalism and a round of ceremony. Both the
beginning and the close of His ministry here was
marked by a cleansing of the temple. See John
2:13-18 and Matt. 21:12-16.
O Blessed
Christ! my Strength, my King,
He is my comfort and my stay;
In Him I hope, of Him I Sing,
While toiling o'er life's rugged way.
Chiefest among ten thousand He,
For Christ, my King, is all to me.
MRS. L. D. AVERY-STUTTLE.
|
