JESUS’ MINISTRY WAS WORD-CENTERED

Preaching had taken precedence over everything else, even over healing and casting out demons. Jesus made this evident in many ways. He insisted that we had to live according to every Word of the Scriptures (Matthew 4:4), which all had to be fulfilled (Matthew 5:17-19).

Early on the morning after He had healed multitudes in Capernaum, Jesus went to a desolate place to pray. Finally, Peter found him and tried to persuade him to return to town where many were waiting for Him, presumably to be healed. However, Jesus answered:

·       “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. (Mark 1:38-39 (ESV)

In His prayer (John 17), Jesus also put His ministry of the Word upon a pinnacle above everything else. Here, we see a different side of Jesus, where He lauds His disciples to the Father:

·       “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.” (John 17:6-8)

They had believed the Words Jesus had given them. No greater praise was available! Why such an emphasis on the Words of truth? Because through these Words eternal life would be granted:

·       “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:3)

It had been through these Words that the Jesus labored to offer them eternal life:

·       I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” (John 17:14)

The Word was also transforming them. We would now become new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). We might not see this in our continuing struggle against sin. However, the world sees it and hates the children of the light (2 Corinthians 2:14-16; John 15:18-20).

Jesus also prayed that we would be sanctified by the Word of truth:

·       “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.” (John 17:17-19)

Jesus concluded His prayer by acknowledging an extra bonus of the Word of truth:

·       “I have made You known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them." (John 17:26 (NIV)

The revelation of God is a doorway to basking in the love of God. If we care about our Lord’s Church and our brethren, we will broadcast the Word.

However, there is a lot of resistance to this idea. Some erroneously claim that the truth cannot be known, but this notion contradicts both reason and Scripture. Jesus claimed that the truth is attainable:

·       "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31-32 (NIV)

However, many do not want to know God’s truth. Therefore, they claim that spiritual truth is unknowable. However, we know many things, like, “George Washington was our first president and Donald Trump is our present president.”

They may argue, “This is different, because you are talking about historical truth.” However, Jesus historically performed many miracles, and there is a lot of evidence to substantiate this fact, even from the writings of His enemies. The historical case for His resurrection is likewise highly impressive.

There is no objective truth. We must find our own truth – what works for us! This statement is likewise unsupportable. For example, there are many impressive theistic proofs, and those who sincerely come to Jesus find that He is worth all our sacrifices. We are also given the assurance that we will be with Him forever, although I didn’t possess this assurance for many years.

Besides, we cannot consistently reject the existence of moral/spiritual truths. As soon as we have been mugged, we seek for justice, assuming that what had been done to us is wrong.

Truth can transform us. However, many deny this in favor of experiences, even though as soon as the experience is over, so too is the sense of transformation, unless it leads to Godly truth and understanding.

In thousands of ways, Scripture has freed me from so much. For example, we are taught that we no longer have to be self-absorbed, because Christ has bought us. We belong to Him:

·       I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

What a blessing it has been to know Him and to know about Him (Jeremiah 9:23-24)!