jesus' ministry and ours

At his baptism Jesus heard the Father say, “You are my son whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” God opened heaven and the Spirit descended onto and into Jesus to empower him. (Lk. 3:22). “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert.” (Lk. 4:1-2). After the temptation, “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread.” (14) Jesus was full of the Spirit without measure and empowered for a purpose: to proclaim and demonstrate the kingdom.

What is kingdom ministry? Luke indicates Jesus’ own perception of it—at his coronation address he announced his agenda: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Jesus' plan for Spirit-empowered ministry, Jesus:

• taught
• preached good news to the poor and poor in spirit
• proclaimed freedom to prisoners bound in sin and darkness
• cast out demons
• healed the sick

And he mentored disciples to do the same.

Jesus proclaimed and demonstrated God’s right to rule creation as he destroyed the works of Satan (1 Jn. 3:8). He equipped followers and promised that they too would do what he did because, “everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher” (Lk. 6: 40; Mt, 28:16-20; Jn. 14:12-14).

This process of kingdom ministry as a continuum.