Real Hope: Jesus' Life & MinistrySample

Jesus’ Ministry

This passage in John is one of the most famous scriptures. Jesus lays out the plain truth of who He is and the facts of how relationship with God can be attained. That first part is a short sentence, but reveals a lot: during His time on earth, Jesus gave us a blueprint of what to believe in (truth), the source of our ability to live it out (life) and an example of what applying it would look like (the way).

Jesus’ time in ministry wasn’t long – and the Bible offers us limited insight into it – but how profound is it that the few stories we have of His miracles, sermons and relationships are enough to frame the pillars of our faith? It speaks to the majesty of God that the relative smallness of three years in ministry and a brief selection of exchanges is enough to compel an uncertain heart toward hope in God.

How can the fullness of God possibly be condensed into such a window? And yet, as Jesus says, He is the full trifecta of faith incarnate. What we know of Him is enough to build our entire lives on. In such a narrow slice of time, God offered enough of Himself to forever and always influence the experience of every human soul to walk the earth. It’s unfathomable. I don’t understand it. And I wonder what would happen if we knew even 2% more about God than we do now.

It’s a gift beyond words that we live in the generations who’ve got the life of Jesus to reflect on. Legends of the faith like Moses, Abraham and Esther didn’t have that – but we do. We get Jesus.

What are you going to do with that gift?

Written by LAURA BENNETT