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Jesus' Public Ministry
(Note: This is the third of a five-part series on the life of Christ from his birth to resurrection running from December to April.)
The whole city is gathered into one crowd, or so it seems. Everyone is excited, eagerly craning their necks to catch a first glimpse of the expected visitor. Their enthusiasm is understandable. The miraculous opening of the eyes of the blind, healing the lepers, multiplying fish and bread to feed thousands, curing every imaginable illness, and even restoring life to the dead; they had all heard the stories, and in just a few moments they will see the miracle worker Himself.
He's humble yet regal as He presses forward to meet the crowd. Calmly He reaches out, His eyes drawn first to the wide-eyed children, the chastised beggars, and those hesitant yet desperate for hope. Nevertheless, everyone feels that He sees them, His whole being exuding compassion, love, and understanding.
One man, perched up in a tree, doesn't want to be seen. After all, he's the tax collector—the most despised man in Jericho. Yet he has a beating heart that is weighed down with guilt, desperation, and near hopelessness. He wants—needs—to see who this Jesus is. And so, Zacchaeus watches intently as the mass of humanity circling the great teacher draws closer and closer to his perch in the tree.
Jesus stops, the crowd bumping into Him as He speaks to the man in the tree: "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house." [Luke 19:5 NKJV] So hurry, he does, swinging down from the tree with a child's enthusiasm, his joy-filled heart overflowing with penitence, gratitude, and newfound hope.
The mood of the crowd instantly shifts; their shouts of admiration transform into grumbled protests. That Jesus would set foot inside the house of Zacchaeus, a known sinner, is unthinkable. It is unreasonable to them but not to those who know the Savior's mission.
Surrounded by the disapproving crowd of disciples, religious leaders, and curious onlookers, Jesus clearly and unmistakably articulates His mission: "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:9–10 NKJV).
Finding—and saving—the lost is Jesus' ministry. It was His mission two thousand years ago, and it remains the passion of His heart today. Jesus seeks after lost people. In reflecting on Jesus' earthly ministry of chasing after sinners, consider three observations:
Jesus sought sinners out. He didn't avoid them and refuse to ignore them to gain the approval of the more respected members of society. Early in His ministry, when challenged for interacting with social outcasts and obvious sinners, Jesus put it this way: "It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance," (Luke 5:31–32) NASB
Jesus opened a path to the sinner's heart by demonstrating his love. We've all heard the adage: People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. While Jesus' ultimate concern during His public ministry was always spiritual redemption, He demonstrated genuine care for all people—regardless of their spiritual inclinations. As Jesus stated, God "makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust" {Matt 5:45) NKJV. In ministering to physically felt needs, Jesus sought an opening to address the deepest needs.
Commenting on Jesus' ministry, the well-known 19th-century American author Ellen White states: "Christ's method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Savior mingled with people as one who desired their good. He showed sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He invited them, 'Follow Me.'" (Ministry of Healing, p. 73).
Jesus avoided public acclaim. In an era of social media influencers and spotlight-hungry celebrities, it's common to see ministry leaders seemingly most focused on promoting themselves. Yet Jesus was not interested in being in the public eye. He didn't need—nor did He crave—public attention.
After Jesus multiplied a boy's lunch to feed more than 5,000 people, the well-fed crowd determined to forcibly make Jesus their king. Jesus simply sent them away and found a quiet place to pray (John 6:15; Matthew 14:22). He avoided public acclaim, maintained His ministry focus, and remained accessible to the lost. Finding and saving the lost is Jesus' ministry.
And He invites us to join Him in seeking after lost people.
Photo Credit: Zakæus by Niels Larsen Stevns
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