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Objective

In this lesson, we’ll discover how Christ fulfilled His prophetic calling through preaching, healing, teaching, and training disciples to carry on His work.

Key Verse

John 6:14: Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”

Introduction

Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies not only in His birth, death, and resurrection, but also through His life and ministry on earth. He was the Prophet that Moses had spoken about centuries earlier. When Moses told the people that God would raise up a prophet like himself, he was pointing forward to the coming Messiah.

Deuteronomy 18:18: I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him.

The people of Jesus’ day recognized this prophetic calling. After witnessing His miracles and hearing His words, they declared that He was indeed “the Prophet who is to come into the world.” This recognition shows us that Jesus’ ministry perfectly fulfilled what God had promised through Moses.

From the very beginning of His public ministry, Jesus demonstrated His prophetic calling through powerful preaching and miraculous works. Matthew gives us a beautiful summary of how Christ carried out this prophetic ministry:

Matthew 4:23: Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

Matthew 9:35: Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.

As we study Christ’s prophetic ministry together, we’ll see how He faithfully represented God to the people through four essential activities. Here are the main points we will explore:

• Preaching the gospel to call people to repentance and faith
• Healing the sick to demonstrate God’s power and compassion
• Teaching the Word to reveal God’s truth and character
• Training the disciples to continue His work after His departure

Preaching the Gospel

Jesus began His public ministry with a clear and powerful message that echoed the words of the Old Testament prophets. His preaching was simple but urgent, calling people to respond immediately to God’s offer of salvation.

Mark 1:14-15: After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time is fulfilled,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

This message contained two essential parts that work together like two sides of the same coin. First, Jesus announced that “the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has come near.” This was the good news that God’s long-awaited plan of salvation was now being revealed. Second, He called for a response: “Repent and believe the good news!” People couldn’t simply listen to this message—they had to make a decision.

Jesus preached this message with great urgency because He understood the eternal importance of what He was doing. He knew that people’s souls hung in the balance, and He felt deep compassion for those who were lost and searching for truth.

Mark 1:38: Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”

Matthew 9:36-38: When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

The message that Jesus preached was the same message that the Old Testament prophets had delivered to Israel. It was the same message that John the Baptist had proclaimed. And it remains the same message that we should preach to the world today. (Notebook Moment: How does knowing that Jesus felt urgent compassion for lost people change the way you think about sharing the gospel with others? What keeps you from feeling that same urgency?)

The consistency of this message throughout Scripture shows us that God’s plan of salvation has never changed. From the beginning, God has called people to turn away from sin and trust in His provision for salvation.

Healing the Sick

The miracles of Jesus were another vital part of His prophetic ministry. Many of His miracles involved healing people from various diseases and physical ailments. These miraculous healings weren’t just acts of compassion—they were powerful signs that fulfilled specific Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah.

Luke 4:40: At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them.

Matthew 8:16-17: When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.”

Jesus’ healing ministry demonstrated that He was indeed the Messiah whom Isaiah had described. When Jesus read from Isaiah’s prophecy in the synagogue at Nazareth, He was announcing that these ancient promises were now being fulfilled through His ministry:

Isaiah 61:1-3: The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn…

But Jesus didn’t limit His miraculous power to healing diseases. He also performed other types of miracles that displayed His authority over nature, death, and demonic forces. All of these miracles served as signs showing that Jesus came from God and spoke with divine authority.

Mark 4:41: They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

John 11:43-44: When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

Mark 1:23-27: Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.”

Through these diverse miracles, Jesus revealed that He had complete authority over every force that oppresses and destroys human life. His power over disease showed His compassion. His power over nature revealed His divine identity. His power over death demonstrated His victory over humanity’s greatest enemy. His power over demons proved His authority over the forces of evil.

Teaching the Word

While the miracles of Jesus demonstrated His power, His teaching revealed His authority as God’s spokesman. People immediately recognized that Jesus taught differently from other religious teachers of His day.

Matthew 7:28-29: When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

Even as a young boy, Jesus displayed remarkable wisdom and understanding that amazed the religious scholars of His time:

Luke 2:46-47: After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.

Jesus taught wherever He found people who needed to hear God’s truth. He didn’t limit His teaching to formal religious settings but looked for every opportunity to share God’s Word with those who were hungry to learn.

Luke 4:15-16: He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read…

Matthew 5:1: Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him…

Luke 5:3: He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

When Paul later instructed Timothy to “preach the word” and “be ready in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2), he was encouraging him to follow the example that Jesus had already set. We should be prepared to share God’s truth whenever and wherever the opportunity presents itself.

Jesus taught both in public gatherings and in private conversations with individuals. In His public teaching, Jesus delivered three distinct types of messages that addressed different aspects of spiritual truth.

First, Jesus gave prophetic messages like those of the Old Testament prophets. He fearlessly spoke against false religion and warned people about the coming judgment of God. In Matthew 23, Jesus pronounced stern warnings against the religious leaders who were leading people astray through their hypocrisy and false teaching. In Matthew 24-25, He spoke about the signs that would precede His second coming and the final judgment.

Second, Jesus emphasized what it means to live as citizens of God’s kingdom. The Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew 5-7, gives us the most complete picture of how followers of Christ should live. Jesus taught about attitudes, relationships, priorities, and behaviors that reflect God’s character and honor His name.

Third, Jesus taught specifically about His role as the Messiah. He explained His mission, His authority, and His purpose in coming to earth. In Luke 4:16-22, He announced that He was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. In John 6:32-40, He taught that He was the true bread from heaven. In Mark 10:45, He explained that He came “to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Throughout all His teaching, Jesus used parables to illustrate these same three types of spiritual truth in ways that people could understand and remember. His parables reinforced the same prophetic, ethical, and Messianic messages He delivered in His more direct teaching. The parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) illustrated prophetic truth about being ready for His return. The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37) taught ethical truth about loving our neighbors. The parable of the Wicked Husbandman (Mark 12:1-12) revealed Messianic truth about His identity as God’s Son.

Training the Disciples

The Old Testament prophets understood the importance of training others to continue their work. Elijah discipled Elisha to carry on his ministry. There were even schools established for training prophets (2 Kings 2:3, 5), showing that God wanted His truth to be passed down from one generation to the next.

Jesus also recognized the crucial importance of training disciples to continue His work after His departure. He invested significant time and energy in preparing twelve men who would become the foundation of the early church. (Notebook Moment: Think about someone who has invested in your spiritual growth. How did their investment in you shape your understanding of God? How might God be calling you to invest in others?)

Jesus used several specific methods to train His disciples for effective ministry. First, He took time to explain the deeper meaning of His public teaching to those who were closest to Him:

Matthew 13:36: Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”

This private instruction was essential because the disciples would need to understand Jesus’ teaching thoroughly in order to explain it accurately to others.

Second, Jesus trained His disciples by sending them out as missionaries to preach the gospel. This hands-on experience taught them to depend on God’s provision and to trust in the power of His Word:

Matthew 10:5-42: These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give…”

Through this practical training, the disciples learned that ministry isn’t just about knowing the right information—it’s about depending on God’s power to work through ordinary people.

Third, Jesus taught His disciples the importance of serving with humble hearts rather than seeking positions of power and recognition:

Mark 10:35-45: Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said… “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

John 13:4-17: So he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him… “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”

Through these powerful object lessons, Jesus showed His disciples that true greatness in God’s kingdom comes through humble service rather than self-promotion.

Fourth, Jesus taught His disciples many essential doctrines that they would need to understand in order to lead the church effectively. We can read about much of this teaching in John 14-16, where Jesus prepared them for His departure by teaching about the Second Coming, the ministry of the Holy Spirit, and what it means to abide in Christ.

Even after His resurrection, Jesus continued to invest in His disciples’ preparation. He spent forty days teaching them and preparing them for the work they would do after His ascension:

John 21:15-19: When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs…”

Luke 24:25-27: He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

Acts 1:3-8: After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God… “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

We can be confident that what Jesus taught the disciples during this period is exactly what they preached in the book of Acts and wrote down in the New Testament epistles. Jesus thoroughly prepared them for their ministry of building the church and spreading the gospel throughout the world. (Notebook Moment: What aspects of Jesus’ training methods could you apply when helping others grow in their faith? How might focusing on both knowledge and practical experience strengthen your own discipleship of others?)

Conclusion

Jesus Christ perfectly fulfilled His calling as a prophet by faithfully representing God to the people through His preaching, healing, teaching, and training of disciples. Every aspect of His ministry demonstrated that He was indeed the Prophet whom Moses had promised would come.

Just as He was sent by the Father, He has now sent us to continue His work:

John 20:21: Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

We have been given the Holy Spirit to empower us for this same work of preaching the gospel and making disciples of all nations. The prophetic ministry of Christ continues today through every believer who faithfully shares God’s truth with a lost and broken world. May we be faithful to carry on this vital work until Jesus returns to complete what He began during His earthly ministry.

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