As we examine the ministry of Jesus, it is remarkable to realize that most of the significant events in Jesus’ ministry happened outside of the “church” meetings of His day—meetings in the synagogues and meetings in the temple.
In contrast, for most Christians in our day, the focus of our spiritual activity centers on church meetings. Our spiritual lives often revolve around church meetings. These meetings are often our source of stability and spiritual grounding.
We may need to rethink that paradigm, because Jesus did not seem to center His ministry, or His relationship with His Father, on “church” meetings. The most significant acts of His ministry took place outside of church meetings:
- Jesus was not “in church” when He called His disciples.
- Jesus’ miracle ministry did not begin in a “church” meeting.
- Jesus healed many more people outside of “church” meetings than in “church” meetings.
- Jesus’ greatest sermons and greatest miracles occurred outside of “church.”
If the four Gospel books in the Bible had only recorded the events in Jesus’ ministry that occurred in the “church” meetings of His day, there would be very few healings and miracles detailed in the Gospels. His ministry would look very different—and not very impressive, really, for the Son of God and the Savior of all mankind! It is only when you look at what Jesus did outside of traditional “church” meetings that you see the real substance of His ministry, and you see the life into which we are also called to enter.
Events in Jesus’ Ministry
If you took time to list the significant events in Jesus’ ministry, separating them into two groups—those that occurred in the synagogues and in the temple and those events that happened outside of those traditional “church meetings” of that time, it would be clear to see that the vast majority of significant events in Jesus’ ministry happened outside of “church meetings.”
Could God be trying to tell us something here? If most of the significant events in Jesus’ life and ministry occurred outside of “church meetings,” we can expect that the same will be true in our lives! His life is our model!
