Jesus’ Preparation for Ministry

Jesus’ Preparation for Ministry

God sent His Son Jesus to the earth with a purpose, and Jesus began His public ministry around the age of 30. However, His preparation began long before that. This involved His upbringing, His spiritual consecration, heaven’s confirmation of His call, His wilderness temptations, all of which were a crucial part towards His earthly ministry.

1. Early Life & Background

Jesus was born in Bethlehem to Mary and Joseph, a humble carpenter. His birth was surrounded by miraculous signs and fulfilled prophecies, indicating His unique identity and mission. To know more about his significant birth, click here.

Raised in Nazareth, a small village in Galilee, Jesus grew up in a devout Jewish household. His earthly parents were God fearing Jews who loved and honored God and followed the Jewish traditions and spiritual practices of the day. Luke 2:52 summarizes these formative years concisely: “And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”

2. Spiritual Development

From a young age, Jesus exhibited a profound spiritual awareness and an innate sense of His divine mission. In the account of twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple, found in Luke 2:41-50, when His parents found Him discussing the Scriptures with the teachers and religious leaders, Jesus responded, “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” This episode indicates his exceptional knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures and a dedicated focus on his earthly mission.

Jesus was extremely successful in His ministry. He performed mighty miracles healing people of sicknesses and setting them free from evil spirits. His spiritual strength came through His life of prayer and His connection with the Father. During His ministry, the Gospels frequently mention Jesus withdrawing alone to pray. For example, Matthew 14:23, Mark 1:35, and Luke 5:16 all describe such instances. It is likely that Jesus’ lifestyle of prayer was established long before, during His formative years.

3. Baptism, Anointing & Divine Confirmation

The baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in the Jordan River was a significant milestone in Jesus’ preparation for ministry. This event is recorded in all four Gospels (Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22, John 1:29-34). Jesus’ baptism was not for the remission of sins, as He was sinless, but it symbolized His identification with humanity’s plight and his readiness to take on the role of the Messiah.

At his baptism, the heavens opened, and the Spirit of God descended like a dove, resting on Him. A voice from heaven declared, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him, I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). This divine proclamation confirmed Jesus’ identity and mission, providing a heavenly endorsement of His divine nature and earthly mission.

4. Wilderness Temptations

Following His baptism, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. This period of 40 days and nights of fasting was a time of preparation and strengthening for the ministry He would soon embark upon. In this weakened physical state Satan approached Jesus with a series of three temptations, attempting to derail His divine mission.

Satan tempted Jesus by challenging Him to turn stones into bread appealing to His physical need of hunger, throw himself from the temple pinnacle to test if God would send His angels to protect Him, and worshipping Satan in exchange for worldly power. Jesus calmly responded to these challenges using God’s Word, thereby demonstrating His trust and loyalty to God’s plan. Seeing that he could not win, the tempter left. For a closer look at the wilderness temptations of Jesus, click here.

5. Calling of First Disciples

Having emerged victorious from the wilderness, Jesus began calling His disciples one by one. Jesus selected 12 men from diverse backgrounds taught and empowered them to assist in His earthly ministry. This was a strategic part of Jesus’ preparation for the fulfillment of God’s plan, as these men became Jesus’ closest followers, ministry team and future leaders of the early church.

Preparing for God’s Purposes

As we reflect on Jesus’ ministry preparation, we begin to see a clear model to follow in our own preparation to fulfill God’s purposes in our lives:

1. Recognizing the calling

Jesus was sent to earth with a divine mission, and He was aware of His calling from an early age. Cultivating an awareness of God’s calling upon our life, and discerning our gifts and abilities would be the first step we can take in the process.

2. Spiritual growth

Jesus’ life was marked by His deep rooted understanding of the Scriptures and a lifestyle of prayer, both of which offer a winning combination for ministry success. Developing a daily walk with God that incorporates time in God’s Word and a consistent prayer life will strengthen our connection with God and help us hear His voice more clearly.

3. Baptism & Anointing of the Holy Spirit

Jesus took the step of baptism even though He didn’t need to, but in so doing He set an example to all believers. As we obey God through baptism, we make a public proclamation of our commitment to Him. And receiving the anointing of the Holy Spirit gives us the power we need for a victorious Christian life and ministry.

4. Seeking confirmation

God’s proclamation over Jesus as He came up from His baptism was a clear confirmation of His calling. Looking for confirmation of one’s calling through God’s Word, prayer and trusted spiritual mentors is helpful to strengthen faith and ensure that we are going down the right path.

5. Facing Challenges

Jesus was tempted in the wilderness and came out strengthened for ministry as He relied on God’s word to combat the enemy. We have to expect, and be prepared to face trials and temptations, understanding that these are opportunities for growth and strengthening. Just like Jesus, we can use Scripture as a foundation to resist temptations and stand firm in the midst of trials.

6. Team Building & Mentorship

Jesus not only called and trained His disciples to assist in His ministry, but He also invested time to mentor them for future leadership as these men became pioneers of the early church. Building a supportive and collaborative team of people with diverse skill sets, that share a similar calling is key to the success of any ministry. Investing time in mentoring others and seeking mentorship are both important for growth in ministry.