Why Did Jesus Spend So Much Time in Galilee? (Mark 1:14)

The baptism of Jesus marked the beginning of his public ministry. After spending 30 years in Nazareth, he goes to the Jordan River to be baptized by John the Baptizer (Mark 1:9). Immediately after his baptism, Jesus spends 40 days in the wilderness, fasting and resisting the temptations of Satan.
When John the Baptizer is put in prison, Jesus heads back to Galilee and begins to preach the gospel ("the good news") of the kingdom (Mark 1:14). His message is straightforward and is summarized as, "Repent and believe the gospel" (Mark 1:15).

I'm intrigued by the fact that Jesus went back to Galilee to start his preaching ministry. Why not stay in the southern part of Israel? Why not spend his time where most of the people were - in Jerusalem, the political and religious capital of Israel.
There are at least three reasons that Jesus returned to Galilee.

1. To fulfill prophecy.
Matthew, the converted tax collector, makes good use of the many Old Testament predictions about the Messiah. He points out that when Jesus came back to Galilee, he first went to Nazareth, his hometown. But apparently he doesn't stay in Nazareth for long: "Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake (the Sea of Galilee) in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali" (Matthew 4:13)". And why does Jesus go to Capernaum? Answer: "to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah" (Matthew 4:14). Then Matthew quotes Isaiah 9:1-2, which says that one day God will honor the region of Galilee with the presence of the Messiah, an area that was looked upon with disgust by Jews in the south because of the influx of Gentiles who lived there.

It will be in "Galilee of the Gentiles" that "the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned" (Matthew 4:16). Jesus declared that he was "the light of the world" (John 8:12). And some 700 years before his arrival, Isaiah predicted that Jesus the Messiah would shine his light in Galilee.

2. To find his disciples.
A second reason for establishing his ministry in Galilee is because Jesus had a plan to train a small group of disciples to carry on his work after his death. He knew that he was on a divine schedule - three years of public ministry followed by his death, resurrection and ascension. When you think about it, that's really not much time, humanly speaking. And he knew that it would be critical to spend as much time as possible during those three short years with men that he personally trained to continue what he started.

And where would he find the best candidates for such a project? In Capernaum, for this is where four fishermen lived in worked. Peter and Andrew, James and John - two sets of brothers who spent their days fishing together on the Sea of Galilee - these common laborers were to become the inner circle of the men Christ chose to be his apostles.

Jesus had already spent time with at least three of these four fishermen near the Jordan River. These men were disciples of John the Baptizer and Jesus' forerunner had introduced them to Jesus. The book of John the Apostle tells us about this encounter (see John 1:35-42).
So I think Jesus came to Capernaum to find these four fishermen and call them into full-time ministry, which he does in Mark 1:16-20.

3. To emphasize the universal goal of the gospel.
Yes, Jesus was the Messiah, the King of the Jews. But he was also King of kings and Lord of lords. He came not only to save his people Israel, but all peoples. He is calling men, women and children from every nation to follow him. The gospel is for everyone, Jew and Gentile alike. And spending time in "Galilee of the Gentiles" shows us the universal purpose of Jesus' mission to seek and save the lost of every tongue.

Throughout the gospel accounts we see Jesus interacting with all types of people - rich and poor, educated and uneducated, the righteous and the unrighteous. He came to offer salvation to all by giving his life on the cross "as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). After the resurrection, his parting words to the disciples were to carry on this mission by preaching the good news "to all creation" (Mark 16:15) and by making disciples of "all nations" (Matthew 28:19). And so we are to continue doing what Jesus demonstrated so clearly in Galilee - like our Master, we are to share the gospel with all peoples, Jew and Gentile alike.

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God's Truly Simple Plan of Salvation

Can Someone Be 100% Sure To Go to Heaven?

1 John 5:13 - "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."

If you believe there is a God, then you probably have a desire to go to Heaven when you die. But can you know for sure? Yes, you absolutely can. Just as we want our own children to be 100% sure of our love and care, God too wants you to have the same confidence and assurance. This simple explanation will be logical and straight forward. If nothing else, you'll see the love of God manifested for you, and how amazing that love is.

Bad News: We Have All Sinned

Romans 3:23 - "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

If you and I die, it does no good to say, "Hey, I got closer to Heaven than you did!" Short doesn't make it. Sin is what makes us fall short of Heaven. Even a single sin on your record means you're short. Doing good is wonderful, but it never erases a sin. You can't take a life, then save someone else's life and expect the police just to walk away. It doesn't work that way.

And it's not an issue of who is better than someone else. If you attempted to jump over a 20 ft ravine and succeeded in jumping 15 feet, you wouldn't brag about how much better off you are than the guy who only jumped 10 ft. You are both at the bottom of the ravine. In this case, it's not an issue of who is better or who gets closer. If you don't get all the way across, you didn't make it. Unfortunately, one sin makes us short of Heaven. We can't get there on our own.
This is why we need Jesus. Jesus makes up the difference so we can go to Heaven. If you could get to Heaven on your own, there would be no reason for a Saviour. There would be no reason for Jesus to die on the cross. But He did die. He died so we might have a way.

Bad News: There is a Price on Sin

Romans 6:23a - "For the wages of sin is death..."

This death is Hell. No one made you sin except you. So if anyone is sending you to Hell, it's you, not God. Hell was not created for us. Initially, God created Hell for Satan. However, it is the only place that exists that can punish sin. That's the price on sin. Knowing this, God sent Jesus to die on a cross, to pay for our sins. But this teaches us something important: if you don't think that you're in need of saving, you won't seek to be saved.

If a drowning man doesn't believe he's drowning, he'll still drown. He's got to believe he's drowning before he'll start shouting for help. Until you believe you're on your way to Hell, you won't do the one thing necessary to be saved from Hell. You won't call upon Jesus for salvation. Jesus came to be our Saviour. That means He wishes to save us from something. He wants to save us from the consequences of our sin-Hell.

But if you don't think you need to be saved, you won't seek the Saviour. If you think you're good enough on your own, or that a Church, or a person can get you to Heaven, then you won't seek the Saviour. Impressing the Saviour as to how good of a person you are isn't seeking Him for salvation. So until you believe that you are actually going to Hell, you won't think of needing a Saviour and you won't turn to the Saviour for salvation.

Good News: Jesus is Our Hope of Salvation

Romans 5:8, 6:23b - "But God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." and "...the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Salvation is a gift. It's not something that you work for; it isn't something that you pay money for; it is simply something that you receive and accept by faith.

You may already believe that Jesus died on the cross. You may already understand that God loves you, but until you personally accept the gift of eternal life, you don't have it. Even the devils believe there is a God. But the understanding that God exists, or understanding that Jesus died for you, is not acceptance. To believe, Biblically, you must accept it.

It isn't a matter of going to Church, being a good person, loving your neighbor, being baptized, praying, or reading your Bible. All of these things are wonderful, but if they get you to Heaven, then salvation wasn't a gift and Jesus wouldn't have had to die on the cross for you. Jesus is the only way! Don't mistake a good life for acceptance. You must put all your trust in Jesus for salvation.
Good News: You Can Be Saved Right Now!

Romans 10:9,13 - "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." and "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

When a drowning man realizes that he is about to drown, he starts calling to the lifeguard to be saved. The same is true for our spiritual state. We must call upon Jesus to be saved from Hell. Jesus came to this earth to be our Saviour. He is seeking to save us from the consequences of our sin-Hell. Just as the lifeguard's job is to save people, so Jesus means to save us from Hell.

The lifeguard doesn't judge the drowning man on his swimming skills, or determines if the man had kept all the rules, or if he had disregarded the lifeguard's warnings. His main job is to save people from drowning, not to determine if they are worthy of being saved. Jesus isn't going to look at your life and determine if you are worthy of being saved either. No, He will simply save you if you ask and trust Him.

At this point, there is still something that the drowning man must do to get saved. He must trust the lifeguard. We've all heard stories of drowning people who panic and actually fight off their rescuers. Why? Because they are still trying to save themselves. They aren't willing to relax and trust the lifeguard. Going to Heaven is very much like trusting the lifeguard. You must trust Jesus completely. A lifeguard will instruct a drowning man to do nothing, just relax and allow him to do his job. Jesus, just like the lifeguard, wants to do the same for you and take you to Heaven.

If you shrug Jesus off, determined to do it your way, you'll still end up in Hell, just as the drowning man who fights off the lifeguard still drowns.

It's still a matter of acceptance. Are you willing to accept the salvation that Jesus wishes to give you? It's a gift. Something you just must accept. This is the only way to be sure. If going to Heaven is up to you, you'll never be sure. You'll never know if you did enough, or was good enough. You can't know where that line is. You'll always live in doubt. But accepting Jesus as your Saviour changes all that. You can know and be sure. Because it isn't you who is taking you to Heaven, it is Jesus Christ. Having Jesus take you to Heaven is much better than trying to get there on your own.

If this is you, and you want to get saved, to accept the gift of God and put your faith for salvation in Jesus alone, then pray this prayer to Jesus, mean it with all your heart, and believe it:

"Dear Jesus, I know I'm a sinner and that I don't deserve to go to Heaven, but Jesus, you died on the cross for me and then rose from the dead to save me from hell. I trust you, and only you, to be my Saviour and take me to Heaven. Please save me. Amen."

The prayer is simple, because it is an acceptance issue. Anyone can do this, even a little child. If you put your faith in Jesus, then Jesus does the saving. This is the way that God intended it to be.

John 14:6 - "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

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Salvation and God's Loving Kindness

The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the foremost.
~1 Timothy 1:15 (NRSV)

The experience of mercy at the loving hand God is known, in the instant recognition of the way we were; indeed, the way we still are. Salvation was never just a once-off deal; we need saving continually. Yet, by the mercy and grace of God, by our once-off acceptance, we are saved. Let there be no quibbling about it.

We were sinners, and continue to be, due our nature; the propensity to sin.
Ever more does this propound the worthiness of the mercy of God, and the gratitude that's due to God in recompense - if that is, indeed, the right word-for salvation.

GRATITUDE INVITES AND EVOKES HUMILITY

The implicit gratitude of the sinner of all sinners - Paul, the apostle - has been stated, here above, and elsewhere throughout the New Testament in Paul's writings.

And if by way of hyperbole, to exaggerate a case to highlight its truth, Paul commends all the more this all-sufficient grace of God to save anyone, anywhere, any time. By way of this wondrous truth, that nothing can encapsulate or limit the totality of Divine mercy, we can know some definitive sense of the gratitude that peels away as the anointed byproduct of such wonder.
Gratitude has a purpose. It invites, as well is evokes, humility.

Gratitude and our sinfulness coexist together, generating the right balance which compels us toward humility.

THE RIGHT BALANCE OF OUR SINFULNESS TOWARD HUMILITY AND, THEREFORE, LOVE

There are some that devalue the role of their sin, whilst others overvalue it. If we were to focus too much on our sinful nature we'd condemn ourselves beyond the will of God, yet if we made light of it we'd not achieve the will of God - that we might worship in Spirit and truth.
A balance must be struck, for beneficial measure, regarding our sinfulness, and how God might use such imperfection to call to all humanity towards glory.

When we see our sinfulness in the right way it corresponds that God is to be praised. In this very moment we're saved. This is the moment of salvation: knowledge of our true selves that would, hence, lead us to repentance; the forgiveness of our sins. Repentance is brought about by the moment's humility. Such poise for humility redeems, also, gratitude. These concepts are circular as they are virtuous.

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The Basics of Salvation Through Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

The one key central message of the entire Bible is that Jesus Christ is the only way to God the Father and His dwelling place - heaven. There is no other way! As you will see in all of the Scripture verses listed below, Jesus Christ is God's only plan of salvation for the entire world.

The Bible specifically says, without any other possible interpretation, that there is only one God, one faith, one baptism and only one way to God the Father - and that is only through Jesus Christ and His death on the cross. Jesus says that He, and only He, is the way, the truth and the life leading to God the Father and that no one comes to the Father except through Him!

Many people, including some Christians, believe that God the Father "honors" all other religions as long as people try to live a good and godly life and try to stay out of trouble. When you see the Scripture verses I will list below, you will see that this is not the way God has everything set up. God will not honor any other religion and He makes it very clear that it is only through His Son and His death on the cross that will give people eternal salvation and thus eternal life with Him in heaven.

The Bible says that we are appointed for the defense of the Gospel. It is our job, when called upon, to defend God and Jesus on the basics of salvation and what it is all about. Here are two verses specifically telling us this:

"... knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the Gospel." (Philippians 1:17)
"Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you." (1 Peter 3:15)
Below are the main Scripture verses that deal with the basics of our salvation through Jesus Christ.

As stated above, there is no other name under Heaven by which man can be saved other than through the name of Jesus Christ! God the Father will not honor any other name, religion or faith! Here are the verses. Please note the power on the first four verses mentioned. These first four verses capture and specifically tell us that Jesus is the only way to eternal salvation.

"For there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all." (1 Timothy 2:5)

"There is one body and one Spirit ... one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in you all." (Ephesians 4:4)

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6)

"I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and find pasture ... I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:9)

"I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die." (John 11:25)

"I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." (John 8:12)

"I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." (John 6:35)

"I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever." (John 6:51)

"... whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:15)

"He who believes in the Son has everlasting life and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (John 3:36)

"Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." (John 8:24)

"He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life." (John 5:24)

"...and this is the testimony; that God has given us eternal life and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; He who does not have the Son of God does not have life." (1 John 5:11)
"And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God." (1 John 4:14)

I do not see any other interpretation as to what those verses are trying to tell us other than Jesus is the only way to God the Father and heaven! I don't think that God the Father could have made it any more clear than by the way that He has all of the above Scripture verses worded!

The Gospel of the Kingdom of God

The gospel is among the most widely celebrated themes in all Christianity. Ironically, differing gospel messages are printed in literature, broadcast on television, preached from the pulpit, and solicited door to door. In our modern age, competing denominations have advanced a gospel of grace, a gospel of salvation, a gospel of peace, a health and wealth gospel, a social gospel, and even gospel music.
However, while enormous attention has been focused on what various religious leaders have proclaimed, few have truly understood Christ's gospel of the Kingdom of God. In fact, religious leaders have deceived millions of sincere men and women regarding Christ's message to mankind. Certainly, they talk about Jesus, His life and His death, but they ignore the profound message that He preached.

Ministers lure members into their congregations by teaching that by professing belief in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, one gains an almost effortless and automatic ticket to salvation. By this, they lead followers to believe in Jesus, but they don't teach them to believe the message that Jesus preached
The Gospel Jesus Preached

During His ministry, Jesus Christ powerfully and passionately preached a message about the Kingdom of God. This gospel was to be the motivating hope of true Christians. It was to be their reason for being. But tragically, few have understood it. What was this gospel that Jesus preached?
After years of silent preparation, Christ launched His ministry in Galilee. There, speaking with urgency and authority, Jesus taught that the Kingdom of God was coming: As Mark writes:

The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel (Mark 1:15).
This profound message affected people in different ways. A few were inspired by His words, some were bewildered, and others actually felt threatened. Nevertheless, His declaration of the Kingdom was relentlessly consistent. As Matthew records Jesus to say:

Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand... and Jesus went about all Galilee teaching in their synagogues the gospel of the Kingdom (Matthew 4:17-23).

When the crucifixion of Jesus drew near, He entrusted the gospel of the Kingdom to His disciples. They were to continue to preach His vital message of hope. In fact, He explained, that this gospel of the Kingdom was to continue to be preached right up to the very end of the age. As Matthew writes:
This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come (Matthew 24:14).

After Christ's resurrection, the apostles traveled to local cities and faraway nations, preaching Christ's message. They taught that we must have faith that Jesus is the promised Messiah. We must believe that His Kingdom will reign on earth, and that to be a part of that Kingdom, we must repent of breaking God's commandments, be baptized, and strive to overcome our human nature and live a Godly life.

The Original Corruption of the Gospel

The disciples faithfully preached Christ's gospel, but it was not long until Satan began his work of corrupting this message. A mere twenty years after Christ's crucifixion, the apostle Paul found himself forced to battle false teachers who had infected new Gentile converts with the idea that, to become a Christian they must first become Jews by being circumcised. Combating this, Paul wrote to the brethren in Corinth, warning them:

For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him (II Corinthians 11:4).

A Modern Counterfeit

Paul confronted a growing perversion of the gospel in his day. It was one which required Gentiles to be circumcised and keep Jewish ceremonial laws. While few would ever be fooled by such a message, many must now combat another perversion of the gospel.

In the heresy widely preached today, thousands of false ministers propagate a gospel in which the focus is only about the life of Jesus. This teaching purports that Jesus lived a perfect life for us, and died to pay the penalty for our sins. While this may be true, they then add a heretical twist by teaching that all one must do is believe on Him and they will live forever in heaven.

In their theology, there is no longer a need to keep any of God's laws. They promote the idea that belief in the life and death of Jesus as our Savior alone grants people eternal life. The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary is an example of this common belief.

The Editors write:

One may conclude that the facts of Jesus' life constituted the Gospel, which was interpreted and applied to suit the occasion on which it was preached (P. 319, Article Gospel).

Certainly the facts of Jesus' life are part of the Gospel. Christ's life has deep and profound importance. The behavior He displayed and the events surrounding His life are essential to understanding the example we are to follow. Further, His death and resurrection make eternal life possible for believers, but the facts of His life are not the complete gospel. They certainly were not the focus of Christ's ministry. They were only a part-only the beginning of the gospel of the Kingdom of God that Jesus and His disciples preached!

Believing in the facts of Christ's life, death and resurrection is a prerequisite to the Kingdom. However, those who preach that this is all that is required are giving individuals a false sense of comfort. They teach followers that by accepting these facts, they will go to heaven when they die, but such a message is actually damnable! The consequence of such belief is that many mainstream Christians are left with only a sentimental concept of Jesus as a God that exists primarily for their comfort. Vast numbers trust that if they give their heart to the Lord, He accepts them just as they are. They think that since Christ's death paid for their sins, all they have to do is profess belief and this makes them "born again." They imagine that the kingdom is set up in their hearts and that eternal life in heaven is guaranteed, but this is far from the truth.

Is Belief in Jesus all that is required?

Promoting the belief that Christians only need faith in Christ's sacrifice does an enormous disservice to believers. It creates a false sense of security that can never be realized. Belief in Christ's atonement is absolutely essential, but it is only the foundation of what is required.

Consider that the devil recognizes the power and the majesty of God. He understands and believes in the life and sacrifice of Jesus, but he has chosen the side of darkness, and purposely violates God's law. In that context, the apostle James reminds us of this vital truth, stating:

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble, but wilt thou know O vain man that faith without works is dead (James 2:19-20).

Belief in Christ is essential, but truly believing must be reflected in a conviction to change our way of life! It will result in subjecting our will to God so that we can harmoniously live forever in His Kingdom. Genuine faith will function as a catalyst, promoting change in our character and producing the lasting fruit of obedience to God's law. No matter what your local minister, pastor, or priest might say, the Almighty is the one we should listen to and He is perfectly clear on this point. Certain "works" are a prerequisite to attaining God's Kingdom. Absolutely nothing in His Holy Word ever contradicts this truth!

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Jesus Changed My Life

If Jesus was suppose to be a warrior king, then why did He come as a peacemaker? Why did Jesus associate with the poor, prostitutes, tax collectors and those who were considered to be sinners? Why was Jesus crucified when all He did was good works during His lifetime?

Many great theologians of the Bible try to answer these questions by asking even more questions. They wondered why a man who could heal the sick and perform many miracles would come and not a warrior who would drive the Roman government out of the Jewish land.

Jesus came as a servant to people with a message of hope for those who would place their faith in Him. They expected a king that would lead them to war against Rome. Instead, Jesus told them if a Roman soldier asked you to carry his load for one mile, you were suppose to carry his load for two
miles.

They expected a Son of God who would fight against everyone that was oppressing them. Instead, Jesus told them to turn the other cheek. They expected a Prince, instead they received a man who told them to love your enemies and to do good to those who persecute you.

Everything about Jesus was unexpected and totally opposite from the fierce, sword welding man they anticipated. They got a man full of love, a man who had a spiritual wisdom that far surpassed the teachings of the Pharisees.

Jesus was a poor carpenter, a man who told them stories in parables, who refused to draw lines separating the poor from the rich, and treated everyone alike.

Many great historians of the Bible have told the story of Jesus, but many today do not understand why He had to die on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. They just accept the story without really understanding the concept of grace.

Many years ago God spoke to me supernaturally and explained that I had a lot to learn in this world. At the time I thought I was living a righteous Christian life believing that I did not sin. It wasn't long before God turned everything that I thought I knew upside down and revealed to me the truth about my life and the purpose behind the world.

We live in a teaching world. Each of us has an appointed destiny to fulfill that can only be achieved in a corrupt and evil world. Each of us has spiritual goals that must be accomplished so we will learn the difference between right and wrong.

Galatians 1: 15 & 16, "But God in his grace chose me even before I was born, and called me to serve him. And when he decided to reveal his Son to me, so that I might preach the Good News about him to the Gentiles, I did not go to anyone for advice."

I learned to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and I began to see the world for what it was. In my quest to understand my call, I immersed myself in the Bible and biblical history books. I found proofs from what I read and through the teaching of the Holy Spirit.

God explained to me that I was to look at the world as if I was in a huge multifaceted game. A world game that challenges us to learn the difference between right and wrong. A game that demanded that I trust Him completely.

Hebrews 11: 1 & 2, "To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see. It was by their faith that people of ancient times won God's approval."
Adams' sin created the game of life when he ate the apple in order to be as wise as God. Wisdom demands differences that can only be interpreted through good and bad examples. The only way we can humanly learn is by going through different levels of difficulties in the game of life. Our goal is to master the sin that wants to control us.

This is the reason why grace had to come into being. Jesus changed every concept of life by making it simple for people to receive forgiveness of sin. This means that we can fail the tests we go through in life. We can sin and have the freedom to once again seek forgiveness for our sins. Grace allows us to be bad so we can learn from doing wrong.

Galatians 2: 16, "Yet we know that a person is put right with God only through faith in Jesus Christ, never by doing what the Law requires. We, too, have believed in Christ Jesus in order to be put right with God through our faith in Christ, and not by doing what the Law requires. For no one is put right with God by doing what the Law requires."

When Jesus refused to be a warrior king He showed us that our world's complexities extended far beyond the families we were born in or the countries we were apart. He illustrated this to the people by refusing to acknowledge a difference between a Samaritan woman, a Roman soldier or a Jewish priest. Jesus came to bring us a new teaching.

One of the very first lessons that God taught me was to pray for protection from Satan. Satan was created by God and is the source of all evil in the world. He tempts people and persuades them, by the things of the world, to give into their desires.

Galatians 1: 4, "In order to set us free from this present evil age, Christ gave himself for our sins, in obedience to the will of our God and Father."

Jesus' ministry was not about the Laws of Moses, but rather about placing our faith in Him for the forgiveness of our sins. This made believing in God easy. The Law demanded ritual sacrifices for sin that put a heavy burden on people. But surrendering ourselves to Jesus and believing in the power of His name brings everyone into fellowship with God equally and sets us free from the power of sin.
During the time of Jesus the Pharisees and Sadducees were the wealthiest families in Israel. They were not only rich, but they were highly respected by the people and the Roman government. When Jesus came preaching a simple path to God, they were outraged because it would destroy their luxurious lifestyles. This is why they wanted Him dead.

Galatians 2: 3-5, "My companion Titus, even though he is Greek, was not forced to be circumcised, although some wanted it done. Pretending to be fellow believers, these men slipped into our group as spies, in order to find out about the freedom we have through our union with Christ Jesus. They wanted to make slaves of us, but in order to keep the truth of the gospel safe for you, we did not give into them for a minute."

Paul describes in this passage how important it is to hold onto the concept of grace. Grace makes us all equal. We do not have to follow the regulations of the Law because we are all destined to make mistakes that can only be forgiven through our faith in Jesus Christ.

Galatians 3: 22, "But the scripture says that the whole world is under the power of sin; and so the gift which is promised on the basis of faith in Jesus Christ is given to those who believe."

When you are in a life game you will go through persecutions and difficulties in order to learn from what you experienced. Satan uses families, societies, and governments to destroy anyone who is trying to do what is right. He uses the people of the world to fight against every person who is determined to follow Jesus.

Our world is a teaching world. The only way we can see our need for Christ is for us to go through some kind of injustice to reveal to us why the wealthy and influential are wrong. In order to find right we must experience wrong.

During the time of Jesus many people were not allowed to go into the temple area. People who had deformities from birth to people from foreign descent were not allowed to worship God. This is the reason why Jesus opposed the teachers of the Law over the difference between the Law compared to grace. Grace allows everyone access to God. Grace brings the Holy Spirit into peoples lives and allows people to worship God in Spirit.

We are born into a corrupt and evil world where everyone agrees that injustice reigns supreme. Jesus came to give life to people who were destined to follow God. People who would fight in different levels against injustice in the game of life against all people who love the world.

Jesus came to train up Christian soldiers who would fight against the evil practices of people who choose evil. Jesus is opposite from the world and when we follow Him we simply do not fit in this world.

When Jesus began to talk to me I changed. He showed me how the world is our greatest teacher. He proved to me that if I would place my faith in Him, He would save me from the world.

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All About Jesus Christ's Life in The Beginning

This Christian article is all about Jesus Christ's life on earth in the beginning. Jesus recognized his relation to God, at the age of twelve years saying to his earthly parents, "Did you not know that I must be in the house of my Father?" (Luke 2:48-50)

God saw fit to make Jesus the key figure in the outworking of all His purposes, the focal point on which the light of all prophecies would concentrate and from which their light would radiate, the solution to all the problems that Satan's rebellion had raised, and the foundation upon which God would build all universal family in heaven and earth.

Jesus being the key figure while on earth, clearly stated that "no man has ascended into heaven." (John 3:13) In reality, there is nothing in the Scriptures to show that a heavenly hope was held out to God's servants prior to the coming of Jesus Christ. Such hope first appears in Jesus' expressions to his disciples (Matt 19:21, 23-28) and was fully comprehended by them only after Pentecost of 33 C.E. (Acts 1:6-8' 2:1-4)

One thing to take note about Jesus' life. At the beginning of Jesus ministry up to his crucifixion, his purpose was to fulfill all the things prophesied about him and bearing the truth to the things to which God had sworn. This truth was the truth that would 'set men free' if they showed themselves to be "on the side of the truth" by accepting Jesus' role in God's purpose. (John 8:32-36; 18:37)
Jesus Christ himself is full of grace and truth. While Jesus lived his life on earth he always spoke the truth as he received it from his Father. He committed no sin, nor was deception found in his mouth. Jesus represented things as they really were. Besides being full of truth, Jesus was himself the truth, and truth came through him. He declared: "I am the way and the truth and the life."

Jesus life was based on the truth and all his teachings were truth, for he was the master teacher of all God's ways. Jesus knew God as no other man did and this enabled him to provide authoritative teaching concerning his Father.

Jesus Christ was thoroughly acquainted with God's written Word. When ask which commandment was the greatest in the Law, without hesitation he summed up the entire Law in two commandments, quoting from Deuteronomy (6:5) and Leviticus (19:18). (Matt 22:36-40)
During the course of Jesus ministry he is known to have referred to or expressed thoughts that parallel passages from about one-half of the books of the Hebrew Scriptures.
Other aspects about Jesus that made his teaching authoritative and effective were the understanding of man and his loving concern for others. His keen discernment was enhanced by miraculous knowledge of the background and reasoning of others.

Jesus' heart went out to the people to such an extent that he sacrificed needed rest to teach them. On one occasion Jesus Christ and his disciples took a boat and headed for an isolated spot to rest up a bit. But people saw them going and many got to know it, and from all the cities they ran there together on foot and got ahead of them. Well, on getting out, he saw a great crowd, but he was moved with pity for them, because they were as sheep without a shepherd. And he started teaching them many things.
After Jesus life ended on earth by being crucified on the cross in a cruel way, God exalted him to a superior position and kindly gave him the name that is above every other name, so that in the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and those on earth and those under the ground, and every tongue should openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
Acknowledgment of Jesus Christ as Lord means more than simply calling him Lord. It requires that an individual recognize Jesus' position and follow a course of obedience. As Jesus himself said: "Not everyone saying to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will."

Since Jesus has the keys of death and Hades, he is in position to release mankind from the common grave and from the death inherited from Adam. He is therefore also the Lord over the dead.
During the three and a half years of his earthly ministry, Jesus trained his apostles to continue the work he had started. As imperfect humans, they could not possibly remember every detail about Jesus and his teachings, for the teachings of Jesus were accurate to all God's ways.

But Jesus promised to send them the helper, the holy spirit which the Father would send in his name and the holy spirit will teach them all things and bring back to their minds all the things he told them.
Now that we as Christians have the Holy Spirit as a helper let us take a good look at Jesus life from the beginning with this point of view. Jesus was planted here on earth as the seed of life that grew clear up into the heavens and he set the example for us to follow.

We have the opportunity to follow the example that Jesus set before us and grew up into the heavens with him or choose to do things our way and wither away like a tree that has limited time and eventually dies off. For Jesus Christ is the only way to everlasting life, and the life of Jesus was sacrificed that we may live.

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The New Creation Christian Life, Have You Been Missing On This

Many Christians are facing difficulties understanding the ''New Life'' God has given to ''us'' through his son Jesus Christ. The Bible says in John 3:16-17 ''For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.'' From this scripture, we can draw two very important aspects about God; his love and purpose for mankind.

Taking a close observation at the relationship the Israelites and God had in the early times, then we can clearly see that God was a little bit hard on the children of men. Like the ''flooding of the earth with water'' and the ''destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire''. But on doing this, God saw that the children of Israel became afraid of him. We can find this in Exodus: 20:19 ''And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.'' And this was not his purpose of love for mankind. To change this, and fulfill his purpose of love for mankind, God had to send his only son to die for man.

When Jesus came to us, and was doing his earthly ministries, he said in Mathew: 5:17 ''Do not think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I came, not to destroy, but to fulfill.'' What exactly is Jesus communicating to us here? He is saying he didn't come to say that the Israelites didn't have to move all the way to Jerusalem to get their sins forgiven nor is he saying the 10 commandments never existed. What Jesus meant when is said this was, He came to summarise and make Christian life easier and more comfortable. He did this by reducing the 10 commandments to one ''Love your neighbor as yourself'' and then he thought us how to pray. ''Our father who art in heaven...''

God is no more in Mountains nor is he in the ark that could only be found in Jerusalem. God now lives in you (your heart or soul) and the new channel in reaching him is in Jesus Christ. The words of the Lord Jesus in John 14:6 clearly emphasizes this: ''...I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.''And you don't have to kill animals any more when you wrong God. The Bible says in 1 John 1:9 ''If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.'' Just confess your sins with a sincere heart and he will forgive you.

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Is Your Christian Life Pure Before God's Standards?

You could live for years in church and never hear this preached. You could go for years and years and never know what a pure and undefiled religion really is before God. You could even read the scripture verse we use here and still not understand what it means. If you want to know what God wants from you this is for you.

So what is a pure Christian life?
James puts it this way:
James 1:27 (New King James Version)
27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Do you know that single mothers would be considered widows these days? Do you know that there are many hundreds of single mothers that suffer from a lack of money to buy good things for their children in your community. There are probably a few single mothers in your church. James says taking those mothers out shopping and buying them a few things for their children, things the mother cannot afford, makes you a great Christian in the eyes of God.

In the West up to 40% of children from divorced homes or broken relationships do not see their father. You don't have to go to Africa to see orphans, so many children in our society do not have a good stable father figure in their life and so many of the mothers could do with a couple befriending them. There is so much good a mature well established husband and wife could do in a single mothers life.
James says that to visit them is the right sort of religion.

James goes on to say that we are to keep ourselves from being spotted by the world. If you do not know what that means you are in good company. I didn't know for years. It means we are not to be lusting and chasing after the things of the world. James gives the idea that the world with all its lusts makes us dirty and we need to be cleaned up.

Are you a person that has to have all the latest gadgets and things that come onto the market? Are you a person with all the brand name clothes, the best cars, a nice house, and all manner of things? All these things James is talking about. We need to have things with the right attitude. We have to serve God more and serve things less.

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