THAT JESUS Christ is the minister par excellence is unquestionable. An excellent minister reproduces his kind; he or she makes people follow him not to destroy them, but to build them up and make them become better positioned and equipped to do greater works than he did.
Jesus said, “If anyone serves me, let him follow me, and where I am, there my servant will be also. If anyone serves me, him my Father will honour” (John 12:26). Thus, prior to His crucifixion, Christ Jesus told His disciples, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to my Father” (John 14:12).
True to His words, His followers have done and continue to do the works He did, even greater works than He did through His redemptive death. This, however, does not mean His disciples have done greater works in quality than He did, but in quantity than He did, having travelled to almost all the continents to preach the gospel and reached millions through the media.
However, ministers of the gospel do not have their own ministries; they all receive grace to participate in the ministry of Christ. Remember that it is He who gave to the Church the various ministry gifts. He had them in Himself and functioned in them for the edification, comfort and equipment of His disciples. This makes Christ the author of ministry. His ministry is the standard of every Christian ministry.
Professor Emmanuel Asante, therefore, is right in asserting that, “The Church participates in Christ’s ministry. It does not have its own ministry apart from that of Christ. Consequently, for the Church to seek a ministry of its own is to deny Christ’s and to turn aside to spurious activities which can never justify its own existence or redeem the world.”
Now, Christ’s unique contribution and far-reaching impact qualify Him as the teacher par excellence. By the authority of His words, evil spirits were forced out of those they possessed and diseases and sicknesses disappeared. Also, the stormy sea quieted at His word.
All these are for the knowledge and learning of Christ Jesus’ disciples who are called to participate in His ministry. It is important for ministers to appreciate the fact that no one has his own Church to serve; everyone has Christ’s Church to serve. And ministers ought to understand that God does not set anyone in the Church to do what he or she likes.
Moreover, by His omniscience, Christ envisaged the possibility of the Church denying Him or falling into apostasy, so He would not leave the Church as orphans. He promised to be with the Church to carry out the ministry tasks assigned to them.
“I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you” (John 14:18). And in Matthew 28:20, it is written, “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age”. No minister could ever make such a categorical statement except Christ Jesus, exemplifying the fact that He was and is the Minister par excellence.
A question which is worth asking here is: how would Christ be with His disciples always as He knew He would leave them on earth and ascend to heaven? Well, Jesus knew that His Spirit would come to be with the Church to continue with His ministry.
The Holy Spirit who is sent to dwell in the believer’s heart and comes upon believers to bear witness about Christ is the Spirit of Christ (Galatians 4:6). The ministry of the Holy Spirit, who is the source of power for Christian service, proves the endlessness of Christ’s ministry to humanity.
Paul, the apostle wrote, “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power. Similarly, in Acts 13:2, Luke wrote that, “As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Now separate to me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
Moreover, there are copious incidents of the Holy Spirit inspiring the ministers of the early Church to fulfill their ministries. In Acts 10:9, we read about the Holy Spirit saying to Peter, “Behold, three men are seeking you. Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them”. These prove that the apostles ministered by the Holy Spirit.
In the words of Asante, “The Church’s existence can hardly be articulated without taking into consideration its ministerial calling and empowerment for the ministry by the Holy Spirit who dispenses gifts to it.”
This means the ministry of Jesus is unending. He is with the believers to perpetuate His ministry, until the final day. But before that final day comes, Clifford Owusu Gyamfi draws the attention that, “All Christians are called to imitate Jesus Christ. He is the measure of excellence.”
And in imitating Jesus, Apostle Alfred Nyamekye, in his book, ‘Supreme Jesus: Making Him Known to the Nations’ implores all believers to focus on Who He is – His person, what He did – His power and performance and where He sits – His position. Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for the Church.
By James Quansah
jamesquansah@yahoo.com