Previously, we explored Jesus’ message in the first three Gospels, his teachings and actions revealing the Good News. Now, we examine the final stage of his life and ministry.

Jesus taught that all people are valuable to God and should treat each other with love, honesty, forgiveness, and service. His life profoundly impacted those he met, inspiring many to follow him in faith. He lived, died, and rose again, and through his Spirit, he calls us to do the same.

As Jesus approached the end of his ministry, opposition to him intensified. In Galilee, people were eager to hear him, but resistance grew as he neared Jerusalem, the heart of Jewish religious authority. The Gospels show him setting his face towards the city, directly challenging religious leaders, knowing this confrontation would lead to his death.

Jesus openly declared what God required, true faith rather than rigid adherence to religious rules. The Old Testament prophet Micah summarised this in Micah 6:8: To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. However, this pure faith had been distorted, replaced with legalistic practices. Jesus’ denunciation of hypocrisy, particularly when he drove the moneychangers from the Temple, sealed his fate in the eyes of the authorities.

The religious leaders saw only one way to stop him, by eliminating him. The familiar story of his crucifixion follows, but their plan did not end his influence. Instead, through his resurrection, Jesus inaugurated the New Covenant, creating a new covenant people of God.

Today, we are invited to be part of this covenant, inheriting eternal life both now and in the future. Jesus’ message continues to offer hope, calling us to faith and a life transformed by love, justice, and humility.

This is one of a series of posts outlining all the books of the Bible. Previous Next