Christianity: Origins and Their Impact on the Community » The Ministry of Jesus: Baptism, Healing and Discipleship
What you'll learn this session
Study time: 30 minutes
Edexcel spec: Paper 2 Christianity (4RS1/2B), 1.1
- The baptism and temptations of Jesus, and what they show Christians
- Three healings by Jesus and what each shows about him and about faith
- What Jesus taught about being a disciple, including its cost and rewards
- How Christians understand the healings differently
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Unlock This CourseThe ministry of Jesus begins
The Gospels describe the adult life of Jesus as his ministry: the years he spent teaching, healing and gathering followers. Christians study this part of his life to understand who he was and how they should live. It starts with two events, his baptism and his time in the wilderness.
Key terms:
- Ministry: the public work of Jesus, teaching, healing and calling followers.
- Baptism (recap from The Christian Family and the Local Church): a ceremony with water that marks the start of a new life with God.
- Temptation: a pull towards doing something wrong.
- Miracle: an event that seems to go beyond the normal laws of nature, which believers see as God at work.
- Disciple: a follower and learner. Discipleship is following Jesus and living as he taught.
The baptism of Jesus
Mark 1:9-11 says Jesus came from Nazareth and was baptised by John in the River Jordan. As he came up out of the water, he saw heaven open and the Spirit come down on him like a dove. A voice from heaven spoke to him as God's beloved Son. You have already met this scene as a picture of the Trinity, and the voice as a statement of who Jesus is. Here the point is what it meant for his ministry.
- It marks the start of his public work. After it he begins to teach and heal.
- It shows him sharing in the life of ordinary people, who came to John to turn back to God.
- It shows God's approval of his mission, with the Spirit given to him.
The temptations in the wilderness
Matthew 4:1-11 says the Spirit then led Jesus into the wilderness, where he went without food for forty days. The devil then tempted him three times. Each time Jesus answered by quoting scripture.
🍞 Bread
Turn stones into bread to feed your hunger. Jesus replied that people do not live on bread alone, but on every word from God.
🏛️ The Temple
Throw yourself down from the Temple and make God rescue you. Jesus replied that you must not put the Lord your God to the test.
👑 Power
Take all the kingdoms of the world in return for worship. Jesus replied that you must worship the Lord your God and serve him only.
Christians learn two things. Jesus truly faced temptation, which is why they believe he understands their struggles. He also trusted God and God's word rather than taking an easy route to power or comfort. Many Christians remember this when they go without something for a time, for example in Lent, the weeks before Easter.
The ministry of healing
The Gospels record many healings. Three show different things.
🦽 The paralysed man (Mark 2:1-12)
Four friends carried a paralysed man to Jesus. The crowd blocked the door, so they lowered him through the roof. Jesus saw their faith and told the man his sins were forgiven, then told him to get up and walk. It shows Jesus has authority to forgive sins, and that faith can be shown by friends.
👁️ Blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52)
A blind beggar by the road called out to Jesus. The crowd told him to be quiet, but he shouted louder. Jesus asked what he wanted, and Bartimaeus asked to see. Jesus said his faith had healed him, and he followed Jesus along the road. It shows persistent faith and Jesus caring for those that others ignore.
🙏 Ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19)
Ten men with a serious skin disease, kept apart from everyone else, called for pity. Jesus sent them to the priests and they were healed on the way. Only one came back to thank him, and he was a Samaritan, an outsider. It shows Jesus reaching out to people shunned by society, and gratitude as part of faith.
Together they show that Christians see Jesus as compassionate, as having God's power, and as bringing the Kingdom of God, which you met in Salvation, Eternal Life and the Kingdom of God.
Different Christian views of the healings
Christians do not all understand the healings in the same way.
- Real events: many Catholic, Orthodox, Pentecostal and other Christians believe they happened as written, and show God's power working through Jesus.
- Signs with a message: some Christians, including many liberal Christians, say what matters most is the meaning. The healings show that Jesus brings wholeness and a fresh start, and they do not insist the events happened exactly as written.
Teaching about discipleship
In Mark 1:16-20 Jesus meets fishermen, Simon and Andrew, then James and John, and says, "Follow me." They leave their nets and go with him. Later he chooses twelve to be with him.
- The cost: in Mark 8:34 Jesus says anyone who wants to follow him must deny themselves, take up their cross and follow him. The cross was a Roman method of execution, so he is asking for total commitment, even if it brings suffering.
- The rewards: in Mark 10:28-30 Peter says they have left everything. Jesus promises that his followers will receive much in return, including eternal life, though he says they will also face persecution.
- Service: in Mark 10:45 Jesus says he came not to be served but to serve. At the Last Supper he washes his disciples' feet (John 13) and tells them to do the same for each other.
Why this matters to Christians today
These events help Christians understand the person of Jesus. The baptism and temptations show his mission and his trust in God. The healings show his compassion and power. The call to discipleship tells Christians what he expects of them: to follow him in daily life, serve others and put God first. Christians often take part in healing work today, such as caring for the sick, because of his example.
Common mistakes
- Writing that Jesus was baptised "to wash away his sins". Christians do not teach that Jesus sinned, so give the reasons above.
- Retelling a healing without saying what it shows. Always add what it teaches about Jesus or faith.
- Saying all Christians believe the miracles happened exactly as written. Show the two views.
- Stating beliefs as facts. Write "Christians believe..."
Exam-style question
(a) Outline two examples of the ministry of healing of Jesus. [4 marks]
(b) Explain why the teaching of Jesus about discipleship is important for Christians today. [6 marks]
(c) "The healings of Jesus must have happened exactly as the Gospels describe." Discuss this statement, considering the arguments for and against. In your answer you should include: reference to teachings; other (divergent) points of view, either within the religion or from other religions; your opinion or point of view using reasoned arguments. [10 marks]
Model answer
(a) One example is the healing of blind Bartimaeus (1), whose sight was restored after he called out to Jesus and Jesus told him his faith had healed him (1). Another is the ten lepers (1), who were healed on their way to the priests, and only one, a Samaritan, came back to give thanks (1).
(b) Discipleship means following Jesus and living as he taught. It is important because Jesus called people to follow him, as he called Simon, Andrew, James and John, so Christians see it as the way to respond to him. It is important because Jesus said in Mark 8:34 that followers must take up their cross, so Christians believe faith should be shown through commitment, even when it is costly. It is also important because Jesus taught service, as in Mark 10:45 and the washing of feet, so Christians try to help others in daily life, for example by caring for the sick and the poor. Finally, Jesus promised eternal life to his followers, which gives hope.
(c) Plan. For: the Gospels record the healings in detail, and Catholic, Orthodox and Pentecostal Christians believe they show God's power in Jesus, whom they believe to be the Son of God. They argue that if God created the world, healing is possible. Against: some liberal Christians say the meaning matters more than how it happened, and non-religious people say there may be natural explanations or that the accounts were written down later. Possible conclusion: for a believer who accepts that Jesus is God incarnate, the healings are easy to accept, but Christians can still learn from them if they read them as signs. A balanced answer judges which view is stronger, and says why.
Exam tip
In part (a), pick two different healings by name and add one detail from the story that shows what it teaches. A name alone only gets the first mark.