The Mission and Miracles of Jesus Christ

Matthew’s Gospel is a biography of Jesus Christ, written primarily for a Jewish audience. It begins with a genealogy that traces Jesus’ lineage back to King David, and then tells the story of his birth, baptism, and temptation. Matthew then goes on to recount Jesus’ ministry, which included teaching, healing, and performing miracles.

One of the central themes of Matthew’s Gospel is the kingdom of heaven. Jesus taught that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, and he invited his followers to repent and believe in good news. He also taught that the kingdom of heaven was like a mustard seed, which is small but grows into a large tree, or like yeast, which leavens the whole batch of dough.

Jesus also performed many miracles during his ministry. He healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out demons, and calmed storms. These miracles demonstrated Jesus’ power and authority, and they also served as signs of the kingdom of heaven.

In addition to his teaching and miracles, Jesus also commissioned his disciples to go and make disciples of all nations. He told them to baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and to teach them to obey everything he had commanded them.

Matthew’s Gospel ends with the account of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Jesus was crucified by the Romans, but he rose from the dead three days later. After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples and gave them the Great Commission, which is to go and make disciples of all nations.

Here is a more detailed account of some of the key events in Jesus’ ministry, as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew:

• The calling of the disciples: Jesus called twelve disciples to follow him and to be trained by him. These disciples were Matthew, Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot.
• The Sermon on the Mount: Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount to a large crowd of people. In this sermon, he taught about the kingdom of heaven, the importance of righteousness, and the need to love one’s enemies.
• The miracles of Jesus: Jesus performed many miracles during his ministry. He healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out demons, and calmed storms. Some of his most famous miracles include healing the paralyzed man, raising Lazarus from the dead, and calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee.
• The parables of Jesus: Jesus taught using parables, which are short stories that illustrate a spiritual truth. Some of his most famous parables include the parable of the sower, the parable of the wheat and the tares, and the parable of the lost sheep.
• The Transfiguration: Jesus was transfigured on a mountain before his disciples. In the Transfiguration, Jesus’ face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as snow. Moses and Elijah also appeared and talked with Jesus.
• The betrayal and crucifixion of Jesus: Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot and arrested by the Roman soldiers. He was then put on trial and crucified.
• The resurrection of Jesus: Jesus rose from the dead three days after his crucifixion. He appeared to his disciples and gave them the Great Commission.

Matthew’s Gospel is a powerful account of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. It is a story of hope, love, and salvation. It is a story that has changed the lives of millions of people around the world.

Here is a more detailed account of one of Jesus’ miracles, as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew:

The Feeding of the Five Thousand

One day, Jesus and his disciples went to a deserted place to be by themselves. But a large crowd followed them. When Jesus saw the crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

As the evening approached, the disciples came to Jesus and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowd away so they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.”

But Jesus replied, “They don’t need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

The disciples said, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—and that’s not enough for this whole crowd.”

Jesus said, “Bring me what you have.”

Then he took the five loaves and two fish and looked up to heaven. He gave thanks and broke the loaves.

After Jesus broke the loaves, he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowd. All of the people ate until they were full, and there were twelve baskets of leftover food.

The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

After they had finished eating, Jesus said to his disciples, “Get into the boat and go ahead of me to the other side, while I dismiss the crowd.”

So the disciples got into the boat and went ahead of him to the other side.

By this time, evening had come, and Jesus was still on the shore. The crowd had gone away, but Jesus was by himself.

Then he got into the boat and went to the disciples. By now a storm had come up on the sea, and the waves were crashing into the boat. But Jesus was asleep.

The disciples went to him and woke him up. “Lord, save us!” they cried. “We’re going to drown!”

Jesus replied, “Why are you so afraid? You have so little faith!”

Then he got up and rebuked the wind and the waves, and the storm subsided. The disciples were amazed. “What kind of man is this?” they asked. “Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

When they arrived at the other side, they came to the town of Gennesaret. The people there recognized Jesus and brought all their sick to him. Jesus healed them all.

The people were amazed and gave praise to the God of Israel.

This miracle of Jesus feeding the five thousand is a powerful reminder of his love and compassion for people. He is the God who provides for all of our needs. He is the God who has power over all of creation. And he is the God who loves us even when we are afraid and have little faith.

The people of Gennesaret were so amazed by Jesus’ miracle that they begged him to stay with them. But Jesus had other plans. He told his disciples to get into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake.

Jesus then went up to a mountain to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.

Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land. A strong wind had risen, and the waves were crashing into the boat. The disciples were struggling to row, and they were starting to panic.

Then, in the fourth watch of the night (which was between 3:00 and 6:00 AM), Jesus came to them walking on the water.

When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water, they were terrified. They thought they were seeing a ghost. They cried out in fear.

But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Take heart,” he said. “It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

Peter then called out to Jesus, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

“Yes, come,” Jesus said.

So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and began to sink. He cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him. “O you of little faith,” he said. “Why did you doubt?”

Then Jesus and Peter got into the boat, and the wind died down. The disciples who were in the boat worshiped Jesus and said, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

The miracle of Jesus walking on the water is a powerful reminder of his authority and power over creation. It is also a reminder of his love and compassion for his disciples. Even when they were afraid and had little faith, Jesus came to them and saved them.

This miracle also has a deeper spiritual meaning. Jesus is the only one who can walk on the water of the stormy sea of life. He is the only one who can save us from our fears and doubts. When we put our faith in Jesus, we can walk on water too.

May we all learn from the example of Peter and put our faith in Jesus Christ. He is the Son of God, and he has the power to save us from all of our troubles.