Introduction

This is the second part of chapter 4, centring around the ministry of Jesus. After Jesus gained victory over the devil, his ministry is full of power and miracles. If we haven't overcome the battle, our ministry won't be effective.

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. (Matthew 4:23)

This verse has been repeated for several times in the Bible, showing us the pattern of Jesus' Ministry, proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom, healing every disease and sickness. This is the patten of Jesus' ministry, and this is the pattern we need to copy and follow. If you see a pastor who only teaches people, but he never heals the sick, do you think this person can spread the real gospel? I am not sure about what he believes in, though he also talks about Jesus, but his ministry is different from Jesus.

Jesus' ministry brings hope

Disease can make devastating impact on people. If a disease cannot be healed, it will put an end to a person's life. Sickness and diseases are all spiritual issue, those who are ill with various diseases suffer a lot of pain and will be inclined to lose hope. The best way to bring them hope is to break the bondage of the disease and heal them.

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)

People living in darkness have seen a great light. What is that great light? It is the gospel of healing and deliverance, proving how truly the power of the Kingdom of God. People afflicted by the disease actually are under the spiritual bondage. I have been researching to find out the concept of disease.
One being bound by evil spirits won‘t get a disease instantly, but as those evil spirits continue to operate in people 's mind, resulting in fear, worry, anxiety, anger and so on so forth. And what's more, if this person insists that his or her feelings, values are rational and put the blame on others, and eventually, this person will suffer various illness.

All diseases have spiritual causes and roots. Jesus came to the world and brought hope to people through deliverance and healing sickness.
You will find that other than other problems, diseases and health issues are the most complicated things in the world. If one is afflicted by some disease, what the person needs is just to get healed, which is exactly the true light for people living in darkness. In the Bible, we never see that Jesus help people to get properties or provide them with financial aids, because we don't live on money, but diseases can devastate and ruin our life and hope. In the bible, there was a woman who had been subject to bleeding for 12 years. She spent all her money on physicians, no one could heal her. But when she heard of Jesus, her had the hope and once she touched Jesus, she got healed instantly.

Brothers and sisters, we must know that the gospel of Jesus Christ can bring us the hope, the real hope. We will no longer be living in darkness, we will no long be afflicted by the pain, the sufferings of diseases and we will no longer be bound by evil spirits because of Jesus' ministry, and the most significant feature of Jesus' ministry is to solve their problems by healing and deliverance.

There are 2 parts in the Book of Matthew, one is about Jesus' teaching; the other talks about spreading the gospel through healing and deliverance. The gospel of the Kingdom of God is not going to heaven after death. Jesus never said, "the Kingdom is near, and people who have died will go to heaven, and people who are living will be tortured by diseases. If you are suffering diseases there is good news for you. You will be healed, you will definitely be healed. Once you get cured, you should know, Jesus is the treasure.

But there are many stupid people who leave God after they get healed, and then they get sick again and came back again and leave again. Get sick, come back and go away. Get sick, come back and go away, repeating this circle over and over, again and again. They just think, ''No matter whatever I did, Jesus will heal me anyway." What a smart person! But he never knows the truth that the kingdom of heaven has come near and we all need to repent because we all took the wrong way in the past.

Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near

The gospel of the kingdom of heaven is the one letting people repent because we got wrongly in the past. People like to ask me if their disease can be fully, completely healed. Yes, the only way is to repent. The kingdom of heaven has come near, and we all need to repent and follow and obey to the words of God. Don't be so stupid as to throw the treasure away after you have experienced the power of it. To be honest, I am not sure if God will heal them if they never repent and change their way.

The kingdom of heaven has come near and we all need to repent. Jesus never sinned but he let John baptise him for repentance. So there is no excuse for us to repent.

After one overcomes the temptation, they will be empowered by the holy spirit to heal the sick and cast out the demons. However, there is one thing we cannot do for them, which is to repent for them. They need to repent for their sins themselves. There are 2 parts of Jesus' ministry, one is healing and deliverance, the other is to let people repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.

Jesus' ministry is to fish for people

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.

Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. (Matthew: 18-22)

Brothers and sisters, I have been following Jesus till now, and do you know what I am doing now. I am fishing for people. In the early days, I didn't understand why Peter, Andrew, James and John just left immediately to follow Jesus. But I know it is much more meaningful to fish for people other than for fish. Human are more precious than fish.

As a saying goes, It takes ten years nurture a tree, but a hundred years to train a human being. It pays off more to cultivate a person than to nurture a tree.

My job is to train my disciples and send them out to minister, and they will train their own disciples to serve more people, in order to get more people who love God and serve God. I encourage our brothers and sisters to fulfil the destiny and calling from God just like Peter, Andrew, James and John.

Proclaim the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him. (Matthew 4:24-25)

If you asked me if there is anyone else who was not healed. No. Jesus every disease and sickness. Matthew has very good writing skills because he could outlined a miniature of Jesus' ministry just by using these several verses, which is closely related to healing and deliverance. If you ask me what is the gospel without healing the sick and casting out demons and evil spirits, I will say that is not the true gospel of Jesus Christ.

Many people like to ask me, "how should we spread the gospel?" Just copy and follow what Jesus did, healing the sick and casting out demons. If you told me that I haven't successful heal the disease or do the deliverance, just keep practising until you make it! If our ministry doesn't look like how Jesus did, don't give up and continue to learn from Jesus, and God will help us and let us to be more and more like Jesus. But if we don't follow and copy what Jesus did, never listen to Paul's teaching and go our own way, it will cause lots of trouble and problems. So it is the gospel of the Kingdom that can bring the power of God, heal the sick and cast out demons.

When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali. (Matthew 4:12-13)

John had been put in prison, but why Jesus withdrew to Galilee instead of rescuing him out of prison. If we were Jesus, we would probably get many people to protest against the government and asking government to release John. But Jesus didn't do that.

After that, John sent some one to ask Jesus, and he might be wondering why Jesus never came to rescue him. We may feel that Jesus was too mean and heartless. What's the purpose for Jesus coming to the earth? He took his life and death lightly, let alone John who was kept in prison. Jesus's perspective is so different from us. We ofter take a worldly view but Jesus took an eternal perspective of all the things. That's why we thought it was a big problem of John's imprisonment. But in Jesus' eyes, it is just a small thing. If we come to this world to battle with the devil, it is very natural for us to sacrifice something including ourselves, bleed and get injuries.

We need the healing power, but what is most important for us is to be determined to sacrifice our own life for Jesus, and this is the ambition that will empower us to overcome the devil. Just lay down everything to follow Jesus, look down upon the matter of live and death. Nothing can disturb us, nothing can distract us from the destiny of God, and nothing can stop us form spreading the gospel of the kingdom of heaven. If we have this aspiration and determination, we will definitely overcome Satan and demons.

Conclusion

First, Jesus's ministry will bring hope though healing and deliverance; second, the kingdom of heaven has come near and we all need to repent.
We need to follow Jesus and spread the gospel of hope and repentance, and fish for people by teaching, healing and deliverance. How wonderful our life is and how glorious it is for us to live for God. May God bless you all!