I am a Jesus Pusher! The abruptness of Jesus’ entrance into public ministry is easily recognized. For the first thirty years of His life on Earth, Jesus lived in privacy and obscurity. His fame soon escalated even into foreign countries bordering Palestine. The crowds followed Him everywhere, and thousands of miracles increased His popularity. However, His style of ministry was radically different from all others. He demonstrated the Beatitudes in ministry. His attitude of meekness and mercy distinguished Him from those who sought the praise of men. His proclamation of the Kingdom of Heaven demanded repentance (Matthew 4:17). This demand raised some pressing questions. Was He a revolutionary? Was He proposing an overthrow of the existing order of things?
His approach to the Holy Scriptures seemed radically different. The Pharisees and Sadducees based their proclamations on the Old Testament. Was Jesus undermining the Scriptures, attempting to substitute His own opinions? Jesus despised “the traditions of the elders,” and it was plain. Therefore, the religious leaders supposed Him to be a deceiver attempting to destroy the foundations of Judaism. Jesus’ concern was for the inner hearts of men rather than the ceremonial practices. Perhaps He was against the Levitical system of the Old Testament. He continually showed grace and mercy in His friendship with publicans and sinners. Was He opposed to the Law? In four verses, He established the relationship of the New Covenant with the Old Covenant, His ministry with the Law, and our lives with the Scriptures (Matthew 5:17-20). “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets (The Scriptures). Jesus based His life on the truth of the Scriptures! I am a Jesus pusher!