November 2025 – Page 2 – Moortown Baptist Church

In this, the penultimate post of his Is the Bible True? study, John Whitehead looks at Jesus’ ministry and death

November 15, 2025 by John Whitehead

Chapter 5

Jesus’ Ministry

This chapter includes a number of episodes which are representative of the whole of Jesus’ ministry.

What Jesus Did

The four aspects of his ministry were teaching, preaching, healing and casting out demons. This latter needs expanding. Their nature is somewhat conjectural. In the ancient Middle East demons were believed to be the cause of a number of conditions such as epilepsy and psychosis, which are now known to have a medical cause. When we look at the ministry of Jesus there are many examples of Jesus casting out demons and casting out evil spirits. A supreme example is found in Mark’s gospel chapter 5 where Jesus addresses a man who lived in a graveyard. He was a danger both to anyone who met him and also himself- he would shout out as if in a strange language and cut himself with stones. Addressing the evil spirits, Jesus commanded them to come out of him. Whatever they were delving into, although an exploration of demonology is a fascinating study in itself, it is beyond the scope of this book. Suffice it to say that God through Jesus is more powerful.

He healed people in a number of ways, sometimes by just placing his hand on the person. On one occasion he even healed a blind man by spitting on the ground, gathering up the mud and rubbing it on his eyes.

All this demonstrated his multifaceted character, showing his love and proving his divinity. He showed his love often responding to immediate needs, such as miraculously turning water into wine at a wedding, healing the paralysed, or exorcising demons. He demonstrated his divinity by raising the dead and healing the blind, showing that God’s power was present in him.

Not surprisingly, news about him spread country wide. He went through the whole of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

An Encounter of Jesus- The Woman at the Well (John 4:4-42)

The following early encounter gives us an oversight of the whole of Jesus’ ministry. It is worth reading the full account in John’s gospel.

Jesus and his disciples were travelling through Samaria, a region that was generally avoided by Jews. Around noon the disciples had gone to the nearby town to buy food, leaving Jesus resting from the heat of the day at the side of a well. There Jesus encounters a Samaritan woman, who is alone and fetching water.

They strike up a conversation which is surprising for a number of reasons. Firstly a man would not normally speak to a woman on her own. Secondly, Jews didn’t speak to Samaritans anyway as they had built their own temple which the Jews considered pagan. In addition the woman seemed to be an outcast as normally the women would come together In the early morning to the well. He then asked her to give him a drink, again this is countercultural to ask such a favour.

He then steers the conversation in a different direction and offers her living water, explaining that this living water is the Holy Spirit that those who believe in him would receive. The woman, realising that she is speaking with a prophet, asks about the proper place to worship. Jesus replies that true worship is not confined to a particular location but is about worshipping God in spirit and truth.

The woman, convinced by his words, goes back to her village and tells the people about her encounter, daring to believe that he was actually the promised Messiah. Many of them believed in Jesus because of her testimony.

By approaching her, Jesus demonstrated his care for all, regardless of their socialstanding. We can also be inspired by her excitement in sharing the good news of Jesus.

In this encounter we see many barriers broken down. Today one of the aims of Christians is continuing to break down barriers in so many areas of society.

Jesus the Healer

Then as now, sick people use the medical profession to be healed or cured. But Jesus used his miraculous power to heal the blind, the sick and the lame.

Although Jesus had come primarily to the Israelite people, he even healed those who were part of the oppressing forces, demonstrating that the kingdom of heaven is open to all believers. He clearly sees his role as for the whole world.

Healing a Woman with an “Issue of Blood”- See what Faith Can Do

Jesus was on his way to the house of Jairus, an official of the local synagogue whose daughter was very ill. Jairus had pleaded with Jesus to go to his house and heal her. A large crowd was following him but his journey was interrupted. A woman brought the crowd to a halt. She had been ‘subject to bleeding” for many years. The Bible expresses it quite delicately but what it implies is that she appeared to have had prolonged menstrual bleeding which in that culture made her unclean, an outcast. Jesus was surrounded by a crowd, but she pushed through and touched his cloak, thinking to herself that if she just touched his clothes she would be healed. Immediately the bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was free from her suffering. Jesus had felt power going from him and asked who had touched his clothes. The disciples commented that in the crowd, everybody is bumping into him. But the woman came and fell at his feet and trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. Jesus said to her, “Your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

Jesus Restores a Dead Girl to Life. (Mark 5:21-43)

He continued to the home of Jairus, but was told that the little girl had died. When Jesus arrived at the house he told the mourners that the little girl was not dead, only asleep. They all laughed at him. They knew what a dead body looked like. But Jesus took thechild’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!” Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around. At this they were all completely astonished.

Raising Lazarus from the Dead. (John 11)

Following this, messengers had brought him the message to come quickly as his friend Lazarus, the brother of his friends Martha and Mary, was very ill. But Jesus was in no hurry as he knew what was going to happen. On his arrival he was told that Lazarus had been dead for four days. He stood at the entrance of the tomb and commanded Lazarus to come out. Lazarus came out still wrapped in his grave clothes. So they removed the grave clothes and let him go back home. He was restored to living out the rest of his life in the normal manner.

Jesus still heals people in miraculous ways. I recently spoke to a man who, having a medically diagnosed cancer, received prayer by members of his church fellowship. When he returned to his consultant he was told that the cancer was no longer there. But why does that not happen to everybody in answer to prayer? Only God Knows!

Jesus is also the perfect example of love for all, caring for the poor, and he never turned away little children. Matthew 19:13–14 says, “allow the little children to come to me, for of such is the Kingdom of God”. In saying this he was reaching out to a segment of society that was thought to be insignificant. He is not saying that the kingdom of heaven actually belongs to little children. Instead, he is reminding his followers of their need for childlike trust and humility.

Jesus’ Command over Nature.

Water into Wine (John 2:1-11)

Almost at the very beginning of his ministry, Jesus, his disciples and his mother Mary were among the guests at a wedding. All were having a good time until calamity struck they ran out of wine. What did Jesus do? Only turn the water in six stone jars each holding about 20-30 gallons and turn it into wine! When tasted it was recognised as being top quality! What Jesus was offering was the best. We don’t know how many guests, but typically the whole village would be invited. But all this shows that Jesus was not averse to people enjoying themselves.

5000 People Miraculously Fed (John 6:1-14)

Crowds often followed Jesus. On one occasion, on a hillside above the sea of Galilee, around 5000 men were there, and whole families. Towards the end of the day marked with teaching and healing, the disciples were hungry. They realised too that the people would be hungry and asked Jesus what to do about it. (Just as an aside, they were there all day. The Bible does not tell us what they used for toilets). A young boy had five small loaves and a couple of fishes. Jesus miraculously multiplied these over and over again and each person was fed. The leftovers were collected so that none would be wasted- in all 12 baskets full. How did he do it? God Knows! Simply another miracle.

Walking on Water and Calming the Storm (John 6:16-24)

Following this, the disciples went ahead of Jesus and were in a boat rowing across the Sea of Galilee. Several hours into the night, a storm blew up so violent that they thought that the boat would capsize. Then they saw Jesus walking toward them across the surface of the water but they did not recognise him. Their fear turned to terror because they believed they were seeing a ghost. But Jesus reassured them that it was him. Peter wanted to walk to him and Jesus invited him to do exactly that. Peter jumped out of the boat and began walking on the water toward Jesus, but the moment he took his eyes off Jesus he started to sink. He cried out and Jesus immediately reached out his hand to save him from sinking. As Jesus and Peter climbed into the boat together, the storm ceased. After witnessing this miracle, the disciples joined the dots up finally realising that Jesus actually was the Son of God. Now, as always, Jesus is watching over those who trust in him. The message here is to keep your eyes fixed on him. For those who trust him, he has calmed many storms in our turbulent lives. So never lose track of that truth- Jesus is the Son of God, God inside a human body.

These are just a few examples of Jesus, over and over again showing his compassion, his caring, his love of humanity, especially to the less fortunate. He is demonstrating his Omnibenevolence. Now that you have seen all this, you know that you can trust him. Jesus after all knows everything about you- and still cares for you. To all of us he says, “Come to me all who are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28).

Jesus faces Opposition from the Religious Leaders

But this message of love, acceptance, and forgiveness contrasted with the judgemental and condemnatory attitude of the religious leaders of his time as it presented a fresh interpretation of the Law and the Commandments. They considered that the things he said were blasphemous because he said that he existed before Abraham and that he forgave people’s sins. Their understanding was that only God could forgive sins, and how could any person alive have a pre-existence? But Jesus continually reminded people that His works were aligned with God’s will so that “the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13).

Chapter 6

Jesus’ teaching

A New World Order- An Upside-down Kingdom.

Repent and Believe

Jesus’ life and teaching was based on living and interpreting the 10 commandments, given to Moses, described in the list below.

The Ten Commandments are

● You shall have no other gods before me
● You shall not make any idols to worship
● You shall not take the Lord’s name in vain
● Rememberthe Sabbath day and keep it holy
● Honour your father and your mother
● You shall not murder
● You shall not commit adultery
● You shall not steal
● You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour
● You shall not covet

The first four relate to our relationship with and respect for God. The remaining six to how we live our lives. They would appear to be quite specific but Jesus put a much wider and deeper interpretation on them. For instance, whereas the commandment said “do not murder”, Jesus’ interpretation was “do not be angry with another person or insult them”. The seventh commandment said “do not commit adultery”- Jesus’ explanation was if a married person looks at another person lustfully, they are guilty of adultery in their heart. And do not covet- who has not, in looking at someone else’s possessions, has not thought, I wish I had one of those! I don’t think I need to go on!

They can be summarised as, “Love God, and treat your neighbour as you would like to be treated yourself”. He is teaching about how to live a life based on love, humility and compassion with God at the centre. This was something he demonstrated with every breath that he took.

The core of his teaching- how to live the Kingdom life- can be found in Matthew’s gospel, in chapters 4-6, often described as Sermon on the Mount. It is intended to identify the ways in which followers of Jesus should behave in living a life of acceptance of God’s invitation to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

The important lessons for his followers are that possessions on earth should not be our top priority. God Knows what we need and he will provide. Again, it’s all about trust.

● Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

● God will help people who seek his help.
● The way to heaven is like a narrow gate- difficult to pass through- but getting into hell is easy like a wide gateway. More about this later.

Those who are favoured by God are the poor, the hungry, the sad, those who are hated because of their allegiance to Jesus. But those who are rich and well fed should watch out- they have already had their reward.

Here is a blueprint for our guidance, a path for us to walk on our journey through life. The overall message is for Christians to follow Christ’s example of performing kind, generous actions to those less fortunate in this life.

It contains challenges and rewards. It is an ideal to work towards- it will take a lifetime. Does it mean that we have to abandon all materialism? Matthew 6:33 says seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be given to you. He refers not only to the provisions of comfort, health and safety, but also to material things- but you would become a good steward. They would become your servants not your masters, so to speak. What if…..? Wouldn’t the world be a better place?

There is a lot to take in. Just stop there for a few moments and think about what Jesus is saying.

I’ll say it again. What if….?

Chapter 7

Jesus’ Death

Warning! This chapter contains descriptions which some readers may find disturbing. It is the stuff that nightmares are made of.

It looks at all of those questions- who, what, when, where, how and why.

We nowmoveforward in time to the final week before Jesus was executed alongside two common criminals. It is full of contrasts. On the one hand it shows Jesus’ compassion. On the other, the hatred of the Jewish leaders towards him. Jesus had warned the Twelve about what was going to happen telling them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that was written by the prophets concerning me- that I would be delivered over to the Gentiles, mocked, insulted and spat on, then flogged and killed, but I would be raised back to life.”

This is exactly what happened, but the disciples did not understand it. They just could not believe the things that Jesus was saying, not only that he was going to be executed, but also that he would rise from being dead, although he had told them repeatedly in the previous months.

So they travel to Jerusalem, Jesus is seen as the coming conquering king who would liberate the people from the oppression of Rome. Entering the city people lined his path with palm leaves and some even spread their cloaks on the road. Here is the conquering king- arriving not on a war horse bringing in his kingdom by force, but on a donkey, a symbol of peace and meekness.

On entry into Jerusalem he went to the temple. On the forecourts he encountered money changers and traders. Many people liked to buy small denomination currency with their large denomination currency so as to get more attention when they rattled their coins into the collection. The money changers would of course make a profit on the exchange. Other traders were selling animals which would be used as sacrifices. He addressed the corruption, shouting angrily, “You have turned this house of prayer into a den of thieves,” as he overturned the tables of the traders. It is worth noting that anger does have a place, even such violent anger.

This made the chief priests and the other authorities even more determined to see him killed. They would soon get their way. But he continued his teaching for the next few days until the eve of the Passover, when he and his twelve disciples celebrated the Passover meal, one day early.

The Passover Meal

After the meal he also inaugurated a new symbolic meal of simply bread and wine, known as Communion (with God) or Eucharist (from the Greek word Eucharistia meaning thank you) as a way for his disciples then and now to remember his death and sacrifice. At its core, communion is a celebration, remembrance and proclamation of Christ’s death and the events which were to take place the following days- his arrest, trial and execution, followed by his being raised back to life. Of the loaf, torn apart to share with them, he said, “This is my body, broken for you, to preserve you for everlasting life,” describing the way his body would be pulled out of joint and mutilated by the manner of his death. Of the wine he said, “This is my blood shed for you for the forgiveness of sins”. This is the means whereby we can receive eternal life and forgiveness, an affirmation that we can be forgiven, over and over again. It is a time of renewing, cleansing, leaving the old behind us and making a new start. It reminds us and declares to those partaking that Christ is with us, Christ died for us and he is now alive working in us.

The disciple Judas left the meal early as he had made a deal with the religious leaders to have him arrested. He led them accompanied by a detachment of soldiers who arrested him and he was placed in a cell overnight to face trial the next day.

Early the following morning he was taken to the Sanhedrin- the body responsible for upholding the Jewish Law. He was accused of blasphemy but they couldn’t inflict a harsh enough punishment as they wanted to see him executed. So he was then taken to the governor of the province, Pontius Pilate, accused of being ‘King of the Jews’, a direct challenge to the Roman authorities.

According to Roman law the punishment for rebellion against the king was death by crucifixion. Although he did not think it warranted the death penalty he did not want to anger the Jewish leaders, so Jesus was beaten to the extent that the skin would be ripped from his back, hoping that would satisfy them. But many in the crowd had also misunderstood Jesus’ mission, who had expected a political or military leader who would free them from Roman oppression while Jesus’ mission was primarily spiritual and focused on the Kingdom of God. So they continued with their chanting crucify, crucify. Jesus was then led away to be crucified. He was ordered to carry the crossbeam of the cross but he was so weakened by the beatings that a passer-by, Simon from Cyrene was ordered to carry it for him. I wonder what was going through Simon’s mind at that time!

Weakened by this cruel beating he was led to a place just outside the city, called Golgotha. There Jesus was crucified along with two robbers, one on his right, one on his left. He was nailed by the soldiers to those pieces of wood, arms outstretched, suspended by nails through his hands and feet. As one modern hymn writer expressed it, “Hands that Flung Stars into Space to Cruel Nails Surrendered”. Here was the broken, disjointed body and the shedding of blood fulfilling the symbolism in Jesus’ last meal with his disciples.

Even in that situation he prayed, “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing.” He was subjected to the taunts and jeers and scorn of the crowd. “He saved others, let him save himself.” Mockingly hailed as king of the Jews, a crown made out of vicious thorns was placed on his head adding to his pain and suffering.

Just put yourself at the scene for a moment. There are two things that many accounts of the crucifixion do not tend to make clear. The first was that Jesus was completely naked. We read that they divided his clothes. It didn’t mean they divided his clothes except his loincloth. Then we have the picture of Jesus lifted up high. In reality the crossbeam was only typically three metres off the ground. So here was the victim, subjected to verbal abuse from the onlookers and the ultimate humiliation and degradation of his nakedness for all to see. Also at some stage he would likely lose control of bowel and bladder. Pause for a moment and just think about it. But even here Jesus showed no resentment. The level of pain is indescribable- giving rise to our expression, excruciating. He was fastened by nails through his hands and feet with his arms stretched out carrying his bodyweight. I will protect the reader from the horrific physiological details of death by crucifixion- the what, concentrating on the why and how. But I will point out that it’s bad enough getting a splinter in your finger, or trying to pull a thistle out of the garden with your bare hands. I’m sure you can relate to that. Death by crucifixion is so horrific that I find it disturbing even writing about it.

But the most horrific words uttered by Jesus, never exceeded in history before or after, from Adam to the end of time. The words, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” That “Why” question- the biggest “Why” ever uttered. Never in the whole of human history has God forsaken any human being. Yet here is his son, his beloved son, forsaken by his father, knowable to all as a loving heavenly father. And the reason? Here was Jesus at the receiving end of the judgement of God, abandoned as the bearer of the sin of the whole world, for your wrongdoing and my wrongdoing.

This is what a father allowed to happen to his only son! Yet it was for you and me that he did it! I repeat the words, “God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him would not die but have everlasting life.” This is what Salvation means, what it means to be saved, another word with the meaning different from that in common use, often trivialised.

“Jesus Saves” was an often stated slogan in my youth. Without the background, it is probably meaningless. In the typing pool in my former workplace was a card pinned to the notice board- “Jesus Saves!” The comment underneath was “Not on my salary he wouldn’t”……

The low point of the disciples’ whole experience must have been the arrest, followed by Jesus’ trial, death sentence and subsequent execution. In that moment all their hopes and expectations were dashed into a million fragments. With the exception of John, all the disciples abandoned Jesus and fled for fear of their own arrest and condemnation. But some of the women remained and stood at a distance with John. There they were removed from the jeers and taunts of the crowd, the groans of the tortured victims and the stench of stale urine and faeces.

Around six hours later, after receiving sour wine to quench his thirst, he cried out, “It is finished” and he breathed his last. Not just that his life had come to an end but the work that he came to do was now complete. He had carried the sin of the whole world. Then, now and for all time.

Just pause for a moment- here we have answers to all of the what, when, where, how, why and who questions.

I include here some of the words of Psalm 22, which King David wrote after his adultery with Bathsheba, some 1000 years before the birth of Jesus, at the time when he felt abandoned by God. It chillingly yet prophetically so accurately describes the experience of Jesus at his crucifixion.

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?
All who see me mock me.
I am poured out like water, all my bones are out of joint.
My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.
They have pierced my hands and my feet.
They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.”

But later in the psalm there is also a message of hope

“All of the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord.
Future generations will be told about the Lord.
They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn.”

Here is Jesus crucified. It was not uncommon for the victim to be suspended for days even before finally dying, swarming with flies, crows pecking at the flesh of the squirming, gasping victim. Truly, a living nightmare.

As evening approached, because it was the eve of the Sabbath, a rich man called Joseph who had become a disciple asked Pilate for the body. To ensure that he was already dead one of the soldiers plunged his sword into Jesus’ side. Blood and a watery liquid poured out. His body was removed from the cross and taken to an unused tomb nearby where his body was placed and wrapped in strips of linen cloth and the tomb closed with a flat circular stone rolled over the entrance.

The Lamb of God

In many places in the Bible, Jesus is described as the Lamb of God, identifying with the lambs that were sacrificed before the escape from slavery in Egypt. Now, Jesus becomes as if the sacrificial lamb, releasing the people from their slavery to sin. For the Israelites, forgiveness was achieved on the Day of Atonement. But now, here is Jesus becoming the ultimate sacrifice. He was sacrificed once and for all. He did it once, and he did it- for all! The atoning sacrifice was no longer required. The sacrifice of Jesus meant that the sins of the whole world were transferred to him. God was not punishing Jesus. Rather, God punished sin in the flesh of Jesus. The wrath of God was satisfied! Sin was defeated, saving people from its enslaving power, through that cross. In the same way that the Israelites’ Exodus from Egypt led them out of slavery into freedom and the promise of their own country, the “Promised Land”, people now are offered an invitation to become citizens of a New Kingdom.

The main point here is that God did this because we are worth it. Each and every one of us is worth saving from death and being given a new life in a New Kingdom.

…….. If only Marilyn Monroe and many like her had realised that each and every one of us is so special in God’s sight!

So if we admit our faults and confess our wrongdoings and our self-centeredness we will certainly receive God’s forgiveness. Jesus took all of our sin and it was nullified on his death. “He Died to Save Us from our Sins,” is the central core message, but as we have seen, this is an oversimplification of a very complex scenario.

Next time we reach the final chapters of Is the Bible True?

Shelley’s news update for November 8th

November 8, 2025 by Shelley Dring

Dear friends

We’ll be meeting on Sunday for a service together including the act of Remembrance observed by many around the country on Remembrance Sunday. We’ll be continuing with our journey Acts, and the theme will look at how the dramatic growth of the early church didn’t stop the new apostles experiencing suffering along the way: ‘The Church’s Mission in Acts’. Part 4: Sharing suffering

There will be a group for children to creatively explore the theme during part of the service as well as some creative activities for all at the front of the sanctuary. Please try to be seated by 10.50 as the service will start shortly after this so that we can observe the act of remembrance at 11am. Those who arrive at 11am will politely be asked to wait on the chairs in the foyer until the end of the 2 minutes. We’ll be online on our youtube channel too from 10.50, just search for Moortown Baptist Church on youtube.

In the evening Rock Solid youth groups meet at 7pm -8pm in the building. Do ask if you want more information. It’s open to all young people from about year 5 at school until end of year 13.

Here’s what is coming up over the week..

Monday 10^th November 10-12 midday Beacon warm welcome space and café in the building

Tuesday 11^th November Stepping Stones for under 5’s and their parents, grandparents and carers. See Diane, Hilary, or Lesley for more information.

Tuesday 11^th November is Remembrance Day and you may have a moment of remembrance at 11am.

Tuesday 11^th November afternoon bible study in church. See Howard or check with Lesley

Tuesday 11^th November Whole church meeting at 7.30pm in church. A zoom link will go out to those who are unable to be in the building but would like to join in. Agenda and minutes have already been sent out.

Wednesday 12^th November Lunch club for those who attend and volunteers. Speak to Lesley for more information.

Wednesday 12^th November 7.30pm Bible study in the church building. Speak to Ruth or Andy B or send a message to Lesley.

Wednesday 12^th November House group with Diane, ask Lesley or Diane or mention it to Shelley for more information.

Thursday 13^th November 2.00 -4.00pm Craft group and warm welcome space in church building. Do pop in and say hello. Speak to Karen, Lesley or myself for more information or if it’s something you might be able to join or support as we are looking for helpers.

Thursday 13^th November Bible study at 7pm, see Gareth G or ask Lesley.

Friday 14^th November Bible Study at 10.00am – 11.15 in church. See Shelley for more information.

Friday 14^th November House Group 8.00pm – 10.00 with Jonathan and Hilary D and Steve and Helen O. Do speak to them or ask Lesley or I for more information.

Sunday 16^th November 11am Church service with communion and a group for our younger friends. ‘The Church’s Mission in Acts’. Part 5: The church on the move

Next few weeks at MBC…

Wednesday 19^th November 1.30pm Wednesday Worship for half an hour in music room. Everyone welcome

There will be another Creative prayer art session with Krys and Cas on Wednesday 26^th November, more information to come. Also, the yellow badge prayer team will meet on the 23^rd after church too, more information to come.

Unfortunately The Send event on the 22^nd November has been postponed. The youth team will keep you informed about any new dates. Do encourage the young people to talk to their leaders too about things they would like to find out about or do.

Monday 24^th November we have Andrea and Mark Hodgkins coming to Beacon café and sharing some stories when the café has finished. All welcome.

Around the city…

Tuesday 18^th November ‘An evening with Rev John Swales MBE of Lighthouse Church ‘What does it look like to follow Jesus in a world of climate breakdown and fractured society. Prayer stations will offer space for lament and hope. In the chapel at Trinity University Horsforth Campus Creation Groans : Christ Calls Tickets, Tue, Nov 18, 2025 at 7:00 PM | Eventbrite

Nearer Christmas at MBC…

Sunday 7^th December ‘Christmas café church’ followed by a Christmas community café with live music and refreshments. Everyone welcome! Kevin Sinfield will be running past the church building at about 1.15/1.30pm on his final day of the 7 in 7 in 7 Challenge 2025 raising money for those affected by Motor Neuron Disease. Please click on the link here. Look up day 7 and you will see where we are on the map! Kevin will run by Moortown Baptist Church and then onto Beckett Park University Campus to begin the Leeds Santa Dash. More information here by clicking this link Run For All launches Leeds Santa Dash as final leg of Kevin Sinfield’s 7in7: Together Challenge.

Sunday 14^th December will also see the return of carol singing in a local home for the elderly, feel free to speak to Rachel B or Claire for more information. Our wreath making workshop is taking place in the afternoon of the 14^th and its open to everyone! More information to come.

All the Christmas services and events are being put together. We’ll share some information next week about getting involved. Do talk to me though if you have things you can do. We pray we can shine the light of Jesus this Christmas in our community and beyond.

Do check out the website and face book page to see what’s been going on this week and what’s coming up! www.moortownbaptistchurch.org.uk

And a big thankyou…

This week we passed our Level 5 food hygiene rating in the kitchen! Look out for the green signs! A huge thank you to Gill and Rachel for all their work on this and all the kitchen teams.

In Christ

Shelley

Shelley Dring

Minister

Moortown Baptist Church

Is the Bible True? In the first few chapters of this third part of a five week series, John Whitehead looks at Jesus as The Light of the World

November 8, 2025 by John Whitehead

CONTENTS

Chapter 1 Introduction

Chapter 2 A Look at Jesus’ Life

Chapter 3 Jesus’ Identity

Chapter 4 Jesus’ Preparation

Chapter 5 Jesus’ Ministry

Chapter 6 Jesus’Teaching

Chapter 7 Jesus’ Death

Chapter 8 Jesus’ Resurrection

Chapter 9 A Time to Reflect

Chapter 10 The Alternative

Chapter 11 In Conclusion

Appendix

Chapter 1

Introduction

This is part 3 of the series “Is the Bible True” using the analogy of a lighthouse. Although called Part 3, it is complete in itself and does not depend on having read the earlier booklets.

Part 1 looked at the creation and foundations of the Bible, creating order out of disorder,

Part 2 the building blocks- that was the Jewish nation. These comprised the writings of the Old Testament, which foretold the coming of Jesus as “God with Us”.

Part 3 fulfils that prophecy, by God coming down to live among us as a real human being. It looks at the life of Jesus in the New Testament, where he describes himself as the Light of the World, completing our lighthouse analogy. But as with all analogies this is incomplete elsewhere he is pictured as the cornerstone, the foundation stone, and also the capstone- the final stone at the top of a building, so we will be looking at Jesus as the founder and the finisher of the Christian faith. The apostle John, as we will explore later, recognises the pre-existence of Jesus not just as a prophet who brings the word of God but the Word made Flesh, in other words, God himself, with a human body.

As before, the approach will be

● To present the Bible as an authentic document, by examining what it says, to test the truth or otherwise of what is written and explore its relevance for our generation.
● To makethe Bible accessible to the ordinary reader who doesn’t have any specific scientific, literary or theological knowledge, making it as comfortable to read as picking up a mystery novel. I use the word mystery as it contains statements which need explaining.
● And, most importantly, to show a way to achieve personal fulfilment in life, with the help of a God who cares about you, even loves you, a God you can know personally. This immediately poses another question- how can we personally know the God who is creator of the universe?

If you do not have a copy of the Bible, it is worth buying one so that you can look up the context of the Bible references. The New International Version is excellent. You may prefer a different version, of which there are several. The Good News Bible deserves aspecial mention as it combines reliability with simple and straightforward language.

But if you do not wish to buy one yet, it is readily available online on a number of websites including www.biblestudytools.com and www.biblegateway.com, which provide not just the text of the Bible, but also explanations to help to understand it.

But can a book written some 2000 years ago really have any relevance to us today? Anemphatic Yes! Quite simply, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever.

As we look at the life of Jesus, I will respond to the questions in that verse by Rudyard Kipling. For the benefit of those who have not read the earlier parts, I repeat it here.

“I keep six honest serving-men,
They taught me all I knew;
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.”

We seem to have been created to ask questions, questions which our innate curiosity causes us to ask to try to make sense of what we see around us and how we fit into the greater scheme of things. Good questions to ask as we explore the New Testament.

The life of Jesus, a person unique in history, is described in the first four books of the New Testament, the Gospels. His parents were called Mary and Joseph. Only it is not quite as simple as that. It would seem a somewhat unlikely story. His mother, engaged to Joseph but not married, became pregnant without having had sex.

Not only that, it is about this man who was dead and then came back to life again. We will respond to the what, the how and the why later! But as you read on, perhaps you will realise that it is fact not fiction, truth not falsehood and that it all really happened.

So Part 3 is about unpacking this unlikely story, demonstrating its truth and what it can mean to each one of us. It is a call to faith in the invisible God.

The Key Message of the New Testament

Karl Barth, an influential 20th century theologian, was asked by a student if he could summarise his whole life’s work in theology in one sentence. Barth allegedly said something like, “Yes, I can. In the words of a song I learned as a child- Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” That simple statement is what Part 3 is about, examining its implications for each one of us how he demonstrated that love. Expanding on that statement, in the words of John’s gospel Chapter 3, “God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son that anyone who believes in him shall not die but have everlasting life”, a summary of answers to the who, what, how and why. Now that really is Good News! What does it mean, “Gave his son?” Quite simply, God made Jesus a
substitute for us. It is the reality in this verse that underpins the entirety of the biblical narrative. We deserved to die because of our disobedience- our sin, but Jesus took our sin upon himself and was executed. In the Christian sense, it means releasing Christians from the consequences of their sin- death. Jesus’ death by crucifixion pays the price for our sin. But it didn’t stop there. He was raised from death to everlasting life. That everlasting life is promised to all who believe. The jargon word for that is that he redeems us.

Jesus’ life’s work was to demonstrate the love of God. He taught, preached, healed all manner of sicknesses and diseases, he showed love to all especially the downtrodden, founded a New Kingdom and invited all to enter into it showing The Way to achieve that. But the barrier is Sin. Sin separates. Sin is basically deviation from God’s standards the 10 Commandments which were revealed to Moses when the Israelites were in the wilderness, having escaped from slavery in Egypt. Their purpose was to provide guidance for the moral and spiritual lives of God’s people.The essence of them is to love God with your complete being, and to treat your neighbour, in its widest interpretation, as you would like to be treated yourself.

Jesus demonstrated and taught a wider interpretation of these, with the aim of giving the people an understanding of the Kingdom, or the Kingship, of God and the eternal – yes eternal, hope that they could fulfil through him.

It may be true, but so what? What is Christianity all about? What’s in it for Me?

Not surprisingly it’s all about Jesus Christ. Jesus’ own explanation was that he said “I have come that they may have life, life in all its fullness”. But we have to remember that a life that is full has times of hardship, difficulty and disappointment. Jesus is there in those times as well.

Many would say that they are fulfilled as they are, life is pretty good thank you, but I will refer back to an observation included in the first booklet where I coined a phrase “Good is the Enemy of the Best”. I was curious to see if someone else had already said this, so I carried out an internet search, and to my amazement, this is what I found. Voltaire, an 18th century French writer and philosopher observed that “The Best is the Enemy of Good”. He explained it by saying that “Close is sometimes Good Enough” and “Exact is far too costly”. Yes, it can be costly but what I am saying is that the best- a truly fulfilled life – is actually achievable through Jesus. But much more on that later.

The Gospel Writers

The life of Jesus is described in the first four books of the New Testament, calledcGospels (gospel simply means Good News)

Matthew’s gospel portrays Jesus as a King, Mark as a servant, Luke as a man, and John as the divine Son of God. Yes, he is all of those, encapsulated in this one person.

Who then is Jesus

We started part 1 with the words, “In the Beginning, God”. We start this section similarly, reading from John’s gospel, which takes us back to the creation accounts – “In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God. The Word was God. The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” How was the Word made Flesh? By the manner in which Mary conceived, which we will explore later. Again, he was fully human, yet he was also fully God!

The Israelites had put their hope in the promise of a Messiah. A military leader, a king like King David who would free them from oppression by foreign forces to establish a New Kingdom under God’s rule. But their Messiah came as a helpless newborn baby who needed keeping warm, feeding, changing, just like every other baby in the world. As Stuart Townend expressed it in a modern hymn, “Fullness of God in Helpless Babe”. Or in a Charles Wesley hymn, “Our God Contracted to a Span, Incomprehensibly made Man.” Quite remarkable if you pause there and think about it!

As an adult Jesus criticised almost everything about the practices of the religious leaders, and their interpretation of the law. They never really came to terms with who Jesus was. He was their promised Messiah, but they did not recognise him as such. In the end they saw to it that he was executed. What they didn’t expect was that he would be brought back to life. He was executed on a Friday but raised by God from the dead on the third day, Sunday, two days later. But to everyone, including the Jewish people who do acknowledge him for who he was and is, he gives the right to become children of God- children born not of blood, not through the desire or will of man, but born of God, as citizens of a New Kingdom, the Kingdom of God.

Thus the Kingdom of God is a body of believers who have accepted this invitation and submitted to God as their head of state, their King. It is as if a state within a state.

So this is the story of Jesus, the founder of the Christian faith.

Christianity is a unique religion in that Jesus, the founder of Christianity, is presented as God coming down to the earth and living among us, and he is the only founder of a religion who does not have a grave.

So, again I pose the question, “What’s in it for Me?” Simply, a fulfilled life now, but that you are invited to entering into eternal life, beginning now, continuing after the death of your body- a body which is doomed to decay, to be raised back to life, like Jesus was, and live forever in that perfect place way beyond our wildest dreams where there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things will have passed away. This is described at the end of the final book of the Bible, Revelation. An out-of-this-world statement- literally, but hopefully by having accepted the authenticity of what has gone before this, you will accept the authenticity here. Are you tempted or maybe just curious? But remember! This is part of a new covenant which is a promise that God will forgive sin and restore the fellowship with people who turn to him and who would receive Life in all its Fullness.

Before we look at this in detail, here is a challenge. The challenge is to read the whole of one gospel in full. I would suggest Mark’s gospel. It is the shortest, and it confines itself to Jesus’ adult life from the start of his ministry. You may be surprised to know that if you do this you will have done something that many Christians have not done! Most Christians read anything from a couple of Bible verses to a couple of chapters of the Bible in one sitting, because there is so much in it. That method allows examination of the details of the passage, understand what the passage means, and apply it to our lives. Even so the knowledge gained can be somewhat fragmented. It’s like winding a fork in the middle of a bowl of spaghetti- it pulls strands in from all over the plate.

But consider the advantages of reading one book of the Bible in one sitting.

● You can keep track of characters and the plot.
● You can follow the unfolding of the narrative.
● You appreciate the context in which it was written.
● You cannotice themes more easily.
● You can read the books of the Bible how they were originally intended to be read.

l suggested Mark’s gospel, partly because it is the shortest but above all it is succinct and completely down to earth, concentrating on his ministry. It presents a call to wholehearted discipleship. It should take not more than a couple of hours of reflective reading. Read it in one sitting or maybe the first 8 chapters first and then come back later to read the second 8 chapters, because it really is a meaty read. The first 8
chapters are taken up with Jesus’ ministry of something under 3 years, but the whole of the second half is devoted to describing his teaching and healings in the last week of his life on earth, leading to his betrayal, arrest, trial, conviction and execution. It will give a foundation describing the whole period of Jesus’ ministry up to the time of his death.

Chapter 2

A Look at Jesus’ Life

In the next chapters we continue to unravel those questions, Who, What, When, Where, How and Why.

Reality Check

Did the events described in the gospel actually happen? Was it all made up? Are we into the realms of fairy stories? To answer this question we must simply look to the Jews, his fiercest opponents. Never have they denied the actual existence of Jesus Christ- his life, ministry and death. It is their interpretation of his life and ministry where the dispute would lie. For example, they had seen the way he healed people, but quarrelled with him on the occasions when he healed people on the Sabbath, which they saw as a day of rest.

The fact is that Jesus was a historical figure. There is no need to add that his life and death was a pivotal point in the whole of creation. A turning point for humanity. The beginning of a new world order, into which we are all invited to participate. His life story is presented in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke each from their own perspective. John’s gospel has a more theological approach.

It is helpful to split the study into four parts- his birth and the events that preceded it, his life, his death and the circumstances which led to it, and his resurrection from the dead. There is so much in what we will be looking at that is Super-natural.

Jesus’ Birth

We begin by looking at what happened to an engaged couple, Joseph and Mary, who lived in Nazareth, in the north of what is now modern day Israel.

In Luke’s gospel we read that an angel named Gabriel visited Mary, just a young teenager, telling her that she was going to have a baby, whom she should name Jesus.

We must pause here and first ask the question “What is an Angel?” The answer is that in the Bible an angel is simply a messenger from God, always depicted as a male figure with human form, but not confined to time and space as we are.

Mary asked the angel how it could happen, telling him that she was a virgin. He explained that the Holy Spirit would overshadow her and her child would be called the Son of the Most High. The angel was saying that Jesus would be conceived not out of a sexual relationship with Joseph, but through this miraculous act. What or who is the Holy Spirit? Quite simply, the Holy Spirit implies the presence of God.

Not surprisingly, she was astounded but perhaps more surprisingly she completely trusted what the angel said. So, as Gabriel had described, Mary became pregnant. Hence Jesus, although born as a human baby boy, is also described as the Son of God.

Here is Mary – engaged, but having chosen to retain her virginity for the marital relationship. How times change!- hasn’t having sex become just another recreational activity? Pregnant, but through the “overshadowing” by the Holy Spirit.

In her culture becoming pregnant would have been a reason for Joseph breaking off the relationship. She could even have been stoned to death. The simple truth is that God had decided that this was how it was going to be done. Joseph, although initially suspecting that Mary had been unfaithful, in faith accepted what the angel had said. We read that they did not actually consummate the marriage until after the baby was born.

The first few chapters of Luke’s gospel present the wider story.

But why was Jesus born in Bethlehem when their home was in Nazareth? It is interesting to note that this was foretold by the prophet Micah some 700 years before Jesus’ birth. Speaking of Bethlehem he said “Out of you will come one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”

Although heavily pregnant, Jesus’ parents had made a journey to Bethlehem from their home in Nazareth in the north. But Why? It was because the Emperor Augustus had ordered a census be taken throughout the Roman Empire of which Palestine was part. Everyone had to go to their hometown to register. So Joseph took Mary to Bethlehem, because he was a descendant of King David who had been born there, and there she gave birth to Jesus.

Here we must pause and reflect. Because this journey only takes up a few sentences in the Bible, there is much left to our imagination to understand the risks Mary and Joseph took to bring the Messiah into the world.

Mary was in the latter stages of her pregnancy. She could have gone into labour at any time. But she and Joseph set out with a donkey as their means of transport to Bethlehem some 150 km distant. They would have faced many hazards including lions, bears, bandits and robbers, not mentioning the rugged terrain. This journey would take probably four days or even more. But they made it. God saw to it that they did!

Because all other available accommodation was taken by other travellers, she gave birth to God in human form, in less than hygienic conditions- in a cowshed, with a feeding trough as a cradle.

Some time later they returned to Nazareth where Joseph was a carpenter. But throughout his childhood his parents had made him aware of his unique position and he spent much time studying the scriptures, what we now describe as the Old Testament.

Not much else is known about the next 20 years or thereabouts of his life up to the time when he began his ministry to the nation of Israel, but it is evident that he had become very familiar with the scriptures- the Law and the Prophets.

One of the descriptive names given to Jesus was Emmanuel. Another prophecy, this time by Isaiah, 700 years previously, said “Behold, a virgin shall conceive and shall bear a son who shall be named Emmanuel”, which means “God with Us”. It is a reminder that God did not leave his creation to itself. He was there for humankind from the beginning. He never left them, yet there were times when his chosen people abandoned him. And now we do have God with us, God in the flesh. Later we will read a statement of Jesus which says, “I am with you until the end of time”.

Chapter 3

Jesus’ Identity

Who Does Jesus Say that He Is?

In this next section we are getting back to foundations. Jesus is telling us who he is, his credentials and the source of his authority and what it implies to the world and to you and me. If you still need convincing then this chapter should provide affirmation of his identity. It contains some amazing statements, each worth pondering over its implications.

“I AM”

Others had introduced Jesus’ identity, but Jesus tells us himself in the statement, found in John 8:48-59, “Before Abraham was, I Am”. He is stating that even before Abraham’s life, he existed, acknowledging that although 100% human being, he is also 100% God, the Word- the Word made Flesh, there from the beginning. Doesn’t that cause you to stop and think?

So how else is Jesus describing himself? Let’s look at some of these statements in detail. They are all powerful metaphors and invite the use of your imagination, but more so to invite you into a new way of living.

In John 8:12 he says “I Am the Light of the World”, not only completing the lighthouse metaphor as a light guiding seagoing vessels, but also in the second half of the verse there is the promise that whoever follows him will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.

In John 6:35, he says “Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” Shortly after Jesus had miraculously provided food for five thousand people, bread was on the minds of the many who had followed Him. He says to them, “do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures unto eternal life, which I will give you”. It is my Father, says Jesus, who gives you the true bread from heaven. The people clamour and say give us that bread, to which Jesus replies. “I Am the Bread of Life.

In John 10:14 Jesus says, “I Am the Good Shepherd. In the shepherd’s presence sheep are safe, cared for and protected. In this metaphor, we are his flock. He says, “I know my sheep and my sheep know me just as the Father knows me and I know the Father and I lay down my life for the sheep.” This may sound surprising when to an onlooker, one sheep looks just the same as the next, but farmers today who use traditional methods of shepherding would say that they know each of a hundred sheep individually. And when a sheep wanders off Jesus is saying that the shepherd would go on searching and searching until he finds it. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that anyone should be lost. In addition he is predicting that he is going to lay down his life. He is going to die to save us from death.

In John 10:7, when Jesus says “I Am the Gate to the Sheep”, he is really indicating that he is the way into the sheepfold. In ancient Palestine, Jewish shepherds brought their flocks back to the sheepfold for protection against predators after a day of grazing. Our predators are materialism and self gratification which only lead to death and would lure us from the real source of fulfilment. God is a God of judgement, remember? We are all subject to God’s judgement for those things for which we have not received forgiveness. But Jesus is saying that those who enter his “sheepfold” will receive life in all its fullness.

In John 11:25, Jesus says, “I Am the Resurrection and the Life. Those who believe in me will live even though they die and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” This statement is at the very heart of Jesus’ message. This is what the whole of the Bible up to now has been leading to and it will be achieved by the manner of his death and what happened two days later.

Jesus says in John 15:5, “I Am the Vine, you are the Branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing.” He is saying that as a branch gets its sustenance from the body of the tree it is from him that we receive our sustenance. But we must not forget that vines get pruned, facilitating new growth and better fruit. The same applies to us.

Finally in John 14:6, Jesus says “I Am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the father except through me.”

The Way

He gives us the way of being saved from the consequences of sin. He goes before us and through both his life and his death makes it possible. In chapter 3 of the final book of the Bible, Revelation there is an invitation, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me”. He is inviting you to open the door of your life to him and allow him in.

The Truth.

He is truth- the sum and substance of all the truths in the gospels.

The Life.

He is the giver of fulfilled life- natural, spiritual and eternal. Remember that “Good is the Enemy of the Best”.

How’s that for a CV?

Hopefully this has broadened your horizons.

So this is the person whose life we will be exploring.

Chapter 4

Jesus’ Preparation

How HePrepared

When Jesus began his ministry, he spent 40 days in the wilderness where he spent his time fasting and praying. Prayer is a vast subject. The appendix to this booklet is devoted to expanding on what prayer is, what it means and its vital importance. It may be helpful to read it at this stage.

During this time he was tempted by the devil and resisted the various aspects of that temptation by quoting from the Hebrew scriptures, (what we know as the Old Testament). So how much more should we be conversant with the Bible, especially the gospels?

But Who or What is the Devil? The simplest definition would be that the Devil, or Satan as he is otherwise named, is the personification of evil, completely opposed to God- the presence which tries to deviate us from doing what is right in God’s sight- to blind us from God’s truth. But make no mistake, the power of God is greater than that of the Devil.

His Helpers and Companions

Recognised as a Rabbi, a teacher of the law, Jesus chose from his many followers twelve quite undistinguished men to be with him as his first disciples who he named apostles. This was unusual, as a Rabbi would normally choose those of high intellect, and already well versed in the scriptures to follow in his footsteps and subsequently become Rabbis themselves. But Jesus’ disciples were men in whom he saw special qualities. They were quite a varied bunch, a few were fishermen by trade, there were a number of nationalists- some of whom had a fanatical hatred for the Romans and saw the way forward as violent conflict. Then there was a tax collector- tax collectors were hated by the Jews. Finally there was Judas Iscariot, a nationalist. He appears to have
been the treasurer for the group. Not much is known about him apart from knowing that he dipped into the communal purse for his own personal use, and it was he who betrayed Jesus, leading to his trial and subsequent execution by crucifixion.

A male dominated society, but women played a crucial role in supporting him and were numbered among his disciples. In fact it was to Mary Magdalene that he first revealed himself when he had risen from the dead.

The twelve disciples stayed with him for most of the time. They were learning from him and putting into practice the things they had learnt, which they would continue when Jesus was no longer with them.

But Is Jesus Relevant Today?

We noted that the Apostle Paul recognised that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Moreover, human nature has not changed. Then as now, through him we can have a personal relationship with this living God in the here and now. So the answer to that question is an emphatic yes! In his own words, Jesus said “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

His mission was all about showing how to find peace in a troubled world. He achieved this by showing who he was and what he could do as a teacher, prophet, healer, miracle worker. He showed the importance of forgiving those who did things which were wrong, but more poignantly, how we can be forgiven ourselves. That was by his death, carrying the sin of the whole world, all our sin and wrongdoing.