Jesus’ ministry

Peace with God

Jesus’ ministry on earth began when he was declared by John the Baptist to be, “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). After Jesus was baptized, Matthew tells us that a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). Not long before he was crucified, Jesus revealed to his disciples his purpose for coming to earth. Jesus told them, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:25-28). The Greek word that is translated ransom, Lutron (looˊ-tron) is “used metaphorically for the ransom paid by Christ for the delivering of men from the bondage of sin and death (Matthew 2);28; Mark 10:45)” (G3083). Paul explained in his first letter to Timothy that Jesus was acting as a mediator between God and man when he died for the sin of the world. Paul said we should pray for all people because, “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time” (1 Timothy 2:3-6),

Jesus compared his position as the Son of Man to that of a slave (Matthew 20:27-28). Jesus served his Father and mankind by coming to earth to reconcile all people to God. In this relationship of servitude, Jesus was one whose will was completely subject to the will of another, the lowest term in the scale of servitude. A mediator, as a go-between, is “one who intervenes between two parties” (G3316). It was necessary for Jesus to intervene between God and mankind because of the wrath of God against sin. Paul said in his letter to the Romans, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men” (Romans 1:18). Paul indicated that God’s kindness is meant to lead people to repentance and then, went on to say, “But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed” (Romans 2:4-5). Jesus took the wrath of God upon himself through his death on the cross. It says in Isaiah 53:5, “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” Speaking of God’s eternal covenant of peace, Isaiah’s prophecy about Jesus’ crucifixion states, “’For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,’ says the LORD, your Redeemer” (Isaiah 54:7-8).  

Paul explained that God’s love for humanity was expressed by him sending his Son to die for individuals that didn’t deserve his forgiveness. Paul said:

For while we were still weak, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die, but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:6-11)

Paul identified reconciliation as the means by which peace with God is accomplished. The Greek word that is translated reconciliation, katallage (kat-al-lag-ayˊ) means “exchange (figurative, adjustment), i.e. restoration to (the divine) favor” (G2643). To be reconciled means that we change toward God, we are no longer considered to be his enemies (G2644). Peace with God means “metaphorically, peace of mind, tranquility, arising from reconciliation with God and a sense of divine favor (Romans 5:1; 15:13; Philippians 4:7 [cf. Isaish 53:5])” (G1515).

Paul explained that the reason why Jesus’ righteousness could be attributed to sinners was because Adam’s sin was attributed to everyone who was born after him. Paul said, “Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:18-19). Paul expanded on his explanation of Christ’s work of reconciliation in his second letter to the Corinthians. Paul stated, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him, we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:17-21).

Jesus concluded his ministry on earth with a statement about having overcome the world. After his disciples indicated that they believed he came from God, Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:31-33). Jesus may have made reference to his disciples deserting him because he wanted them to be aware that his work of reconciliation was still incomplete, even though he stated that he had already overcome the world. It wasn’t until his disciples were justified by faith that they obtained access into God’s grace and peace with God was possible. Regarding his death and resurrection, Jesus said, “I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe” (John 14:29). When Jesus’ disciples believed, they were justified by faith and afterward, had peace with God (Romans 5:1).  

Celebrate God’s Victory

Luke’s gospel concludes with the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection and ascension into heaven. Luke states, “Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. When he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God” (Luke 24:50-53). The Apostle Paul discussed the resurrection of the dead in the context of a mystery and the believer’s victory over death (1 Corinthians 15:35-58). Paul said that we must all be changed and that our mortal body must put on immortality, and then, Paul concluded, “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Although Jesus gave us the victory over sin and death through his resurrection and ascension into heaven, sin and death still exist in the world today, and we have not yet experienced the full manifestation of God’s kingdom on earth. Psalm 98 is a celebration of the righteous reign of the Lord, a future event when the psalmist says, “All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God” (Psalm 98:3).

Psalm 98 begins with a call to celebrate God’s victory. The psalmist instructs us, “O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvelous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory” (Psalm 98:1, KJV). The English Standard Version of the Bible translates the last part of Psalm 98:1 as “His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him” associating God’s victory with Jesus’ work of salvation on the cross. The psalmist went on to say:

The Lord has made known his salvation;
    he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
    to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
    the salvation of our God. (Psalm 98:2-3)

The Hebrew word that is translated seen in Psalm 98:3, raʾah (raw-awˊ) denotes a type of seeing something with the eyes that requires “the individual to see physically outside of himself or herself: to see so that one can learn to know, whether it be another person (Deuteronomy 33:9) or God (Deuteronomy 1:31; 11:2); to experience (Jeremiah 5:12; 14:13; 20:18; 42:14)” (H7200). This type of seeing requires the person that is seeing to be physically present with the person or object that is seen. During Jesus’ ministry on the earth 2000 years ago, his travels were limited to the geographical region known as the Promised Land, the territory that God promised to give Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 15:7). Psalm 98:2 refers to a time when God’s salvation will be revealed in the sight of all the nations.

Isaiah’s prophecy in 52:1-12 is about the LORD’s coming salvation and he uses the term good news to refer to Jesus’ gospel message. It says specifically in Isaiah 52:6-7 about the righteous reign of the Lord:

“Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here I am.”

How beautiful upon the mountains
    are the feet of him who brings good news,
who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,
    who publishes salvation,
    who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

The “servant song” that followed Isaiah 52:1-12 “is one of the most explicit prophecies of Christ’s atoning work on Calvary. It caused great controversy within Judaism because it clearly connected the Messiah with suffering and death. As a result, some Jewish scholars even suggested two messiahs: one who would suffer and another who would reign. In anticipating the Messiah, they could not comprehend how he could fulfill both sets of prophecies. Jesus applied this prophecy to himself (Luke 22:37), as did his disciples (Matthew 8:17; John 12:38; Hebrews 9:28)” (note on Isaiah 52:13-53:12).

The good news of the gospel is what prompts God’s chosen people to sing to the LORD a new song in Psalm 98:1, and we see that when Jesus is revealed in the sight of the nations and “all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God” (Psalm 98:3), that there is a call to all the earth to join in the celebration. The psalmist invites us to:

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
    break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
    with the lyre and the sound of melody!
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
    make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord! (Psalm 98:4-6)

The great joy that Jesus’ disciples felt as they made their way back to Jerusalem after he had ascended into heaven (Luke 24:52) was likely very small in comparison to the joyful noise that all the earth will make when it sees the salvation of our God. Even the seas, rivers, and hills will join in the celebration of God’s victory (Psalm 98:7-8).

The psalmist closes his call to celebrate with a reminder of the Lord’s mission when he returns to earth. The psalmist says, “For he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity” (Psalm 98:9). The Hebrew word that is translated judge, shaphat (shaw-fatˊ) means “pronounce sentence (for or against)…This word, though often translated as judge, is much more inclusive than the modern concept of judging and encompasses all the facets and functions of government: executive, legislative, and judicial. Consequently, this term can be understood in any one of the following ways. It could designate, in its broadest sense, to function as ruler or governor…In a judicial sense, the word could also indicate, because of the exalted status of the ruler, the arbitration of civil, domestic, and religious disputes (Deuteronomy 25:1)…In the executive sense, it could denote to execute judgment, to bring about what had been decided. This could be in the form of vindication (Psalm 10:18; Isaiah 1:17, 23); or a condemnation and punishment (Ezekiel 7:3, 8; 23:45)” (H8199). The psalmist tells us that Jesus will judge the world with righteousness (Psalm 98:9). The Hebrew word tsedeq (tsehˊ-dek), which is translated righteousness, is “a masculine noun meaning a right relation to an ethical or legal standard…The word is frequently connected with the term justice (Psalm 119:106; Isaiah 58:2)” (H6664). In addition to bringing justice to the world, the psalmist tells us that Jesus will judge the people with equity or straightness (H4339). The New Testament concept of straightness has to do with having a straight path or perhaps, a direct route to an immediate outcome (G2117). This suggests that when Jesus returns, there will be an immediate change in people’s circumstances that will be reflective of his moral and legal standard for them. In other words, Jesus intends to straighten people’s lives out when he comes back to judge the world, and will instantaneously get everyone aligned with God’s word, the Bible.

Jesus told his disciples shortly before his death that their sorrow would turn into joy and that in a little while they would see him again (John 16:16-17). Jesus’ disciples didn’t know what he meant by a little while, but were afraid to ask him (John 16:18). John tells us:

Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:19-24)

Jesus compared the joy that his disciples would experience when he returned to that of a woman who had just given birth to a child. Jesus said, “She no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world” (John 16:21). Anyone who has experienced the birth of a child can appreciate how seeing your baby for the first time makes you want to celebrate and might put a song in your heart that wasn’t there before. We see in Psalm 98 a spontaneous reaction to all the ends of the earth having seen the salvation of our God (Psalm 98:1-3). The book of Revelation tells us that this reaction is preceded by Christ’s defeat of Antichrist and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:1-10). Then, the curtain to heaven is opened and we see Jesus ride into the scene. John tells us:

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. (Revelation 19:11-16)

It’s easy to see why Jewish scholars didn’t connect Jesus, the suffering servant, with the Messiah that was going to deliver Israel from the political oppression of Antichrist. There is a stark difference between this triumphal entry and the one we see in the gospel of Luke where Jesus road into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey (Luke 19:35-40). Regardless of their differences, each of these events should cause us to make a joyful noise to the LORD and break forth into a joyous song to celebrate God’s victory.

Fishers of men

Four of Jesus’ twelve disciples were fishermen before they were called to work in his ministry. Mark tells us, “Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.’ And immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him” (Mark 1:16-20). Simon, also known as Peter, Andrew, James, and John were all willing to give up their occupation of fishing in order to follow Jesus. Jesus’ statement, “I will make you become fishers of men” (Mark 1:17) seemed to make sense to Peter and Andrew. Mark said they “immediately left their nets and followed him” (Mark 1:18), suggesting that there was not only a willingness on the part of Peter and Andrew to give up their occupation, but also an urgency about their decision to do so. The Greek word that is translated immediately, eutheos (yoo-thehˊ-oce) is derived from the root words eu (yoo), which means “good, brave, noble” (G2095), and tithemi (tithˊ-ay-mee), which used figuratively means “to lay down one’s life. To place something in the heart or spirit, in the sense of to resolve, to purpose” (G5087).

Peter and Andrew took immediate action to secure their position in Jesus’ ministry based on his promise that he would make them become fishers of men (Mark 1:17). In order to understand what Jesus meant by fishers of men, you have to think of it in terms of an occupation. Jesus was inviting Peter, Andrew, James, and John to be a part of the work that he was sent to do on earth. When Jesus healed a woman who had a disabling spirit, the ruler of the synagogue associated what he had done with work. Luke 13:12-17 states:

When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.

The Greek word that the ruler of the synagogue used that is translated work, ergazomai (er-gadˊ-zom-ahee) means “to toil (as a task, occupation, etc.),” and is metaphorically spoken of the sea: to cultivate the sea, i.e. to ply or follow the sea as an occupation as sailors, mariners (Revelation 18:17), but ergazomai is also used “of things wrought, done, performed, e.g. miracles (John 6:30; Acts 13:41)…To work the works of God, or a good work (Matthew 26:10; Mark 14:6; John 3:21; 6:28; 9:4; 1 Corinthians 16:10; 3 John 5)” (G2038). Jesus’ sharp response to the ruler of the synagogue suggests that spiritual work, releasing the woman from the bond of Satan, cannot be limited to normal work hours because of the life-sustaining nature of this kind of activity (Luke 13:15).

Jesus indicated that the work that he had called his disciples to do would result in spiritual wages (John 6:27), but he cautioned the crowd that wanted to join him in his ministry against pursuing spiritual work without having faith in God. John tells us, “Then they said to him, ‘What must we do to be doing the works of God’ Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’ So they said to him, ‘Then what sign do you do that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform?’” (John 6:28-30). The people of Israel were confused about the role that Jesus was expected to play in the accomplishment of God’s plan of salvation. They thought that their Messiah would be a powerful leader who would conquer the kingdoms that opposed God. Jesus explained to them that the purpose of him coming into the world was to provide spiritual nourishment to those who were spiritually destitute (John 6:32-59). Jesus concluded his discussion on spiritual work with the healing of a man born blind. John stated, “As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘It was not that this man sinned or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work’” (John 9:1-4). Jesus indicated that the works of God were intended to be done out in the open, on display for everyone to see, but there would come a time when no one would be able to work because the light of the world would be snuffed out (John 8:12-24).

Jesus told his disciples Peter, Andrew, James, and John when they first came to him to not be afraid because “from now on you will be catching men” (Luke 5:10). The Greek word that is translated catching, zogreo (dzogue-rehˊ-o) was used by Paul to describe the activities of Satan in a section of his second letter to Timothy that focused on a worker that is approved by God. Paul told Timothy to:

Flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured (zogreo) by him to do his will. (2 Timothy 2:22-26)

The phrase that Paul used “escape from the snare” (2 Timothy 2:26) has to do with recovering one’s senses after being tricked into doing something that you didn’t want to do (G366/1537/3803). The Greek word that is translated snare, pagis (pag-eceˊ) is spoken figuratively of “a trick or stratagem (temptation)” (G3803). The snare of the devil is obviously something that you would want to avoid. The reason why Jesus used a similar analogy for people getting saved may have been because salvation is not a logical choice, but something similar to a rescue mission that God must initiate.

Paul talked in his second letter to the Corinthians about being caught up to the third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2-4). The Greek word harpazō (har-padˊ-zo) means to “seize upon, spoil, snatch away” and is “spoken of beasts of prey” and of “what is snatched suddenly away (Matthew 13:19; Jude 23); in the sense of to rob, plunder (John 10:28, 29)” (G726). The violent nature of the word harpazō is reflected in Jesus’ description of Satan’s attack on the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said, “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force (harpazō). It makes sense that God’s effort to rescue us from sin would also require force. Jude talked about saving others “by snatching (harpazō) them out of the fire” (Jude 1:23). Paul’s experience on the road to Damascus is an example of how God catches men and uses them for his own purposes. Paul testifies about his conversion in Acts 26:9-18. Paul said:

“I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme, and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign cities. In this connection I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”

Jesus described Paul’s resistance to the gospel as “kicking against the goads” (Acts 26:14) and said that he would deliver Paul from his people and from the Gentiles (Acts 26:17). Paul’s harsh attitude toward Jesus made it difficult for him to receive God’s gift of salvation, but Jesus said that Paul had been appointed as a servant and a witness to Jesus Christ and that he was being sent to open the eyes of others (Acts 26:16-18). Paul became a very successful fisher of men and was one of the primary authors of the New Testament. Paul was also responsible for the spread of the gospel throughout most of Europe and Asia before he was executed by the Roman government.

Christ in you

Perhaps the most difficult aspect of Christianity to comprehend is the fact that Jesus lives in the heart of every believer. Paul referred to this doctrinal truth as a secret and said;

Now I am full of joy to be suffering for you. In my own body I am doing my share of what has to be done to make Christ’s sufferings complete. This is for His body which is the Church. I became a preacher in His church for your good. In the plan of God I am to preach the Good News. This great secret was hidden to the people of times past, but it is now made known to those who belong to Christ. God wants these great riches of the hidden truth to be made known to the people who are not Jews. The secret is this: Christ in you brings hope of all the great things to come. We preach Christ. We tell every man how he must live. We use wisdom in teaching every man. We do this so every man will be complete in Christ. (Colossians 1:24-28, NLV)

Paul wanted the believers in Colosse to understand that the truth of the gospel was not conveyed to them through natural means, but that God had imparted the wisdom and knowledge of Christ directly to them through his Holy Spirit. Paul described the supernatural process of regeneration in Colossians 2:11-15. He said:

When you became a Christian, you were set free from the sinful things of the world. This was not done by human hands. You were set free from the sins of your old self by what was done in Christ’s body. When you were baptized, you were buried as Christ was buried. When you were raised up in baptism, you were raised as Christ was raised. You were raised to a new life by putting your trust in God. It was God Who raised Jesus from the dead. When you were dead in your sins, you were not set free from the sinful things of the world. But God forgave your sins and gave you new life through Christ. We had broken the Law many ways. Those sins were held against us by the Law. That Law had writings which said we were sinners. But now He has destroyed that writing by nailing it to the cross. God took away the power of the leaders of this world and the powers of darkness. He showed them to the world. The battle was won over them through Christ. (NLV)

Christ’s death on the cross was the final step in God’s effort to reconcile the world to himself. Because the penalty for all our sins was paid by Jesus, we are able to live free from the guilt of sin and escape the penalty of death that we deserve. Through the process of regeneration we have not only been united with Christ, but also with every other believer in the world. Paul said, “And not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.” (Colossians 2:19, NKJV).

The Greek word Paul used that is translated knit together in Colossians 2:19 is sumbibazo (soom-bib-ad’-zo) which means “to drive together that is unite (in association or affection)” (G4822). Mentally, sumbibazo infers showing or teaching someone something. The Greek word sumbibazo is derived from the words sun (soon) and basis (bas’-ece). These two words have to do with Jesus’ ministry on earth when he was spending all his time with his disciples teaching them about the kingdom of heaven (G939/G4862). What Paul was saying was that when we become Christians, we enter into the same kind of relationship with Jesus that his disciples had. He is with us all the time, actually dwelling inside us through his Holy Spirit, and he causes us to grow spiritually.