All projects require achievable objectives and good strategy/tactics to accomplish the objectives. Try taking a project management view of God’s objectives in sending His son, Christ Jesus. What were the objectives, goals, strategies and tactics? What constraints did Jesus face?
God’s Objectives
God loves His children and wants a loving relationship with them and among His children. His overall objectives for His Son were to proclaim God’s Kingdom and set the world on a path toward God’s kingdom. God apparently gave Jesus three years for His ministry.
Jesus’ Strategies
In three years, Jesus could only start the process of setting the world on a path toward God’s kingdom. Therefore, He had to develop a committed and knowledgeable following the would be capable to continuing Jesus’ mission. Jesus chose disciples early in His ministry so they had maximum time to learn His message. Then He charged them to “…make disciples of all nations… and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you…” thereby establishing His church to continue His ministry.
First, Jesus established His credentials as the Son of God. John the Baptist started the process by announcing that Jesus was coming. Jesus’ miracles announced He was the Messiah. He also demonstrated His knowledge by teaching with authority and responding to the questions of the Pharisees and Sadducees. His resurrection provided the final proof of His credentials.
Jesus rejected a top-down strategy of converting the world’s leaders and decision makers. Instead, Jesus used a bottoms-up strategy focused on changing individual behavior. This allowed Him to develop a following without confronting religious and political leaders.
Jesus’ message was simple to understand and based on Old Testament commandments:
- God loves us just as a father loves His children.
- We should love God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our mind, and with all our strength. (Mark 12:30, Matthew 22:37–38, Luke 10:27, and Deuteronomy 6:4-5)
- We should love each other as we love ourselves. (Mark 12:31, Matthew 22:39, Matthew 7:12, Luke 10:27, and Leviticus 19:18)
He used parables to teach His followers how to understand and implement His commandments.
Jesus provided Himself as a living example of His message.
Constraints and Limitations
The Roman Empire controlled the land which God promised the Jews in Jesus’ time. Pontius Pilate was Prefect of the Roman province of Judaea. The Jewish High Priest Caiaphas and his council provided the day-to-day rule of Jerusalem. Tetrarch Herod Antipas governed the Galilee region.
The Romans desired to avoid unrest and the Jewish religious leaders assisted them. They viewed Jesus as a potential trouble maker likely to create unrest. The Pharisees plotted and conspired against Jesus, trying to destroy Him. They tested Jesus with various questions to trap Him with His talk. If Jesus openly stated His opposition to social issues like slavery and patriarchal societies, He would have been arrested and ending His ministry.
Jesus’ Tactics
Jesus based his ministry in Capernaum on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, about a four day walk from Jerusalem. The Galilee region was also fairly prosperous allowing it to provide followers, leaders and support. Capernaum was a four day walk from Jerusalem which allowed Jesus to build His followers and future leaders in Galilee without initially alarming the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem.
Each year of His ministry, Jesus walked south through Samaria and Judaea to Jerusalem for Passover or another Jewish celebration. This allowed him to give His message to other pilgrims during His travels and in Jerusalem. The pilgrims likely spread word of Jesus to their home villages on their return home. In the third year of His ministry, Jesus expanded His travels further north and west beyond Galilee, journeying into the Gentile areas.
Jesus did rebel against the strict rules of the Torah and unwritten societal rules by ignoring some of these rules. Jesus broke the rules by healing the sick and allowing His followers to gather grain on the Sabbath. He ate with tax collectors, sinners and others on society’s edge. When Jesus openly rebelled against the moneychangers in the Temple, He was arrested and hung on the cross before the end of the week.
Conclusions
Why didn’t Jesus address the societal issues of His time?
Jesus chose a bottoms-up strategy emphasizing love: love of God and love of your neighbor. He sidestepped social issues when questions arose to avoid giving Jewish leaders a reason to arrest Him and end His ministry.
What guidance did Jesus provide that is applicable?
Jesus emphasized the Golden Rule, that we should love our neighbor as ourselves. This rule is greater than any other commandment/scripture except to love God.
What would Jesus do?
Jesus loves everyone and would try to avoid harming anyone. Moneychangers, those making money off people’s love of God, are the one exception Jesus made during His ministry.