Jesus' Two Hands Ministry Model

Jesus Christ loved and genuinely cared about people. His passion for truth and his compassion for people moved him to action that changed people’s lives. Christ’s method of helping people has been described as the “Two Hands Ministry Model of Jesus.” Christ’s hand of truth and hand of compassion are noted throughout the gospels.

Christ’s hand of truth invited people to come and follow him. After Jesus’ baptism the Bible says he “…came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel’” (Mark 1:14-15). As he was going along he saw Simon and Andrew fishing and said to them, “Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men” (Mark 1:18). They chose to follow Jesus.

The truth was hard to receive and not everyone who heard the gospel chose to follow Christ. Jesus confronted people with their sin and need to repent and offered the opportunity to be forgiven and enter into relationship with God. Some followed Christ for a short while but left him when they learned that true discipleship required total devotion of the heart and life. After Jesus delivered a particularly difficult sermon, Scripture states that, “… many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore” (John 6:66). Jesus let them go.

Those who truly believed that Jesus was the Christ were born again into new life and entered into the kingdom of God. As followers of Christ they were baptized, discipled and became part of the church. The church, as the body of Christ, was commanded to extend the hand of truth and take the gospel of Jesus Christ to all nations.

Christ’s hand of compassion was always ready to reach out and touch those in need. Mark’s gospel records one such story. “And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, ‘If You are willing, You can make me clean.’ Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed” (Mark 1:40-42).

Jesus was a compassionate man. His compassion was stirred by what he saw. When moved with compassion, Christ acted. The action taken because of compassion was determined by the need. Moved with compassion Jesus fed thousands, healed many diseases and sicknesses, gave sight to the blind, restored the lame and resurrected the dead. Jesus was so moved by the “distressed and dispirited” crowds that he instructed his disciples to pray, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:36-38). In the parables Jesus described people moved by compassion who graciously forgave debtors, went out of their way to care for the disadvantaged at great personal cost and ran to embrace a prodigal son.

The “Two Hands Ministry Model of Jesus” was woven throughout the gospels. Jesus’ hand of truth and hand of compassion was the gospel—the whole gospel. Jesus was concerned about the total welfare of people—their spiritual and physical well-being. Matthew records, “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness” (9:35).

After Christ’s death and resurrection he appeared to his disciples and commanded them to carry on his kingdom work saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).