Jesus’ Life and Ministry
Beginning with this magazine issue, a new feature on the above theme will appear in The Watchtower.
FOR the past five years, since March of 1980, The Watchtower has once a month carried the two-page, illustrated feature “God’s Word Is Alive.” By means of pictures combined with an easy-to-read text, many Bible doctrines and historical accounts were discussed in a vivid, easy-to-understand manner. Now a new feature, highlighting the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, will replace “God’s Word Is Alive.”
On the following two pages you will see the first segment of this new feature. For the next several months, you can look forward to receiving a new installment in each issue of The Watchtower. This new series of articles will have the same generously illustrated, two-page format of “God’s Word Is Alive.”
It is appropriate that Jesus Christ be featured in this way in The Watchtower, for Jesus has had a greater influence on the history of mankind than any other human. Yet, much more importantly, the lives of millions of people of all races and nationalities have been beneficially changed when they have come to appreciate his life and teachings.
You probably already know much about Jesus and his ministry. But do you have fixed in mind the time and place of events so as to relate them to one another and so as to remember them better? For example, when did Jesus choose his 12 apostles—early in his ministry or considerably later? Was it before or after the Samaritan woman identified him as the Christ? And where was he when he chose the 12, or miraculously fed the 5,000, or gave the Sermon on the Mount? Since this new feature will chronologically tell the story of Jesus’ life and ministry and provide both visual settings and descriptive commentary, it will help you fix more indelibly in your mind these momentous events.
This feature will be helpful to long-time Bible readers as well as to newer Bible students, and to parents when they study with their children. Questions are provided for this purpose. What a fine way to acquaint them with the founder of Christianity and his teachings! You may foresee ways you can use these articles in ministering to your family and others. Remember, practically everyone likes stories, and many enjoy them in serial form where they receive segments at regular intervals.
So, right from its first installment, encourage others to keep up with this continuing story. You will observe that Bible quotations are paraphrased for easier understanding, with the Bible source being provided at the end of each story. Encourage the reading of these Bible accounts. Yes, put this new feature in The Watchtower to good use in your disciple-making work!