1. What is God's will today?
God's will today is that the good news of the Kingdom be preached throughout the earth (Mark 13:10; 1 Tim. 2:3, 4). This work is Jehovah's, and it is so important that he has chosen his beloved Son to lead it. Since the preaching is in the best hands, we can be sure that, when the end comes, Jehovah will be pleased with what has been done .—Matt. 24:14.
2. What will we see in this article?
In this article, we will see that Jesus uses the “faithful and wise slave” to give us spiritual food and organize us for the greatest preaching campaign of all time (Matt. 24:45). We will also see what we can do to personally support Jesus and the faithful slave.
JESUS SUPERVISES THE PREACHING
3. What authority was given to Jesus?
Jesus is supervising the preaching. How do we know? Shortly before going up to heaven, he met with some of his faithful disciples on a mountain in Galilee and told them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." And notice what he added next: “So go and make disciples of people of all nations” (Matt. 28:18, 19). Among other things, Jesus was given authority to direct the preaching.
4. Why can we be sure that Jesus continues to supervise the preaching?
Jesus said that the preaching and disciple-making work would take place in “all nations,” and that he would be with his followers “every day until the conclusion of the system” (Matt. 28:20). These words make it clear that Jesus would oversee the preaching to this day.
5. How do we participate in the fulfillment of Psalm 110:3?
Jesus was sure that during the conclusion of the system there would be enough workers. He knew that these prophetic words would be fulfilled: “Your people will volunteer on the day you lead your military forces” (Ps. 110:3). If you preach the good news, you are supporting Jesus and the faithful slave, and participating in the fulfillment of this prophecy. The preaching is going on, but there are some obstacles.
6. What is one of the obstacles we face?
One obstacle we face is opposition. Apostates, politicians and religious leaders spread many lies about our work. If our relatives, acquaintances, and co-workers believe them, they may try to stop us from serving Jehovah and from preaching. In some countries, our enemies threaten us, attack us, arrest us and even imprison us. This is not surprising, for Jesus said, “They will hate you for my name's sake” (Matt. 24:9). In fact, such hatred shows that we follow Jesus' example and have Jehovah's approval.—Matt. 5:11, 12. The Devil is behind all this opposition, but he is no match for Jesus. With the support of Christ, the Kingdom message is reaching people of all nations.
7. What evidence do you see that Revelation 14:6, 7 is being fulfilled?
Another obstacle is the sheer number of languages out there. In the vision that Jesus gave to the apostle John, he implied that this would not prevent the good news from being announced (read Revelation 14:6, 7). How have we managed to overcome that obstacle? Making Bible information available to the public on our website, jw.org, in more than 1,000 languages. In addition, the Governing Body has given permission for our main Bible course manual, the Enjoy Life book, to be translated into more than 700 languages. And there is also spiritual food available in the form of videos for the deaf and braille for the blind. In this way, more people than ever before have the opportunity to accept the Kingdom message.Biblical prophecies are being fulfilled before our eyes: people “of all the languages of the nations” are learning to speak the “pure language” of biblical truth (Zech. 8:23; Zeph. 3:9). All this is a reality thanks to the perfect supervision of Jesus Christ.
8. What have been the results of the preaching so far?
Today, more than 8 million people in 240 countries and territories are part of Jehovah's organization. And every year thousands and thousands are baptized! But the numbers are not the most important, but the spiritual qualities that these new disciples have cultivated, what the Bible calls "the new personality" (Col. 3:8-10). Many of them have left sexual immorality, violence, prejudice and nationalistic spirit. The prophecy of Isaiah 2:4 is being fulfilled: "Neither will they learn to make war any more." As we strive to put on the new personality, we draw people to God's organization and show that we follow Jesus Christ, our overseer (John 13:35; 1 Pet. 2:12). And none of this is by chance; Jesus is helping us.
JESUS APPOINTS A SLAVE
9. According to Matthew 24:45-47, what did Jesus say would happen at the end time?
(Read Matthew 24:45-47). Jesus foretold that in the end time he would entrust a “faithful and wise slave” with the task of giving us spiritual food. So you would expect this slave to be hard at work in our day. And that's how he's doing it. Jesus uses a small group of anointed Christians to give God's servants and those who show an interest the “meal at the proper time.” These men do not consider themselves “masters of the faith” of others (2 Cor. 1:24). Rather, they acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the “leader and commander” of his people (Isa. 55:4).
ILLUSTRATION:
Image Series: Publications that have been used over the decades to help people learn about the Bible. 1. 1949: “Let God be true”. A sister preaches to a married couple and offers them the book. 2. 1968: "The truth that leads to eternal life." A man reads the book in his house. 3. 1982: “You can live forever in paradise on Earth”. A brother gives a Bible class to a man. 4. 1995: "The knowledge that leads to eternal life." A brother gives Bible lessons to a colleague during his lunch break at his place of employment. 5. 2005 and 2017: The books “What Does the Bible Really Teach?” and “What does the Bible teach us?” A sister teaches a Bible study to a woman. 6. 2021: “Enjoy life”. A sister teaches a Bible study to a woman via videoconference.
10. Which of the books that appear in the images helped you to enter the path that leads to life?
Since 1919, The Faithful Slave has prepared a wide range of publications to give people their first chance to taste nourishing spiritual food. In 1921, the slave published the book The Harp of God in English to teach the basic truths of the Bible. As times changed, other books were published.With which one did you come to know and love our heavenly Father? Maybe it was with one of these: “Let God be true”, The truth that leads to eternal life, You can live forever in paradise on earth, The knowledge that leads to eternal life, What does the Bible really teach? o What does the Bible teach us? Or you may be using the new Enjoy Life manual. These books were published to help us make disciples, and they have always come at the right time.
11. Why is it so important that we all receive spiritual food?
Bible students are not the only ones who need solid spiritual food. Actually, we all need it. The apostle Paul wrote: “Solid food is for mature people.” He also said that putting that knowledge into practice will help us “distinguish right from wrong” (Heb. 5:14). Now that morality has fallen so low, it can be very difficult to obey Jehovah's standards. But Jesus is in charge of giving us tasty spiritual food that helps us to be strong and that comes from the inspired Word of God, the Bible. The faithful slave prepares and distributes this food under the direction of Jesus.
12. What have we done to honor God's name as Jesus did?
Just as Jesus did, we have given God's name the honor it deserves (John 17:6, 26). For example, in 1931 we adopted the biblical name Jehovah's Witnesses. Thus we show that we want to bear the name of our heavenly Father, because it is very important to us (Is. 43:10-12). And, in October of that same year, the name of God began to appear on the cover of this magazine in English. Also, the New World Translation has put the divine name where it belongs in the Word of God. This is totally different from what the Churches of Christendom do, which remove the name of Jehovah from many of their translations of the Bible.
JESUS ORGANIZES HIS FOLLOWERS
13. What convinces you personally that Jesus is using the “faithful and wise slave” today? (John 6:68).
Through “the faithful and wise slave,” Jesus has caused his followers to form a remarkable organization here on earth to promote pure worship. What do you think of this organization? Perhaps you feel like Peter, who said to Jesus, “Who are we going to go to? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). What would become of us if we had not known Jehovah's organization? Through it, Christ ensures that we are well nourished spiritually and trains us to be good teachers. In addition, he helps us put on “the new personality” so that we can make Jehovah happy.—Eph. 4:24.
14. How has being part of Jehovah's organization helped you during the COVID-19 pandemic?
When difficult times come, Jesus guides us wisely. This became clear when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. Many people in the world did not know what to do, but Jesus made sure that we received clear guidance to protect ourselves. He encouraged us to wear face masks in public places and to keep physical distance. The elders were reminded to keep in touch with all the publishers and to be concerned about their physical and spiritual needs (Isa. 32:1, 2). And the reports from the Governing Body have given us further instructions and encouragement.
15. What other instructions have come to us during the pandemic, and what are the results?
During the pandemic, clear instructions for meetings and preaching also came to us. Overnight we were already holding meetings and assemblies by videoconference, and preaching mainly by letter and phone. Jehovah has blessed our efforts. Many branches have reported that the number of publishers has increased remarkably. In fact, in this day and age many brothers have had encouraging experiences (see the box “Jehovah Blesses the Preaching”).
Jehovah blesses the preaching
When the pandemic broke out, a Central American couple who had been living in Europe for more than 15 years decided to preach to all their relatives and acquaintances in Central America. So they wrote over 200 letters and sent them using a messaging app. They got several return visits, and those who showed interest were sent links to posts and videos. Jehovah blessed their efforts. In a matter of 8 months, 14 Bible courses began.
During the November 2020 campaign, when we distributed The Watchtower under the title “What Is the Kingdom of God?”, a brother called an old schoolmate. The man accepted the magazine and agreed to talk about it the following week. In that conversation, he told the brother: "Before you called me, I had asked God to help me know what he expects of me." The man accepted a Bible course and began to attend the meetings and put into practice what he was learning. Later he told the brother, “I used to feel that something was missing in my life. Now I see that something was Jehovah. I will be eternally grateful to you for helping me get to know him.”
16. What can we be sure of?
Some brothers may have thought that our organization has been too cautious with the issue of the pandemic. But time and time again it has become clear that the guidance we received was very wise (Matt. 11:19). If we reflect on the loving way in which Jesus guides us, we can be sure that, whatever comes in the future, Jehovah and his dear Son will be with us (read Hebrews 13:5, 6).
17. How do you feel about working under Jesus' supervision?
How happy we are to work under the supervision of Jesus! We belong to an organization that has not let nationality, culture or language divide us. We are spiritually well fed and equipped to preach. And each of us continues to learn to wear the new personality and to love others. How proud we can be of Jesus Christ, our overseer!
WHAT WOULD YOU ANSWER?
What convinces you that Jesus supervises the preaching throughout the world?
Shortly before ascending to heaven, he met with some of his faithful disciples on a mountain in Galilee and told them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." Jesus said that the preaching and disciple-making work would take place in “all nations,” and that he would be with his followers “every day until the conclusion of the system.”
What convinces you that Jesus directs the “faithful and wise slave” to give us spiritual food?
Through “the faithful and wise slave,” Jesus has caused his followers to form a remarkable organization here on earth to promote pure worship. What do you think of this organization? Perhaps you feel like Peter, who said to Jesus, “Who are we going to go to? You have words of eternal life".
What convinces you that Jesus guides his followers in difficult times?
When difficult times come, Jesus guides us wisely. This became clear when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. Many people in the world did not know what to do, but Jesus made sure that we received clear guidance to protect ourselves. He encouraged us to wear face masks in public places and to keep physical distance. The elders were reminded to keep in touch with all the publishers and to be concerned about their physical and spiritual needs.
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