What Did Jesus Say About the Church?

Jesus was active in His faith community. He would attend services on the Sabbath, listen to teaching based on the Scriptures, and pray with fellow believers, just like we do. We don’t have to wonder how Jesus felt about the time He spent with His faith community; the gospel writers tell us.

So, on the days when you’re questioning why you go to church, or you’re feeling worn out by the whole practice, or you’re wondering if church is just an outdated tradition, read these five stories about Jesus’ life and remember: God has a plan for His Church, and He wants you to be a part of it.

What Was Church Like in Jesus’ Time?

Participation in a faith community looked a little different during Jesus’ lifetime, as you might have already assumed. Electricity hadn’t been invented, the New Testament hadn’t been written, and there were lots of practices in place that looked different than our own. Rather than “church,” people in ancient Israel would have gone to one of two places on the Sabbath: the temple or the synagogue.

The temple was the central holy site for the Jewish people. It was known as the dwelling place of the God of Israel and housed the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies, the innermost room in the temple. Sacrifices were made by priests at the temple (especially on major religious holidays), and Israelites often made pilgrimages from their homes to visit the temple and worship God.

Synagogues were local gathering places for Jewish people, located in towns across Israel. These were spaces where people could pray, study the Bible, and learn from teachers and counselors. They were also used for community gatherings and social events.

Ultimately, the goal of each of these spaces was the same—to draw closer to God. And Jesus regularly participated in both. 

1. We Can Find Jesus at Church

Early on in Jesus’ life, His earthly parents, Mary and Joseph, find themselves in a bit of a pickle. While in the middle of a trek from Jerusalem back to their home in Nazareth, surrounded by family and neighbors, they realize that Jesus (only 12 years old at the time) is not with the group! 

They return to Jerusalem and look everywhere for Him. Finally, they find Him, sitting in the temple, learning from the elders and leaders there. When Mary and Joseph worriedly ask Him why He hadn’t come with them, Jesus answers, 

“Why were you searching for me? ... Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” Luke 2:49 NIV

There’s a lot we could learn about both Jesus and church from this story, but these are the three points I’d like to focus on:

• It’s important for children to spend time learning in church.
• Time spent with spiritual teachers and mentors is invaluable (no matter how old you are).
• We can expect to find Jesus when we go to church.

At just 12 years old, Jesus set this precedent: When we look for Him, we can find Him in the church. That’s not to say He can’t be found anywhere else—obviously He can.

But sometimes, when I’m desperate and worried, church is the last place I look for Jesus. Can you relate? I’ll check everywhere else first: my phone, my hobbies, my friends. While those are fine things, Jesus made it clear that He enjoys spending time in His Father’s house. All we have to do is go there too.

2. Church Is Where Everyone’s Invited

Jesus lived in a way that seemed backward to a lot of people. Societal and cultural norms would say one thing, and Jesus would say the complete opposite. This widow’s story is a great example.

This story begins with Jesus sitting in church, noticing the people who give their tithes and offerings. While there are many rich, powerful people giving huge amounts of money, Jesus notices a widow who gives just two small coins. 

In Jesus’ time, widows were often impoverished because they could not inherit their husbands’ property. Not only that—if they had no children to care for them after their husbands died, earning money for themselves was almost impossible.

After seeing this widow, Jesus calls His disciples to Him and says, 

… “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” Mark 12:43-44 NIV

Obviously, Jesus knew the wealthier people had given more in terms of numbers. But when it came to faith and obedience, the widow stood out to Him.

Throughout the Bible, God treats the poor with special care. Jesus made this truth clear while delivering the Sermon on the Mount. He said, 

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:3-5 NIV

… “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.” Luke 6:20-21 NIV

According to Jesus, His Church will defy social rules. Not only will outcasts be invited, but they will be respected, honored, and cared for. They will be welcomed and noticed, no longer shunned and overlooked.

3. Church Is a Habit

Jesus made spending time with His faith community a habit, and He blessed those who did the same.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus goes to His local synagogue and reads from the Book of Isaiah, saying,

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18-19 NIV

When He finishes reading, He says, 

… “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:21 NIV

But Jesus didn’t only go to church on days when He was preaching or teaching (though this story makes it sound like Jesus just helped Himself to the front of the room to read this passage). A few verses earlier, in Luke 4:16, we’re told that Jesus made attending synagogue “his custom.” 

In this very short story, Jesus does three very important things:

• He voices His mission to love the vulnerable and spread the good news.
• He honors the people gathered to listen to His message.
• He makes weekly attendance with His faith community a custom.

While there are many benefits to studying the Bible in private, hearing the stories and verses found in God’s Word in a communal setting and learning from spiritual mentors and leaders is important. It might even reveal something new to you about the Bible or the character of God.

4. The Church Has a Purpose

Let’s look at one of the most famous stories in the gospels, in which Jesus gets angry and overturns the tables of the “robbers” in the temple. While that is an important part of the story, I think the event that happens immediately after is equally notable. 

As the gospels tell it, Jesus walks into the temple and sees people selling animals and birds that people could purchase in order to give an offering. (At the time, offerings of animals were expected to pay for sin. Since Jesus sacrificed Himself for us on the cross, these offerings are no longer required.)

Jesus is shocked to find these merchants taking advantage of people at the temple, many of whom have likely traveled great distances to make their offerings and worship God. So He flips over their tables and drives them out of the temple. 

And what happens right after that? Once Jesus cleanses the church of sin, He takes some time to teach those around Him, saying, 

… “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” Mark 11:17 NIV

This statement echoes a theme from the widow’s story: In Jesus’ Church, all are welcome. All nations, all backgrounds, all people. And this idea is the reason Jesus is so angered by people trying to profit from the offerings of others. 

But it’s not just that Jesus wants all nations together; He wants all nations together to pray. Not to argue or make money or gain power, but to talk to God together. It’s a simple but powerful vision for the global Church.

5. The Church Is Built on Faith

One of Jesus’ disciples—and a very close friend—was Peter. When you think “notably average,” you should think of Peter. He worked a normal job as a fisherman. He wasn’t educated, and he often wasn’t in full control of his tongue or his emotions. 

But what Peter did was follow Jesus when He called.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus asks His disciples who other people say He is. Because no one had ever seen anybody like Jesus, a great teacher who was regularly performing miracles, people had a lot of questions and theories. 

His disciples say some people think He’s a prophet or maybe John the Baptist. Then, Jesus asks the disciples who they say He is. And of course, it’s passionate Peter who says,

… “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:16 NIV

Peter proves in this moment that he fully believes everything Jesus has said and done. Jesus responds by saying,

… “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Matthew 16:17-18 NIV

This particular Scripture has been interpreted in many different ways. But when I read this passage, I see Jesus saying that faith in God is the foundation on which the global Church is built. Not money or lies or power, but the belief that God is who He says He is.

And this moment came from Peter—the notably average, short-tempered, messed-up Peter, who wasn’t rich, or educated, or worthy of attention for any reason other than that he was Jesus’ friend.

Ultimately, what Jesus is saying is the Church is people—normal people like you and me—who believe that God is God and He loves and saves us. 

He’s also saying that, as the Church, the gates of Hades (Hell, sin, destruction, and death) will not overcome us. That’s a promise we get to hold on to, even on difficult days. We are given a deeply rooted peace in exchange for our faith.

So, What Did Jesus Say About the Church?

• Church is a place we can find Jesus.
• Jesus says the Church is for everybody, no matter what.
• Jesus gets angry when He sees the Church taking advantage of vulnerable people.
• Jesus shows us what it looks like to make learning at Church a habit.
• Jesus says the Church finds its foundation on the faith of notably ordinary people like you and me.

We go to church because it gives us hope and invites us to know a good and trustworthy God who loves and saves us. We find peace in the stories we study beside the people we love. 

That’s not to say you won’t ever wake up tired and annoyed on certain Sundays and wish you didn’t have to get up so early and drive to church. And it doesn’t mean you should shame yourself for those days. But it does mean you have good things waiting for you when you walk in faithfulness and act as the Church.