Jesus Did The Father's Works

What Did Jesus Do?


“...even though you do not believe me, believe the works...”
John 10.38

Faith comes by hearing (Romans 10.17), and so the Word of God must be proclaimed. But many are not willing to give the Word a hearing. So how do we create an audience for the Word? We pray, for the Holy Spirit must open ears, and hearts. And we work, because sometimes what the eyes see can open the ears. Not to gainsay Scripture, but there is some truth to the old adage, “Seeing is believing.”

The Church can open its doors to the public every Sunday, but if the public never sees the Church out and about in the community being the Church, few hearts are likely to be led to enter our sanctuaries, and fewer ears will be open to receive the Words of life. Jesus did not spend the majority of his time in synagogues waiting for the Sabbath to arrive each week. Day by day he was out and about on the paths and road which crisscrossed the land, and he was continually moving through the villages and towns where the people were. True, after a time more and more people began to seek him out, even enduring desolate places without food for a chance to see the Lord and hear his words. But first Jesus knew he had to go into all the towns (Mark 1.38).

Here's the thing for the Church, we have to start where the people are, and the sad truth is, they aren't in the pews. So we have to go out and be the Church where they are. We have to be the salt and the light Jesus charge his disciples to be in the world, not sequestered behind stained glass. We have to go and work at being the Church where people are. In classrooms and in sick rooms. In homeless shelters and in clinics. At executive lunches and at soup kitchens.

While no one is saved by works, the works of the saved can lead others to come to know the Lord. And this need not be accompanied by any fanfare. Light doesn't go around announcing to the darkness that it is about to illuminate things. Salt doesn't proclaim that it is going to counter corruption and work to preserve. Light and salt simply do their jobs, and people recognize and appreciate what the salt and the light accomplish.

Yes, there were many who heard the words of Christ, and who witnessed the works he did, and yet refused to believe. But that did not discourage the Son from doing the works the Father had given to him to accomplish. The Lord persevered in the face of rejection and opposition until all his work was done. Though the Church still encounters rejection and opposition it must persevere in doing the works that incarnate the Gospel in order that the Gospel should have a hearing among the people. Every good work is like a thousand word portrait of the Gospel.

Seeing may not really be believing, but seeing can enable hearing which leads to believing. Good works are to be seen, that people will give glory to the Father (Matthew 5.16). Good works proclaim the Word. That's what Jesus did.

S.D.G.

Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4