Jesus Did Good

What Did Jesus Do?

He went about doing good…
Acts 10.38

Jesus came to proclaim the Gospel, call people to repentance, and announce the advent of the kingdom of God (Mark 1.14-15). But Christ’s ministry was more than just preaching the Good Word. As it turns out, James was right, faith without works is dead (James 2.17). The faith Jesus had, the faith which he imparted to his disciples, was definitely a living and active faith that coupled deeds with words. And, when it came to his deeds, Jesus did good.

Don’t get me wrong, I believe James overshot the mark when he asked if faith without works can save (James 2.14). The answer is an unequivocal “Yes!” Works contribute nothing to our salvation, which rests entirely with the grace of the Lord. But in a broken and fallen world oppressed by sin and death, there is a desperate need for faith to be living and active. Salvation is not the end point of our life in Christ, but rather its beginning. There is, as Paul implied in his second letter to Timothy, and as the author of Hebrews exhorts us, a race to be run. This race through life is not a quest to find faith and salvation. Rather it is a marathon we complete empowered by the knowledge of our salvation and the living out of our faith by doing what Jesus did—by doing good.

In case you are not sure we are supposed to be doing good to and for one another, as Jesus did good to and for us, recall these words spoken by the Lord to his disciples, “For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you…If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” (John 13.15, 17) We have not been blessed to the end that we cling to our blessings, but rather that we may in turn go and be Christ’s instruments for the blessing of others.

During his time on earth Jesus clearly went about doing good. Yet, even though he is now seated at the right hand of the Father, the Son would still go about and do good, for the world continues to have great need of him. The way Jesus has gone about and done good since his ascension is in and through his followers individually, and corporately, in and through his Church.

Unfortunately, doing good has gotten something of a bad reputation. “Do-Gooders” are often thought of as bleeding hearts, liberals who tell other people what to do with their poverty, or naïve idealists. Some say that doing good is impractical, while others go so far as to say it is just about impossible. And, in this troubled world, cynics even sneer that no good deed goes unpunished. But consider the alternatives.

Those who are saved might choose to rejoice in their salvation, while seeking to effectively distance themselves from the world, to sit out life in the security of salvation while doing essentially nothing with their faith. Others might pursue the good, but on their own terms, in their own power. Alternately, one could, perversely, go about doing evil rather than good. Given these other options, it is clear that doing good is every Christian’s calling.

But, there are some significant qualifiers. All the good the Son did, he did in obedience and submission to the will of the Father, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Believers desiring to do good must likewise obey and submit to the Father’s will, and rely on the Holy Spirit’s power and direction, or the good they seek to do will turn out to be something else entirely. It’s the name of Jesus we lift up as we do good, it’s the Father whom we glorify as we do good, and it is the Holy Spirit in us, and not our flesh, who accomplishes this good.

The call of discipleship, to deny one’s self, and take up one’s cross and follow Jesus, is a call to go about doing good. It is a call to do what Jesus did.

S.D.G.

Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4