The five minute Bible study: Jesus went about doing good!
Jesus Went About Doing Good: Acts 10:38 (KJV) "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." Jesus did not merely talk about goodness. He went about doing good! 1. Jesus Looked for People Who Needed Help Jesus was constantly aware of the needs around Him. He noticed people whom others overlooked. When Jesus saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion. Matthew 9:36 says: "But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd." Jesus did not see crowds merely as numbers. He saw individuals with real needs. Doing good begins with seeing people. 2. Jesus Was Moved by Compassion Jesus did not help people simply because He was performing religious duties. His actions flowed from genuine compassion. Consider the leper in Mark 1:40–42. The man came to Jesus and begged Him to make him clean. Jesus could have simply spoken a word from a distance. Instead, He reached out and touched him. Compassion asks, "What can I do?" 3. Jesus Served the Humble and the Ordinary One of the clearest examples of Jesus doing good is found in John 13. Jesus washed His disciples' feet. John 13:14–15 says: "If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you." Jesus was Lord and Master, yet He willingly took the position of a servant. He demonstrated that greatness in God's kingdom is not measured by how many people serve us, but by how willingly we serve others. 4. Jesus Helped People Physically and Spiritually Jesus cared about the whole person.He healed the sick, fed the hungry, comforted the grieving, and delivered people from oppression. But He also addressed their deepest spiritual needs. When Jesus healed the paralytic in Mark 2, He first said: "Son, thy sins be forgiven thee."— Mark 2:5 Jesus eventually healed the man's physical condition, but He demonstrated that forgiveness and reconciliation with God are even more fundamental. 5. Jesus Did Good Even When It Was Inconvenient Jesus' ministry was filled with interruptions. People approached Him while He was traveling. Crowds surrounded Him. The sick cried out to Him. Parents brought their children. Individuals sought Him privately. And Jesus repeatedly stopped to help. 6. Jesus Did Good to People Who Could Not Repay Him Jesus taught His followers not to limit kindness to people who can benefit us. Luke 14:12–14 teaches that we should give to those who cannot repay us. 7. Jesus Showed Mercy to Sinners Jesus never approved of sin, but He consistently showed mercy toward sinners. Consider Zacchaeus in Luke 19. Zacchaeus was a tax collector and was despised by many people. Yet Jesus intentionally went to his house. 8. Jesus Forgave His Enemies Perhaps the greatest example of Jesus doing good is found at the cross. While being crucified, Jesus prayed: Luke 23:34 "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." Jesus responded to hatred with forgiveness. 9. Jesus' Good Works Pointed People to God Jesus never performed good works simply to draw attention to Himself. His works revealed the character of His Father.
