What Did Jesus Do?

“The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either, but right through every human heart….” – Alexander Solzhenitsyn

There’s a well-known illustration showing a tiny angel sitting on one side of a man’s shoulders and an equally miniature devil sitting on the other. Both are whispering in the man’s ear, trying to persuade him to do what they suggest. It’s a humorous depiction of the serious battle that rages within us every day.

This internal conflict has led to the phrase, “What would Jesus do?” It suggests that we ask ourselves what Jesus would do if He were faced with our situation, whatever it is. It’s easy to speculate about what Christ might do, but our conclusion is not always accurate. It can be tainted by our own beliefs and our own desires. As Stuart explains in this series, a better idea is to study what Jesus DID do, learn why He did it, and then apply that to our decisions.

Embarking on His public life after thirty years in obscurity, Jesus immediately encountered "the devil" in the desert. What He did in the situation is relevant and instructive.

Scripture: Luke 4:1-4:12

Luke, the physician, records "the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and… he healed them. Moreover, demons came out of many people." Any study of what Jesus did must explore his healing and exorcism ministry and its relevance today.

Scripture: Luke 4:14-4:44

Having clearly established his identity, demonstrated his authority, and articulated the purposes of his ministry, Jesus began calling people to join him. This he continues to do to this day. We need to understand what constitutes a call and what it means to be a disciple.

Scripture: Luke 5:1-5:11

Death and dying are inescapable aspects of the human experience. Jesus confronted them in others and experienced them himself. What he did is instructive to us. 

Scripture: Luke 7:11-7:17

Jesus insisted on looking positively and graciously on social outcasts, much to the dismay of the social elite. It was not that he had favorites. He simply found that the underprivileged and the undesirables were often more receptive to his message than the self-sufficient.

Scripture: Luke 7:36-7:50

The secret of the spectacular outward life of Jesus was the intimate inward communion He enjoyed with the Father. One evidence of this was that "He often withdrew to lonely places and prayed" (Luke 5:16). He taught His disciples to develop a similar life of intimacy.

Scripture: Luke 11:1-11:13

Jesus challenged the religious people of his day so strongly that they "began to oppose him fiercely." He contended that their religion had actually become a substitute for spiritual reality. A charge that requires careful thought by all who take spirituality seriously.

Scripture: Luke 11:14-11:54

Any consideration of the life of Jesus must take into account the fact that he experienced childhood himself and went out of his way to minister to children. His view of children is instructive and important in answering the question, "What Would Jesus Do?" today.

Scripture: Luke 18:15-18:17

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