The Good Lord Always Does Good

Introduction

Last time I spoke with you, we considered the fact that Jesus is the good Lord of the Sabbath. As such, He is the final and authoritative interpreter of it. In the text, we will study now, we come to another Sabbath day altercation between Jesus and His detractors. And what shines through this conflict is that our Lord Jesus always does good. This is the big idea of the text and this time of Bible study. For the rest of our time, I will flesh out and describe what it means for Jesus always to do good. Also, I will show you how this text helps us see what Jesus encountered in the wake of always doing good and what we might expect when we do the right thing.

Body

Listener, to begin, observe how Jesus always does good, inviting scrutiny: 1-2

Mark sets the scene for us. Jesus is in a synagogue, possibly in Capernaum. It is the Sabbath. Also, in the synagogue is a man with a withered hand. The exact nature of his malady is hard to ascertain, but the phrase withered likely conveys paralyzed, stiff, and deformed. Thus, he had a hand that was visibly deformed and practically useless. Jesus and the man are among other people too. Look at verse 2, “And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him.” We are told in verse six that these malicious onlookers are from the Pharisees. Jesus has already defied their expectations and transgressed their traditions. He had cast out a demon on the Sabbath (1:21-25), his disciples had picked grain on the Sabbath (2:23-28), He communed with sinners (1:40; 2:13-17), disregarded their fasts (2:18-22), and claimed the ability to forgive sins which belonged to God alone (2:10-11). So these onlookers were not unbiased observers or excited fans. They were looking closely that they might accuse Jesus of violating what they conceived wrongly to be laws of God. Jesus had not broken a single one of God’s laws. He had not wronged a single person. He lived and loved perfectly, yet the self-righteous when they beheld the one who was truly righteous, revolted. Would Jesus change His course of action to appease the powers that be, or would He continue as the perfect Son of Man and Son of God? From His previous deeds already in the book of Mark we may guess the answer. Jesus would do what was good regardless of what scrutiny He invited in doing so.

Consider what Samaritan’s Purse has been doing in New York to aid the healthcare system there. They and their volunteers are setting up pop up medical stations. Are people grateful? Some are and others aren’t. They are being run through the mud for nothing other than supporting the historic Christian understanding marriage and sexuality. They are being slandered for not treating all people with equal care. A charge which based on presumption and hatred not fact. Those who follow Jesus should realize that they will invite scrutiny like He did in this text.

Ultimately, Jesus had an audience of one who He desired to please, His Father. His standard was not the perverted senses of sinful men, but the perfect will of God revealed in His Law. Scripture calls us to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. It calls us who have believed in the Lord Jesus to love Him by imitating and obeying Him. We, who have believed in Jesus and seek in life to obey and imitate Him should expect that the godless and unconverted will respond similarly to us as they did to Him. Even when we do good they are likely to be hardened in their disposition. Thus, my charge to you is to do the right thing not to garner the attention or praise of men or to avoid their judgement, but in gratitude to God for your salvation in Christ and to honor Him who lived and died as your representative, rose and ascended as your Lord, and will return in power as your deliverer. Do what is good regardless of the ill motives, thoughts, or scrutiny it will invite from malicious, self-righteous, and godless onlookers. God will not consult them when he accepts you into heaven or places you on the new earth by virtue of the merits of His Son Jesus.

You have observed that Jesus always does good, inviting scrutiny.

Now, look how Jesus always does good, asserting supremacy: 3-5

Our guess of Jesus doing good in the first point is confirmed in this part of the text. A man who was probably used to stares and avoidance was about to have His life changed forever by someone who didn’t stare but saw him, who didn’t avoid but spoke to him. Read verse three, “And he said to the man with the withered hand, ‘Come here.’” Literally He told the man to come to the middle where all could see him, his malady, and what Jesus would do for Him. Follow along as I read verse 4, “And He said to them, ‘Is it lawful on the sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?’ But they were silent.” Jesus ask two questions both contrasting what He is about to do with what the pharisees were conspiring to do. On the Sabbath it is lawful to do good and to save life. Both works of necessity like eating and works of mercy are permitted on the Sabbath. It is not lawful to do wrong or to kill on the Sabbath. Jesus was about to do good and save life. The Pharisees were conspiring to do harm to and kill Him; not for transgressing the Law but keeping it. Their silence is telling. They were not ignorant of the correct answer. They were hardened in hostility against it. Let’s read verse five, “And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.” Jesus commonly is said to look around in Mark before making an authoritative pronouncement. He was angry at their silence and he was grieved over their hardness. Jesus’ anger and grief are righteous. His response to the conspiring and hard hearts of the Pharisees again asserts His supremacy over them, sin, Satan, and the curses of the fall. He commands the man to stretch out his hand. He commands Him to do something by nature He is unable to do. However, with His command comes power that produces the effect commanded. The man stretched out His and it was restored. Jesus healed and saved life on the Sabbath, as it was lawful, it is also good and beautiful. Jesus is the anointed Son of Man, the second and better Adam, the blessed seed of Abraham, and the promised eternally reigning Son of David. Hardness of wicked hearts can’t bind Him, nor can the opinions of fallible men. He is the good Lord of the Sabbath who always does good. Jesus does good and in doing so here asserts His supremacy.

We like the man

Christian, your savior is Lord. He is alive and presently reigns. He has all authority in heaven and on earth. He is present with you through the Person of the Holy Spirit. He has commanded you to be His ambassadors to take His message into hostile places and proclaim it boldy. You are His and He demands you to live in obedience to Him regardless of the circumstances. I plead with you to obey Jesus in faith no matter what situation you find yourself in or consequences it will bring you. The government, doctors, and media personalities and the like are not your Lord or Savior. Jesus is. We serve Him.

Unbeliever, you may be watching and wondering, why do Christians believe and do certain things the society finds detestable? Why do they advocate for the unborn, insist on only two genders men and woman, marriage between one man and one woman, sexual intimacy reserved for such a marriage, and the exclusivity of Christ in salvation and eternal life? You may deem such positions as bigoted. You may think your way and view of life is better. I disagree. Jesus is God the Son incarnate. As such He made you, me, and all things. He has the right to tell us what to do and believe and we as His creatures are obligated to believe or do it. If you don’t, the judgement that follows will be just. So, before you call a Christian standing upon the truths of the Scriptures inspired by the Holy Spirit, pause. For you have made yourself god and judge. Yet, when you die you will meet the real judge, and He isn’t you and the Holy fire of His wrath will consume you forever. There is only one way to be delivered from this judgement, it is by heeding the words Jesus preaches in this Gospel, namely repent and believe in Him for the forgiveness of sins.

You have observed how Jesus always does good and that invited scrutiny. Now you have looked at how He asserted supremacy.

Finally, consider how Jesus always does good, inciting hostility: 6

Not only did the Pharisees desire to scrutinize Jesus. They also wanted to harm Him. Look at verse 6, “The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.” We have discussed the Pharisees on more than one occasion in our study of Mark’s Gospel. They were the religious and cultural conservatives of their day. They loathed the encroachment of Roman and Greek influence in Jewish society. The Herodians were supporters of the family of Herod, who were similar theologically to the Sadducees, who denied things like the resurrection of the dead. They were supportive of Roman rule and cultural influence. Thus, they and the Pharisees could hardly be more different in terms of religion, politics, and culture. It is almost inexplicable why these two groups would come together. However, the saying, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” seems to be an accurate portrayal of what is going on here. One thing these two groups had in common was a hatred for the Lord Jesus. They both feared His influence and their inability to intimidate Him. If monster or SciFi movies portray anything accurately, it is the desire to destroy that which we fear or don’t understand.

Christian, if you live by faith in Jesus and do what Jesus has called you to do, then you should expect the response that He was given. He healed people of diseases and freed the demon possessed. He spoke honestly about sin and repentance, but He also extended the good news of salvation and the forgiveness of sins. Yet, as we approach resurrection Sunday, let us remember that not only the Pharisees, or Herodians called for the crucifixion of Jesus. It was the crowds who chose the murderous Barabbas over the life-giving Savior. Unbelievers will hate you as they hate your Lord. Let their anger not be for legitimate wrong doing, but for faithfulness to Jesus. Be like Jesus, trusting in Him no matter what.

Moreover, consider how by nature we would have cheered crucify Him. But thanks to be to God that in Christ, Jesus prayer of forgiveness is answered for all who trust in Him. We may bock at the Pharisees and Herodians, indeed it right to be angry at such sin, but let it be an anger laced with humility because we by natured are no different than them and grief because we long for the salvation of people like them. Contemplate, Oh, Christian how God restored your mind and heart that was once paralyzed and withered with sin and rebellion. Never forget you utterly dependance upon God and His Son Jesus. Allow this thought to set your posture when you speak to the unconverted about Jesus. We plead with sinners as sinners saved by grace to embrace the savior who lived and died for us and rose again. Put differently, preach the gospel as one who knows you need it. Preach the gospel and live worthy of it, knowing that you will be hated for it.

Furthermore,

Doing good, like our Lord who always did good incites hostility.

Conclusion

One thing for sure has been made clear in our time together, namely that Jesus always does good regardless the consequences. In doing good, He invited the scrutiny of observes, asserted His supremacy over those who dared to object, and incited their hostility to the point that they conspired to kill Him. We know that the Lord Jesus eventually as a result of such hostility was killed. However, it was not in vain that our Lord died, nor was it a surprise to Him. He came to die and give His life as a ransom for people like those who murdered Him. Moreover, we know that Jesus didn’t stay dead but rose and ascended. Yes, we know that He will one day return and usher His people into the promised eternal life on the New Earth.

So, Christian in light of this text I call you to keep trusting and keep obeying the Lord Jesus. Those who hate Him will certainly hate you even when you do good things. They will mock you. They will try to silence you. They may hurt or even kill you. However, the pain they may inflect is not a pain that last forever. It is not a pain that can strip you of hope, nor is it an excuse to do wrong. Instead, like our Lord, do good, knowing that because of and like Him you will also raise from the dead to never die again.

Unbeliever, I don’t know what you think of Jesus or His people. I don’t know how familiar you are with the things of true religion. Yet, I do know that you like me are by nature a sinner. That you like me will die and come into judgement. However, unlike you I have hoped on the Lord Jesus who underwent judgment on my behalf and who will resuce me from the final judgement. When you die the first time unbelieving sinner, know that you will come under judgement and the sentence will be what Scripture calls the second death. You will come under the just wrath of God forever and it will be far worse than any bad thing you have experienced in this life. I plead with you to accept God’s only provision of salvaiton for sinners like you and me. I plead with you to believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. If you do, you will have hope even in the worst of circumstances and motivation to do what is right in the face of adversity.

To all of you, Trust in the Lord Jesus. Obey the Lord Jesus. He always does good and He won’t fail you.