WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?

Through out life we will have trials and tests. This gives us the opportunity to ask: What Would Jesus Do? By applying this concept this will help us in overcoming.

To be "without sin" means that Jesus kept God’s laws perfectly. Notice that Jesus kept God’s commandments and abided in the Father’s love: "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love" (John 15:10 NKJV). Also notice that if we keep God’s commandments that we will abide in the love of Jesus.

Jesus told us that if we love Him then we will keep His commandments: "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15 NKJV).

When we have a trial or test and we don’t know exactly what we should do, we could think of our acronym: W.W.J.D., and ask the question: What Would Jesus Do?

Let’s look at an example: In the near future you will be tested on your honesty. How? The answer is: APRIL 15th.

April 15th. is the deadline for filing your Income Tax. Preparing your tax return will test your honesty.

When you prepare your taxes, keep two things in mind:

1.) The eight commandment says: Thou shall not steal.

2.) Jesus said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's " (Matthew 22:21).

God wants us to be honest in paying our taxes. If you can deduct it, then deduct it. If not, then don’t.

There was a fellow who needed a babysitter and he contacted a lady. This babysitter gave him two rates. One if he reported it on his income tax and a lower rate if he didn't. This meant that if he didn't report it neither would she report it on her income tax. This is ILLEGAL and it's also "bearing false witness" which is breaking the ninth commandment.

This was probably a big temptation. Sometimes it is easy to get trapped into being dishonest without even trying!

Now, let’s ask the question: What Would Jesus Do? We have already read the scripture that says that Jesus "was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." Jesus kept all of God’s commandments perfectly. If we want to be like Jesus we would analyze our situation in regards to God’s Ten Commandments and realize that being dishonest and cheating the government out of taxes that we should be paying would be breaking the eighth commandment: Thou shall not steal.

We now have our answer to our trial in this situation by asking the question: What Would Jesus Do?

The night before Jesus was crucified He was with His disciples. He knew that His crucifixion would happen soon and he was sorrowful and deeply distressed. "Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray over there." {37} And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. {38} Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me." {39} He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will." {40} Then He came to the disciples and found them asleep, and said to Peter, "What? Could you not watch with Me one hour? {41} "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." {42} Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done"" (Mat 26:36-42 NKJV).

When Jesus first prayed, He was hoping that God could work out another solution for the salvation of man besides the horrible way for Him to die through the crucifixion, but He realized that it had to be done God’s way. Jesus said "Your will be done."

Jesus realized that God the Father knew what was best.

When we are having trouble with our will conflicting with God’s will, then we need to ask: What Would Jesus Do? The answer is that Jesus submitted to God’s will.

We then need to be submissive and obedient to God’s will just as Jesus was. We should also do as Jesus did and go to God in prayer. We must ask God to help us understand and surrender to His will. Ask God to help you as you study to understand the Bible so you can know His will. How would you know what God’s will is without reading and studying the Bible. "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" (Mat 4:4 NKJV).

Let’s notice how Jesus said to put God first: "'And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment" (Mark 12:30 NKJV).

In putting God first, we are seeking the spiritual instead of the physical. We are to lay up treasures in heaven: "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; {20} but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. {21} "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also"" (Mat 6:19-21 NKJV).

Let’s notice Jesus’ admonition to the Rich Young Ruler in Mark 10:21: "Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me." {22} But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions" (Mark 10:17-22 NKJV).

If we are in the wrong attitude of being greedy, obsessed with materialism and lusting after money, perhaps being a workaholic, then we need to ask the question: What Would Jesus Do?

Jesus would put God first. In the Sermon on the Mount of Olives, Jesus said: "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Mat 6:33 NKJV).

We have to be careful to have the right attitude about our material and physical treasures and not to let them interfere in our spiritual worship of God. Let’s remember to put God first.

How do we maintain good relationships with our neighbors, friends, coworkers and family members? What Would Jesus Do? Jesus tells us to love our neighbors: "Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him (Jesus) a question, testing Him, and saying, {36} "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" {37} Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' {38} "This is the first and great commandment. {39} "And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' {40} "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets" (Mat 22:35-46 NKJV). The Golden Rule says: "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." (Mat 7:12 NKJV). Quoting James 2:8 (NKJV) "If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well;"

Do you want to ask Jesus what day to worship God and Him on? What Would Jesus Do? Notice that it was Jesus’ custom to keep the Sabbath.

"So He (Jesus) came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read." (Luke 4:16 NKJV).

Mark recorded in his gospel that Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath: "And He (Jesus) said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. {28} "Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath"" (Mark 2:27-28 NKJV).

Jesus made the Sabbath for man. The Sabbath is one of the greatest gifts that God and Jesus has given man. It is a day of freedom from work and the daily "rat race" that most us have to endure. It is a time when we can focus on God in extra prayer and Bible study. It is a time of fellowship with other people of like-minds. The Bible admonishes us: "not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together" (Heb 10:25).

The Sabbath is a time to worship God in singing songs of praise to Him and hearing His word expounded.

Jesus said that He, "the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath." Jesus is our Lord and Master. He is the member of the God family who created the Sabbath at creation (Genesis 1-2). Since Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath, that makes the Sabbath the true "Lord’s Day."

Jesus has a commitment to love and protect the Sabbath, as a husband is to love and protect his wife (1 Peter 3:7). Jesus never spoke negatively about the Sabbath. He observed the Sabbath and showed how it should be kept and observed.

Did Jesus keep God’s seven annual festivals, God Holy Days? The answer is an emphatic YES! It is interesting to note that the apostle John in his gospel gives a detailed record of Jesus’ public ministry based around God’s holy days, the annual "high day" Sabbath Festivals. For years people have known that the only way to prove the length of Jesus’ ministry is to go to the Gospel of John and count the number of Passovers. You can not do this in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark or Luke. It is amazing to realize that God inspired the apostle John to record his testimony of Jesus’ public ministry around God’s Feast Days. These feast days are important to God for He calls them His feasts: "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts"" (Lev 23:2 NKJV).

When faced with a trial or test and we are not sure what we should do, we should get into the habit of asking "What Would Jesus Do?" Read the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John to see what else Jesus would do!