Words and Works (Friday Devotional)

“If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”

- John 10:37-38

Words, when used effectively, have tremendous power. As argument they can persuade. As oratory they can inspire. As poetry they can even change the way you see the world. Much like music, the right words put in the right order can move people in ways they cannot explain.

But words also have limits. Though they can inspire action, they are no substitute for it. Words are the starting gun for every movement, but are rarely what sustains them. Only when paired with deeds do words reach beyond the hypothetical and into real life.

The ministry of Jesus offers a golden balance between words and works. From the Sermon on the Mount to the conversation with Nicodemus to the parables, the four gospels offer us plenty of memorable words from Jesus that explain his message and its effect on our lives. We treasure these words, we memorize them, we draw inspiration from them. We are eager to hear from Jesus.

But today, just like in the days of John 10, there are those who need more from Jesus than words. For those who would see him as little more than a speaker with delusions of grandeur, Jesus points as proof to his works and asks if they are from God. “Even though you do not believe me, believe the works,” he says. The sick are healed, the multitudes fed, storms calmed, sins forgiven, grace extended, dignity restored—these acts of power and compassion and love are far from incidental; they are illustrations of the power and compassion and love of God in Christ. If some would not hear God’s word from the lips of Jesus, perhaps they would see it in his works.

As you seek to follow Christ, it is helpful to remember that the gospel is more than verses to memorize, doctrines to learn, and belief statements to sign. Ultimately, the gospel of Jesus Christ is found in the meeting of words and works—when you can not only explain Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross, but can also live sacrificially, when you can not only explain the love of God, but show it. There are those who need not just to hear the gospel, but to see it—if they will not believe your words, may they believe your works.