Mark 10:17-18 (ESV) And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.”
The question, “Is Jesus good?” seems pretty elementary. Of course Jesus is good, but the question has some application to the above verse. Some would say Jesus is denying His deity here, but is He? If we see Jesus is good, then the question He asks is whether the man who knelt before Him recognized who Jesus truly was: God the Son. At the same time, it would be an admission of deity, godhood, by Jesus. Let’s see if Jesus is good.
Hebrews 4:15 says Jesus is without sin:
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
So, Jesus is without sin. If that doesn’t prove He is good, at least He isn’t bad, is He? But does Jesus ever claim directly to be good? Well, in the Gospel of John, He claims to be the good shepherd:
John 10:11 (ESV) I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
This shows His love for his sheep (followers). That certainly points to His goodness, at least in His role as Shepherd. There is another passage that might demonstrate more clearly just who Jesus is:
Col. 2:8-9 (ESV) See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,
This passage in Colossians would seem to present a major logical problem for those who would claim Jesus is denying His deity in Mark 10:17-18. Let’s look at the logic of it: If all the fullness of God dwells bodily in Jesus and God is eternally and infinitely good, then Jesus is eternally and infinitely good. If Jesus is eternally and infinitely good and the only being which is eternally and infinitely good is God, then Jesus is God. (If you’re into standard form categorical syllogisms, I’ve presented this argument in that form at the end of the post).
Why is this important?
I’m sure somewhere in the last couple of sentences, you might have said, “Boy, Mike, you’re sure getting nitpicky.” Well, sometimes we have to get nitpicky with those who can’t see the truth right in front of them. Jehovah’s Witnesses and others believe Mark 10:17-18 shows Jesus is denying that He is God. From what we have seen above, both biblically and logically, it’s obvious this is not what Mark is telling us Jesus is asking.
Going back to Mark 10:17-18, the traveler is simply being asked if he recognizes Jesus as God incarnate: (ESV) And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.”
I agree with the psalmist:
Ps. 34:8 (ESV) Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
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Syllogisms
- Premise #1a – In Jesus, all the fullness of deity dwells bodily
- Premise #2a – Deity (God) is eternally and infinitely good.
- Conclusion #1a – Therefore, Jesus is eternally and infinitely good.
- Premise #1b – If Jesus is eternally and infinitely good and
- Premise #2b – And the only being which is eternally and infinitely good is God,
- Conclusion #1b – Then Jesus is God
Believers Armed and Dangerous 