Did Jesus go up to people and say: “Do you acknowledge me as the Son of God?” and refuse to do anything unless they confessed that? No. He went out and preached and healed, knowing that the miraculous works would bring people around. I don’t think any significant Christian denomination argues for works alone. Do you think there is no difference between Mother Theresa and Barack Obama? Between the Pope and Mohammed? Jesus’ last wishes were that his disciples love one another. He taught that anyone who hurt “these little ones” was evil. Can’t all Christians get together even on that? Who is asking John MacArthur to give up his beliefs just to sign that statement?
Did Jesus go up to people and say: Do you acknowledge me as the Son of God? and refuse to do anything unless they confessed that? No. He went out and preached and healed, knowing that the miraculous works would bring people around.
Jesus said several times that He didn't because His time was not yet. Jesus concealed it until it was His time to do so, according to God's will, and He did on His entry into Jerusalem.
All the while, even leading up to that, He never denied that He and the Father were one and that He had always existed, even as long as the forefathers of Israel, which caused people to want to stone Jesus for making Himself equal to God.
Now, once He had accomplished what God had sent Him to do, His instructions then were to spread the Gospel message everywhere, to everyone, all over the world -- and that was the prime job of all Christians to do...
Matthew Chapter 28 16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
So, our time now is to spread the Gospel message of Salvation from Jesus, the Messiah of Isael and from no one else -- as the primary message for the entire world.