Finding the REAL Jesus in a world of FAKES
Jesus loved everyone; He wasn’t judgmental! The Jesus I serve would never ______________ (fill in the blank).
Maybe you’ve heard these or similar phrases recently. I know I have. And it’s a growing concern. I may sound dramatic with this scripture reference, but it seems to be unfolding before our very eyes.
2 Timothy 4:3 NLT For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.
This verse describes how people will look for pastors and leaders to affirm their beliefs and encourage their sinful lifestyles. People have always sought for God and others to affirm their beliefs and lifestyles. So that’s nothing new. What is new is the amount of professing Christians getting swept up in this redefining of Jesus. So much so that the Jesus of scripture seems to be fading into a relic of the past, and a new Jesus is emerging.
The Jesus many people believe in is not the Jesus we find walking through the pages of the Bible. The Jesus many people believe in is more like a vegan climate change activist, driving his electric car around, getting high, and telling everyone to be nice and get along. Funny mental image, huh? But of course, that Jesus isn’t real, that Jesus is made up.
I don’t have an issue with people disagreeing with Jesus and His words. I even understand that view. Jesus’ words aren’t easy to swallow. He describes Himeself as the only way to God, and in order to follow Him, we have to deny ourselves. So following Him is costly. A cost not everyone is ready or willing to pay. The issue is that culture is rewriting history, changing the truth about Jesus, and making Him into something He simply is not. Jesus loved everyone 100% of the time. So much so He died for our sins, but He also told people what they believed was wrong and what they were doing needed to change, and He clearly explained the eternal punishment that awaited them if they continued to ignore His commands. The historical, real-life Jesus was so hated for the things He said that people had Him executed.
John 7:7 The world can’t hate you, but it does hate me because I accuse it of doing evil.
Evil? Did Jesus tell people what they were doing was evil? Apparently, He did it so often people hated Him for it. But that Jesus isn’t the one culture likes. So they’ve made up their own versions of Jesus. While my list below isn’t exhaustive, I’ve found a couple of popular “Jesus’s” floating around that are simply made up. They’re a figment of culture's imagination. Here are just a few.
POLITICAL Jesus
You know you’ve encountered Political Jesus when all he cares about is the most recent election, agrees with your political party, and would obviously vote exactly like you do.
I live in America, and I love our country. People have fought and bled to give me the freedom I have to sip my coffee and tell you things you may not like. And those same people died for your freedom to publically disagree with what I’m writing. I love our imperfect country. All that being said, Jesus isn’t American. He’s not Republican nor a Democrat. When you’ve boiled Jesus down to your political party's platform and talking points, you’ve recreated Jesus. You’ve turned Him into something He is not. Jesus came to seek and save the lost, not win, the most recent election. Voting biblical values is important, and dear Lord, if you’re gonna complain about the state of America, at least vote. But Jesus cares about the poor, the immigrant, and the unborn. He cares about injustice, and He loves righteousness. But above all the politics, Jesus cares about saving souls. Heaven and Hell are real places that people really go. Maybe it’s time to break free from Political Jesus for the Real Jesus and prioritize His mission over my politics.
GENIE Jesus
You know you’ve encountered Genie Jesus when his highest goal is to grant your every desire and wish.
This Jesus only cares about your happiness, never your holiness. This Jesus loves to make you popular and make all your financial dreams come true. We wrongly believe that if something makes us happy, then Jesus MUST want us to have it! We’ve turned God into the means by which we get what we desire when He was supposed to be what we desire. God wants a relationship with humanity, and many of us treat Him more like a vending machine we go to when we want something instead of a God we love to spend time with. God’s highest goal is not to grant our wishes. God’s highest goal for our lives is that we know Him and make Him known. Yes, Jesus cares about your needs and your dreams, but He is not the genie we occasionally interact with just to get what we want. Maybe it’s time to break free from Genie Jesus for the Real Jesus and submit our dreams and desires to Him.
LEGALISTIC Jesus
You know you’ve encountered Legalistic Jesus when all you hear about is the rules you’ve broken and the standards you’ve fallen short of.
This version of Jesus seems impossible to please, distant, cold, and condemning. While there are definitely standards of right and wrong, this version of Jesus goes beyond the words of the Bible and makes all kinds of additional rules for you to follow and feel guilty for breaking. This made-up legalistic Jesus loves to focus on what you did wrong, never celebrating what you did right. This legalistic Jesus loves showing you how far you still have to go without celebrating how far you’ve come. This Jesus is never happy, never loving, and never proud of you. There’s always more to do to earn His favor and acceptance. One of my favorite verses is Proverbs 24:16, which says, “for the righteous falls seven times and rises again.” If you’ve fallen, if you’ve sinned, don’t stay down, don’t live in your sin. Get up and fight again! There’s grace to get up. There’s grace to fight! Maybe it’s time to leave the Legalistic Jesus for the Real Jesus and receive freedom and forgiveness.
AFFIRMING Jesus
You know you’ve encountered Affirming Jesus when the only sin He condemns is when you say something is a sin.
This Jesus only loves and never calls anyone to repent. I believe this Jesus is the biggest idol of our day. Why? Because our culture is obsessed with celebrating sin, not repenting of it. Recently one of the co-hosts on The View said, “And you know, my faith always taught me what would Jesus do? And I know Jesus would be attending that pride parade, with pride." But is that true? Would Jesus celebrate, affirm and cheer on the sin of the LGBTQIA+ lifestyle and the pride that separates people from Him? No, He wouldn’t. Would Jesus celebrate the gender confusion in the world that is leading to so much destruction? No, He wouldn’t. Would Jesus celebrate the lies we tell, the adultery we commit, the hate we harbor in our hearts, the drunkenness we excuse away, or the self-righteousness we espouse? Nope. You won’t get a single hand clap or cheer of acceptance from Him. Jesus’ main message wasn’t one of affirmation of sin but rather a call to repent of sin. Maybe it’s time to break free from Affirming Jesus for the Real Jesus and allow Him to define right from wrong.
REAL Jesus
You know you’ve encountered the Real Jesus when He calls you to change, repent and live differently, but He does so with compassion in His eyes and a hand extended to help you live a new life.
Jesus is loving and compassionate. He is holy and sinless. He commands obedience, and He opens His arms of forgiveness each time we fall short. Jesus doesn't turn a blind eye to our sin or minimize its wickedness. Neither does He shy away from us because of what we’ve done. He runs right in the middle of the mess we’ve made of our lives, and He lifts us out of the pit we’ve created. He took the punishment we deserved. He lived the life we couldn’t. And He did so for love. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 ESV) Let’s leave the false Jesus’ behind. The real one is too good to replace.