WHICH JESUS DO YOU HAVE?
John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Let us look at some different views of Jesus and see how our view fits.
1. THE WORLD
The world sees Jesus as a good teacher and a good example based on:
* love your neighbours and your enemies
* forgive, have compassion
* be gentle and humble
* accept everyone and everything without judging/questioning
The world then sees a good teacher who has little call on anyone’s life … no personal cost to this Jesus.
2. THE ‘RELIGIOUS’
The second category are ‘the religious’ who are people that go to church but who have not made a public confession of Jesus as their personal Saviour and have a similar view of Jesus as the world.
They see only those parts of the Bible that speak of these same qualities as the world’s view, hence why much of the so-called church has little or no issues with homosexuality, trans issues, same-sex marriage etc. Why? Because their Jesus is loving, compassionate, forgiving and never judges.
This is the mainstream Jesus that the vast majority imagine and, of course, it is impossible for anyone not to go to heaven. So far, this group believes that everyone will go to heaven.
Now, another part of the ‘religious’ element sees Jesus only as a prophet. He then becomes simply that of a communicator of wise and useful sayings, yet a prophet can still do the odd miracle which is at least one step up from the world’s view … He can do miracles.
So, this Jesus is love-only, gives wise and useful teaching, can do a miracle or two and has little call on anyone’s life … no personal cost is required.
So, this Jesus is not much different from the Jesus of the world
– its is very easy to believe in.
3. WHAT JESUS DO WE CURRENTLY HAVE? - SUMMARY
At this stage, we have a Jesus who is:
* A great teacher
* Loves everyone
* Forgives everyone and it seems everything
* Never judges
* Is gentle and humble
* Puts no requirement on your life
* Everyone goes to heaven
So, what we do have is … A Genie! He gives you everything you want, allows you to live the life you choose and at the end gives you a free ticket to your heavenly home.
4. WHO THEN IS THE REAL JESUS FOR OUR MOVE INTO THE NEW YEAR?
Let us look at that last list item by item:
* A great teacher
* Loves everyone
* Forgives everyone and it seems everything
* Never judges
* Is gentle and humble
* Puts no requirement on your life
* Everyone goes to heaven
1. A Great Teacher
No issues here except that Jesus’ teachings do not stay at the secular, human level. They are aimed at the spiritual level which moves outside the atheistic worldview. The purpose of His teachings is always to point us towards a relationship with our Father.
2. Loves Everyone
This is why He sacrificed Himself on the Cross to remove the barrier between humanity and God, the barrier of sin. He did this by making Himself the sinless sacrifice no person could ever make.
3. Forgives Everyone and it Seems Everything
This is where it all fails from the world’s view of Jesus. Jesus forgives everyone, but the ‘everything’ is very conditional.
First forgiveness. This comes at a price which is called ‘repentance’ an old-fashioned word but the word used is ‘metanoia’ which means a ‘complete reversal’ of your life and way of thinking. You no longer live for yourself but to serve Jesus. Now you see there comes a cost, no more genie. You want forgiveness, so you die to your own wishes and choose, willingly to serve the One who opens the doors of heaven to you.
What about the things you did? From the moment of repentance, they are wiped away, and your slate is wiped clean.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
However, unlike the world’s view forgiving everything does not mean continuing to do the things contrary to Christ’s teaching following repentance. Those old ways end, you can no longer continue to follow the world’s ways and live that new life with Jesus.
4. Never Judges – back to our list
There is a big problem here. Jesus has characteristics other than love and one of these that seems to be conveniently ignored is that He is the Judge of all mankind – the living and the dead.
John 5:22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son,
John 5:26,27 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
1 Peter 4:5 But they will have to give account to him [Jesus] who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
5. IS GENTLE AND HUMBLE – BACK TO OUR LIST
As we have seen above, Jesus will judge the living and the dead but we see from His walk on this earth that we must follow this example with those not just in the church but with everyone.
One thing though, the word ‘gentle’ is better replaced by ‘meek’ which means ‘strength under control.’ It does not mean lying down when you see wrong happening but standing up for injustice.
Those before us have done this in areas such as:
* The abolition of slavery – Christians were fundamental in this movement
* Protection of children
* Providing welfare and healthcare of the poor well before the secular State was involved
* Education of those who could not afford it and where governments did not want it
* Starting banks
* Creating the world’s first Building Societies
* Starting the first humanitarian aid agencies … etc.
Christians have a strong and proud heritage too long to mention here following the character of Jesus. And, the worldwide church is carrying that on today.
6. PUTS NO REQUIREMENT ON YOUR LIFE
Not so. Jesus puts the greatest requirement on us. We are not called by Jesus to be ‘Christians’ but to be His servants, indeed to be willing to be called His slaves – ‘doulos’ – by choice. After all what price did He pay to rescue us from a lost eternity, a lost relationship with Father God?
The Son of Man, the Son of God surrendered His life to God’s enemy, sinful man and suffered unbelievably cruel punishment and death that we deserved to open that door to fellowship with God again by His blood and resurrection.
7. EVERYONE GOES TO HEAVEN - SO CONTENTIOUS
So here is that question and one most Christians do not like being asked when a ‘nice person’ dies. It is too easy to say they will be in heaven. However, can we lie to them?
We know that if a person has not repented of their sins and by that permanently turned away from the actions and lifestyle that was once in opposition to that demanded by Jesus, then eternity hangs in the balance.
Remember, Jesus was very clear about heaven.
Matthew 7:13-14 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 7:22,23 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
When we obey though we receive His promise:
John 10:7,9 Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.
So, who is the real Jesus? He is not the Jesus of the NT days. He does not walk as the one who was prophesied by Isaiah:
Isaiah 53:2b He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
THE JESUS OF TODAY
The Jesus of today who waits to welcome those who are willing to do the will of the Father is so different, so awesome, so powerful … so ready for His second coming. Who will you meet?
Revelation 1:10-18 On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, 11 which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea." 12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13 and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man," dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14 His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
Let us look very carefully at the real Jesus.
* Someone "like a son of man” – prophesied by Daniel
* Dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest – a Roman senior judge
* His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow
* His eyes were like blazing fire
* His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace – a symbol of crushing the devil
* His voice was like the sound of rushing waters
* In his right hand, he held seven stars – Isa 62:3 shows this as a crown of splendour, a royal diadem
* Out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword – the Word
* His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance – the light of the world, now the light of heaven
Who is He? He tells us:
* “I am the First and the Last
* I am the Living One
* I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever
* I hold the keys of death and Hades”
Our response? Not familiarity … When I [John] saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.
So, which Jesus is your Jesus, your Lord and Saviour
