Which Jesus Do You Have?

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,