Which Jesus?
Do you believe in Jesus?
If you live in America, it’s likely you have at least some sort of belief.
For example, there’s an 84% chance you believe Jesus was an important spiritual figure according to a 2022 Ipsos study.
There’s a better chance of that than you being among the 76% of Americans who believe that the historical Jesus existed.
It seems rather puzzling that millions of Americans can believe Jesus was an important spiritual figure while not believing He was, you know, real.
But then again, this illustrates something important about how we like to think about Jesus.
Many of us may like some general idea of Jesus, but what we really like is our preferred version of Jesus.
As the data shows, there are many of us who prefer a Jesus who is spiritually important but fake.
Of course this does not, strictly speaking, make any sense whatsoever. But we do it anyway.
“Important, Yet Fake” Jesus is not the Jesus for me. But I know I’ve been just as guilty in crafting my own preferred Jesus at various points in my life.
Here are some other Jesus versions that get traction today.
American Dream Jesus
Get a good job. Follow the rules. Go to church. Read your Bible. Get nice things. Thank God for them.
Then, get a better job and nicer things. There’s nowhere to go but up with you and American Dream Jesus.
And you pretty much deserve all these good things because of the kind of life you live and the wise choices you’ve made. Well done good and faithful servant.
If you like American Dream Jesus, it may be easy to believe that Jesus wants nothing more than that white picket fence for you. He really wants a bigger fence for the bigger house you’ll get next, but this one will do for now.
I personally liked this Jesus. I mean, he seems like an easy guy to like. A pretty cool dude who wants nothing but the American Dream best for me.
And the Bible makes it clear that Jesus does want amazing things for us. He does want to be generous towards us.
Here’s just one verse.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” [Jeremiah 29:11]
But the Bible is pesky.
It has other verses too. And some of those verses have different messages.
Like when Jesus tells his followers they must be willing and able to give up everything to be his disciple.
So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. [Luke 14:33]
You mean everything except the M3, right American Dream Jesus?
But sadly no, it seems he means everything is on the table.
In fact, he makes it clear that the possessions that truly matter are not possessions on this Earth.
Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. [Luke 12:33]
American Dream Jesus might seem like a righteous dude and a good friend. But it seems risky to put all my faith in him if he decides that maybe he’s less interested in the white picket fence than I am.
Politics Jesus
He’s a gifted story teller. A compelling speaker. Wise beyond human comprehension. And he always wants my preferred presidential candidate in the White House. It’s Politics Jesus!
He seems ever-present here in America, although he’s especially popular every four year cycle.
He is a powerful figure for many of us. After all, politics and religion (often in that order) are the top identity factors for many Americans.
I’ve met Politics Jesus a few times in my life. Shockingly, he seemed to think very different things about which political party he wanted in the White House.
It seemed clear to me that this was because of the complicated nature of Politics Jesus. It had nothing to do with my own values that I was happy to buttress with divine support. So as an expert, I can share the best and worst parts about Politics Jesus.
The best thing about Politics Jesus is that he always tells you are right about your politics. Because they are the same as his!
And Politics Jesus also wants every other Christian to see things the same way that you do.
The worst thing about Politics Jesus is that when you listen to him the most, you don’t exactly end up acting very Christ-like.
Jesus says to love our enemies and to do good to those who persecute us. Politics Jesus says the same, but adds some important caveats:
He says, love your enemies, provided they are of the same political persuasion as you. Otherwise, it’s ok if you need to leave a few snarky and self-righteous social media comments. Politics Jesus normally doesn’t like those, but tends to look the other way in an election year.
You can sometimes get a nagging suspicion about Politics Jesus. Because if you’re really honest with yourself, you’re never totally sure how much he is saying vs. how much you’re projecting onto him. But you can usually forget about that if you go back to your preferred news source and read about how horrible the other side is. Then you know Politics Jesus is on your side.
If you do like Politics Jesus, definitely do not consider the implications of how both ends of the political spectrum in first century Judea hated him.
Don’t think about how both the Herodians (cultural elites and relative social progressives) and Pharisees (social and religious conservatives) were so scared of him that they were willing to put aside their dislike for each other to try to get him out of the picture.
They came together in an attempt to trap Him by asking him about the political flashpoint issues of the day: paying taxes to Rome.
The Herodians were aligned with Rome and supported Roman interests — and taxes — in the region. The Pharisees were far less supportive of Rome and far more focused on religious freedoms for Jews.
What would Jesus say? Would he align with the Herodians and show himself as a sell out to Rome? Or reject Roman authority and cast himself as a radical like the zealots who advocated rebellion?
The Gospel of Mark tells the account.
13 And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. 14 And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” 15 But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius” and let me look at it.” 16 And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” 17 Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at him. [Source, Mark 12:13–17]
Politics Jesus would have made a clear choice and picked a political side.
The real Jesus rejects the choice and the trap.
He looks at the money and is basically uninterested. The tax, he suggests, is far less important than other matters in life. He rejects the authority of Rome to control his heart while also not advocating open political rebellion. He refuses the framework that the politically minded try to put him.
He points again and again to a kingdom that is not of this world.
Jesus Wants You to Be Strong and Right!
This world can be hard. But Jesus is strong and He wants you to be strong too.
For me, Strong Jesus is pretty good friends with Self Righteous Jesus. He always knows that he’s right. Look to him and be like him.
And when I’m friends with him, I always know I’m strong and right too.
If you like Strong Jesus too, you might really like when Jesus turns over tables and throws the moneychangers out of the temple. This is Strong and Self Righteous Jesus operating at peak levels of performance.
Go get ’em Jesus!
And the Bible tells me that believing in Jesus will indeed make me strong.
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. [John 14:12]
Not only will Jesus help me do incredible things but there is an incredible power that comes with it.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” [Acts 1:8]
So learning to be strong is definitely part of the Jesus plan.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. [Ephesians 6:10]
The trouble with Strong and Self Righteous Jesus is two-fold:
Self Righteous Jesus is only possible for, well, Jesus. He actually was righteous in himself because he was — and is — God. And that certainly doesn’t apply to me or anyone living today.
And Strong Jesus seems to have more nuance for me than I might want to consider. Because yes, he has a lot to say about strength and power. But he also has a really backwards way of looking at it.
The Apostle Paul quotes Jesus in his second letter to the Corinthian church. Paul relays his fervent pleas to remove a source of suffering and weakness from his life (Paul’s thorn).
Here’s what Paul has to say about that.
8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. [Source, II Corinthians 12: 8–10]
I might imagine Strong Jesus saying something like, “Paul, stand in power and pluck out that thorn and toss it under your feet.” But this Jesus in the Bible seems to want to use this hardship to make Paul even more reliant on His strength.
Suffering Jesus
In many ways, Suffering Jesus is the opposite of Strong Jesus.
Just as Strong Jesus seems to always want me to grow in strength and power, Suffering Jesus seems perpetually focused on the hard things in life.
The prophet Isaiah, who lived 700 years before the time of Jesus, prophesied about the coming of the Messiah. Isaiah calls this coming savior one who was “stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.”
He has other things to say about the Messiah as well:
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised, and we esteemed him not. [Isaiah 53:3]
And the real Jesus did suffer. Intensely and repeatedly during his life on Earth. Suffering is really and truly a part of life on this Earth.
We should not be surprised when it comes. If the Jesus who lived a perfect life could live a life full of suffering, why should I expect to be free of it?
Perhaps the answer is to embrace it and grimly adjust my life expectations to prepare for a lifetime of suffering.
But if I’m not careful, that can become a trap as well.
Because, as Tim Keller writes, it’s possible to get stuck in suffering.
We may actually become comfortable with our discomfort. We may find the idea of going back into the responsibilities of life daunting. Or self-pity can be sweet and addicting. Or suffering can become an excuse for behavior you could not otherwise justify. Or you may feel you need to pay for your sins and the suffering is the way to do it [Source, Getting Stuck in Suffering, Tim Keller]
So in times of suffering I need to watch for signs of self-pity or being afraid to go back into life. Because if I’m too comfortable there, it may mean I’m imagining Suffering Jesus as the only mode that Jesus lived in.
The real Jesus may call me to walk through seasons of darkness and suffering. My life circumstances may feel incredibly challenging. There may be intense suffering that is spiritual or emotional or physical…or perhaps all of those at once.
But in those times, I know there is a Jesus who modeled suffering while refusing to focus on himself and his own desires. As Keller writes:
Jesus is of course the ultimate model for both of these things, for he cried out the question, ‘My God, why have you forsaken me?’ but he also said, ‘Thy will be done.’ [Source, Getting Stuck in Suffering, Tim Keller]
So if I believe in the real Jesus I know there is firmness and strength in the trial.
I can know that He has strength for me in the suffering. And if I let Him, I can know that he is using any times of suffering for my good and God’s glory.
“Never Change” Jesus
Jesus loves you. Jesus loves me. This is true.
And because of that extreme, totally extravagant love, “Never Change Jesus” thinks I am perfect exactly as I am today. He’s not calling me towards anything other than to just let Him love me.
He is always affirming, never challenging.
Always supporting never stretching.
He loves me exactly as I am, which is great because I don’t really feel like changing all that much. Change is hard and scary and challenges the parts of myself that feel essential and I want to to say are off limits.
So it’s a good thing “Never Change Jesus” doesn’t care much about all that. He loves me so selflessly and that means I can still be selfish.
Here’s how his selfless love is described in 1 John.
10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. [1 John 4:10–11]
With my view of “Never Change Jesus”, his love means that he paid the penalty that I owed but could never pay. That sounds great. It’s sometimes hard to believe and all, but I know it’s true.
And this Jesus tells me that I should extend that exact same perspective towards my view of the world.
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. [John 15:12]
I’m good. You’re good. We’re all good.
But there’s a problem with this Jesus. The problem is how I want to see love vs. the kind of love that the real Jesus showed.
There’s part of me that wants love to be that everything and everyone is ok exactly as they are. I want love to be the good feelings of encouragement and affirmation. That kind of love feels good to receive. It feels the easiest to give. I don’t want the tough love. The costly love.
But the real Jesus shows me that real love has a cost.
It doesn’t have a cost to me — He gives it to my completely freely out of the riches of His grace. But it has a cost to Him.
And that the closer I get to understanding that great love in my own life, the closer I get to the kind of love that costs me too.
The rest of what Jesus says in John 15 makes that clear. Growing in love means growing in a willingness to face real costs.
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. [John 15:12–13]
Being willing to face costs to the point of surrendering life. And doing it without any guarantees of looking noble.
He goes on to say that modeling the crazy, ridiculous kind of love of self-sacrifice doesn’t lead to acclaim but to criticism.
20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. [John 15:20]
The real Jesus loves me exactly as I am today. He’s always loved me exactly as I am. And it’s because of that love that he refuses to let me stay the same way as he found me.
Follow Me Jesus
So who’s the real Jesus?
The real Jesus refuses to be put in a box.
I’d often like to put Him there. He is safer in the box. More controllable. Not as scary. But that’s not the real Jesus.
The real Jesus tells me simply to Follow Him. His words are recorded in the Gospel account of Mathew.
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. [Mathew 16:24 ESV]
And again in the Gospel of John.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. [John 10:24 ESV]
This is the real Jesus that I have been getting to know.
He doesn’t usually tell me where we’re going. I know the destination is good but not how we’ll get there. Instead, He wants me to trust Him for each step of the path.
This is The Way.
He is Savior, Lord, Brother, and Friend.
Like American Dream Jesus, the real Jesus does want to bless me, but on His terms and not mine. He’s calling the shots.
Like Politics Jesus, the real Jesus does care deeply about things that matter to me and my country, but perhaps not in the way that I imagine.
Like Strong Jesus, the real Jesus does desire for me to be strong and courageous. But the strength is in His power and not my own. I have nothing good apart from God.
Like Suffering Jesus, the real Jesus may call me to suffer, but in a way that is ultimately for my own good and blessing in Him.
Like “Never Change” Jesus, the real Jesus loves me infinitely and perfectly. And it’s because of that extravagant love that He’s unwilling to leave me as He found me and calls me to new life in following Him.
I imagine it may be a scary and hard road at times. And I also believe it will be the best adventure I can imagine.
One step at a time.
