What if Jesus came back today?
”Generally, I don’t think Christians would like Jesus if he showed up today as he did 2,000 years ago. In fact, we’d call him a heretic and plot to kill him, too.”
– Brian McLaren
What would we do if Jesus showed up today? How we would react if the one person whom we claim to try to emulate came up to us and said, “Here I am. Follow me.”
The Jews were the chosen people of God. They were promised that the son of man would come and deliver them. They just misinterpreted it to me a great king would come to emancipate them from the Romans. I wonder though, is our vision of Jesus any closer?
The famous picture of Jesus that we all know today, is a picture of a handsome young man with a well-kept beard standing on a hill with his arms spread open. His robe is blindingly white. His teeth are straight and perfect. He has dark brown puppy-dog eyes.
That isn’t the Jesus that created such a scene 2,000 years ago though. That Jesus was a radical! That Jesus told his followers to forget about what this world thought of them and to care only about what their God thought of them. That Jesus told his followers to give away all of their earthly possessions and follow him. That Jesus told his followers to show mercy and grace where it was underserved. That Jesus called his followers to a radical discipleship.
That was a tough message to swallow then, and it’s an even tougher one to swallow today.
I’m afraid that we as a collective Christian community have marginalized that part of Jesus’ message. We focus too much on his birth and burial (yes those are important), but we tend to gloss over his time between that. Jesus wasn’t just sent to seek and save the lost; He was sent to show the lost how to live.
How would we receive Jesus Christ today? Would we throw away our worldly possessions and follow him, or would we instead ridicule this radical and send him to a die on a tree…
– Brian McLaren
What would we do if Jesus showed up today? How we would react if the one person whom we claim to try to emulate came up to us and said, “Here I am. Follow me.”
The Jews were the chosen people of God. They were promised that the son of man would come and deliver them. They just misinterpreted it to me a great king would come to emancipate them from the Romans. I wonder though, is our vision of Jesus any closer?
The famous picture of Jesus that we all know today, is a picture of a handsome young man with a well-kept beard standing on a hill with his arms spread open. His robe is blindingly white. His teeth are straight and perfect. He has dark brown puppy-dog eyes.
That isn’t the Jesus that created such a scene 2,000 years ago though. That Jesus was a radical! That Jesus told his followers to forget about what this world thought of them and to care only about what their God thought of them. That Jesus told his followers to give away all of their earthly possessions and follow him. That Jesus told his followers to show mercy and grace where it was underserved. That Jesus called his followers to a radical discipleship.
That was a tough message to swallow then, and it’s an even tougher one to swallow today.
I’m afraid that we as a collective Christian community have marginalized that part of Jesus’ message. We focus too much on his birth and burial (yes those are important), but we tend to gloss over his time between that. Jesus wasn’t just sent to seek and save the lost; He was sent to show the lost how to live.
How would we receive Jesus Christ today? Would we throw away our worldly possessions and follow him, or would we instead ridicule this radical and send him to a die on a tree…
posted by theboythatis at 9:38 PM
4 Comments:
"Once there was One who came to us, who touched the untouchables, turned his back upon the world's bright baubles, loved even unto death, and never turned his eyes away from God. And we hated him for it. He came to us with wide-opened hands in gracious invitation, seeking us, both patient with us and hotly pursuing us. And thereby he brought out the very worst in us. And we with one voice cried, 'Crucify him!'"
- from William Wil'imon's "Sinning Like a Christian."
great post.
Allen now I know why me and you always cleaned up in Bible trivia on Sunday School back in the day.
Great post man.
AMAZING! i guess that i had always thought that Jesus would come back the way that i imagine Him to...... i am so wrong... is it selfish of me to want Him to come back now? well, i do but i dont............. every time that i want Him to, i counter it in my head.... i want as many people that can to come to Christ first. thank y ou for the inspiration.
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