You Need Jesus

You may have heard people say, “You need Jesus.” You do; everyone does. You may have heard people question if someone knows the Lord. What kind of introduction can I give my best Friend (John 15:15) and Brother (Hebrews 2:11)? First, the easy stuff: Jesus Christ is one of the most influential figures in history, and His life and teachings continue to inspire billions of people around the world. Born in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago, Jesus is the central figure in Christianity. Jesus' message from about 30-33 AD challenged social norms; His teachings emphasized love, compassion, forgiveness, kindness, and the importance of our relationship with God. Jesus is alive, and Jesus is Lord. Jesus is the Son of God (the Father) and is both fully divine and fully human. Jesus offers hope, redemption, and new life to all who believe in Him. His message transcends cultural and historical boundaries, resonating with people of all backgrounds and walks of life, inviting them into a relationship with God and lives of love and service to others. Our faith is not just a pile of rules. He lives within us. We were forgiven for all unrighteousness forever through His death, and His resurrection confirms the success of His divinely ordained mission and lets us share His eternal life. 

The Jesus of Sunday School: The King, God, and Sacrifice

The Jesus that many are first introduced to in Sunday School is the gentle, loving, and compassionate guy who was once a baby in a humble manger in Bethlehem. His story begins with the miraculous virgin birth, announced by angels to shepherds and marked by the adoration of wise men from the East (Luke 2:8-20; Matthew 2:1-12). As a child, He was already recognized for His wisdom, astounding religious teachers with His understanding (Luke 2:46-47). This Jesus grew up to become a healer, a teacher, and a friend to the marginalized. He performed miracles such as healing the sick, casting out demons, and even raising the dead (Matthew 9:35; Mark 5:41-43). He taught a message of love, urging His Jewish disciples to love God and their neighbors as themselves (Matthew 22:37-40). Central to His message was the promise of salvation through Him — that He would lay down His life as a sacrifice for the sins of humanity (John 1:29). His death on a cross and His resurrection opened the way for all to be reconciled with God (2 Corinthians 5:14-21). In this portrayal, Jesus is the Savior who comes not to condemn but to save, offering forgiveness and eternal life to all who believe in Him (John 3:16-17, John 5:24).

The Harsh Teacher of the Law

There are people that turn up their noses at what they dismiss as “Billy Graham big-tent easy-believism” and are unsatisfied with Sunday School Jesus in the sky. Some are moralistic modern day Pharisees. Others seek to be followers of Jesus of Nazareth in the same sense that Jewish disciples followed rabbis; some of them even deny being Christians in the process (to differentiate themselves pridefully from believers in the divinity of Christ). They are quick to point toward a Jesus that is more stern and demanding. In Matthew 5:29-30, He speaks provocatively, saying, "If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away," and "If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away." While remembering to take into account the cultural hyperbole and metaphorical sense of these and other similar words (about having a big roof beam in your eye in Matthew 7:3-5, about being a door in John 10:9, etc.), these radical statements about purging sin from one’s life emphasize the importance of moral purity and the seriousness of that pursuit. His teachings on the true spirit of the Law of Moses were not just about outward actions. For example, Jesus declared that even harboring improper anger is equivalent to murder (Matthew 5:21-22) under the Law of Moses (as it proscribes hate and demands love instead in Leviticus 19:17-18). Jesus challenged the status quo, presenting the true spirit of the Law of Moses as a higher standard of righteousness than the religious leaders of the day could muster. In Matthew 23:13-36, He denounces them as "hypocrites," calling them "blind guides" and "whitewashed tombs" for focusing on external righteousness while neglecting true justice and mercy. If you don’t realize that the New Covenant began at Christ’s death (Hebrews 9:22), it’s easy to fall into mixed messages and double-talk about whether we’re saved and what we’re supposed to be doing. Jesus buried His listeners under the Law of Moses to reveal their need for His grace; see Romans 3:19-20 and Galatians 4:4-7. Paul, whom Peter vouched for as an author of Scripture, is the most qualified interpreter of Jesus’ teachings for a Gentile audience. See Romans 11:13 and 1 Corinthians 11:1; then see Romans 6:14, Romans 7:4, Romans 10:4, and Hebrews 8:13. The critics of so-called “hypergrace” don’t want you to know that the Greek prefix for hyper-, huper, is exactly how Paul describes the superabundant grace of God that you can’t out-sin in Romans 5:20.  

The Apocalyptic Lord of Revelation

There’s an even less “seeker-friendly” presentation of Jesus that is still familiar to many people. In the Book of Revelation, Jesus is depicted as a triumphant and cosmic figure, far removed from the humble teacher of the Gospels. Revelation 1:14-16 describes Him with "eyes like blazing fire", feet glowing with power like metal in a furnace, "a voice like the sound of rushing waters," a mouth sword, etc. This is the Lord who holds the future in His hands, coming with power and authority to judge the world. Revelation 19:11-21 portrays Jesus as the rider on a white horse, leading the heavenly armies against the forces of evil. He is again described as having "eyes like blazing fire" and a "sharp sword" coming from His mouth with which He strikes down the nations. He comes to rule “with an iron scepter” and will slay the armies of the earth that have gathered for battle, bringing God's wrath on those who have aligned themselves with evil (John 3:18 and John 3:36). In this vision, Jesus is not the meek and lowly servant, but the conquering King who establishes His kingdom and enacts justice, wiping away the wicked and establishing eternal peace. Please take the deal. Why choose John 3:18 when John 3:16-17 is so much better? He did everything necessary to save us (Hebrews 10:14). Scaring Christians is not ministry; He shouldn’t be terrifying to believers (Revelation 1:17), and we’ll be as safe as He is at the last judgment – See John 5:24, Hebrews 7:25, and 1 John 4:17-19. 

The Ignored Jesus: The Friend of Sinners

Among the various portrayals of Jesus, this is the one that is usually de-emphasized. He was frequently found at dinner parties, social gatherings, etc., where people of questionable reputation were present. In that time and place, eating with someone demonstrated your approval of them. Jesus was called a "glutton and drunkard" by His critics in Matthew 11:19. God essentially wanted meat, bread, and alcohol twice daily under the Old Covenant (Exodus 29:38-42). Jesus isn’t a stern, strict, harsh, and grim knockoff of the Old Testament prophets demanding asceticism; He enjoyed feasting with sinners, tax collectors seen as traitorous Roman sellouts (eating with them would have been seen by some as receiving stolen goods), and other outcasts. When thinking of a stern Lawgiver or the apocalyptic world-burning King of Kings, remember that He engages with those whom society (with values warped by the Accuser) deems unworthy of His attention, including children (Matthew 19:14, Mark 10:14, Luke 18:16). Kids don’t generally like spending time with grumpy or creepy guys. This depiction of the Jesus who parties sits in contrast with His more serious moments, His moody rockstar temperament in Mark, etc., but reveals His willingness to break down social barriers and extend love and grace to those often excluded from religious circles. In John 2:1-11, Jesus miraculously provided at least 120 gallons of high-quality wine to wedding feast guests who had already drunk their fill. This miracle was seen as a sign of the abundant life He offers (John 10:10), a life filled with joy and celebration; for a variety of reasons, we in the Bible belt aren’t partying enough. I’ve heard pastors say (with a straight face, no less) that any alcohol consumption is a violation of the sanctity of the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, Jesus' interactions with individuals like the woman who anointed His feet with expensive perfume and wiped them with her hair (Luke 7:36-50) show His disregard for the made-up social and ritual purity game of “The Floor Is Lava” that the Pharisees and their modern equivalents peddled/peddle. Dinner parties thrown by a Hellenistic Herodian, for example, not only would have resembled Greek symposia with lots of wine, but might have included entertainment like Herodias (aka “Salome”) from Mark 6:14-29. Jesus’ actions challenge conventional notions of holiness that have been affected by the Accuser and centuries of influence by human philosophy, man-made religious puffery, ascetic self-righteousness, etc. Like some other people who like to party, Jesus flipped over furniture in church and told off the leaders.

These various portrayals of Jesus in the Bible highlight the multifaceted nature of His character and mission. He is the compassionate Savior, the stern Teacher (to send us running to Him for grace), the victorious King, and the inclusive Friend to sinners, all of which together reflect the depth of His divine and human nature. Our Savior came to address both the brokenness of the human condition and to express the depth of God's love for the world.

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