Jesus is …..

A few years ago, when I was a student pastor in Sidney, OH. A young man came and sat down in the memory garden that was on the church property. Our church secretary was a little scared and asked me if I would take care of it.
I sat down with the young man. We had some casual conversation. I wanted to get to know him and what he was doing. He said he was just wondering. I asked if him had a church home and some more personal spiritual questions. I asked him what he knew about Jesus. He didn’t know much.
I explained to him that Jesus loved Him. He died for our sins. He came to set us free. I talked about the love God has for Him. To shorten this story, he responded, “I have never heard of THIS Jesus you are talking about.”  I shared my shortened part of my story of why I follow Jesus. I invited him to know him. He said he would think about it.

We must never assume that people know who Jesus is. At the same token, we all have assumptions about who we THINK Jesus is without even reading and studying the gospels.  A lot of people picture Jesus as a religious conservative (Glenn Beck, Rush Limbuagh type). Many think he was Republican. Many think he chooses a side to be on. I really don’t think Jesus cares what side we are on politically or what side we are on when it comes to hot topic issues of our day like homosexuality, racism, and political correctness. He cares about our what? The condition of our HEART.

When Abraham Lincoln was asked during the civil war whose side he thought God was on – the confederates or the Union. His answer was profound, “I do not boast that God is on my side, I humbly pray that I am on God’s side.”

One of the assumptions that many Christians believe is that he was a peacemaker. According to scripture we are going to look at today, He didn’t come to be a peacemaker – he came to separate the sheep and the goats. Nor did he come to be a revolutionary. He came with one purpose in mind: to make brand – new creations.

There are many who say Jesus is the great Uniter of the world’s people and that Christianity is a wonderful ethical system that will produce a one world family where everyone lives in peace and harmony with each other. One of the more popular teachings that many Christians are caught in is Universalism. This philosophy basically says there are many legitimate ways to God. You can go through Jesus, or you can go through Buddha, or Mohammed, or you can just formulate your own do-it-yourself spirituality, but we will all end up happy and accepted by God, whoever God is to you.

That’s not what Jesus taught. He said there is only one way to God–and it was through Him. He said, “I am the way, the truth, the life, no man comes to the Father but by me.” (John 14:6).

Jesus is not a great utopian leader who came to establish an earthly utopia. He didn’t come to create a utopia here on earth.  Jesus is not a great moral leader who came to make the earth a better place to live. He didn’t come to make the earth a better place to live. Jesus is not the leader of the self-centered movement  to make us feel good about our self. Jesus didn’t come to make us feel better about ourselves.

Look at what Jesus says about himself in Luke 12:49-52:

49 “I have come to set the world on fire, and I wish it were already burning! 50 I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished. 52 From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against—or two in favor and three against.

The Message – “I’ve come to start a fire on this earth—how I wish it were blazing right now! I’ve come to change everything, turn everything right side up—how I long for it to be finished!

“He came to change everything and turn everything right side up!” Everything on this earth is upside down. Jesus says the first will be last and the last will be first. Jesus says the prostitutes, tax collectors, and the poor will be the first in line in heaven not the super-religious. Jesus says the meek will inherit the earth not the rich. Jesus says the humble will see heaven – those full of pride will see only themselves.

He came with one purpose in mind. He didn’t come to stamp out abortion, or make homosexuals – heterosexuals, he didn’t come to stamp out racism. He didn’t come to make guns legal or illegal. He didn’t come to make people rich and give people the good life. He didn’t come to heal every disease. Those are all things that we are concerned about. These are the things we spend talking about and praying over. These are the things are we think are important. He came with one purpose in mind – to make brand new creations.

He came not to bring to bring peace on earth. He came to set the world on fire.  The fire that Jesus came to cast on the earth is not a destructive fire. It is the fire of the Holy Spirit. The Scriptures sometimes associates the Holy Spirit with fire. In the book of Revelation, the Holy Spirit is pictured as “seven lampstands with burning flames” (Rev 4:5). John the Baptist prophesied concerning Jesus, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Luke 3:16).

When the fire of the Spirit fell upon the apostles they were transformed; they were filled with boldness, they praised the mighty works of God in many languages, and they spoke the Word of God to the gathered people. The fire was kindled! 3000 were baptized and converted on that one day. And that kindled fire spread throughout Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).

Jesus didn’t come so that you and I would become descent, moral people who live in peaceful harmony. I think this is what many Christians desire. Many people assume that Jesus was a nice man because he loved the world. I love my kids but I haven’t always been nice to them. I warn them about certain dangers. I disciplined them when they needed it. I make them pay for things that they want. Many think Jesus he is a nice man who was nice to everybody and he wanted to make this world a nice descent place to live. Jesus wants to live in our hearts to make us brand new creations.

You don’t need Jesus to become a descent, moral human being.

You don’t need Jesus to live in peaceful harmony with others.

You don’t need Jesus to make the world a peaceful and nice place.

Jesus didn’t come to be a nice man. He didn’t come to be a peacemaker. He came to separate

• the sheep from the goat
• the hot from the cold
• the light of world from the dark of the world
• the salt of the earth from the bland.
• the followers of Jesus from the fans of Jesus

and to make brand new creations.

When he asked the rich young ruler – who was just a fan of Jesus and who kept all the commandments – if he was willing to give up everything to follow Him – he walked away sad. The rich young ruler wanted his stuff and Jesus to. He wanted Jesus his way.

The scriptures make it pretty clear you can’t have Jesus your way. A Universalist would say it is possible. If you think it is possible to have it your way – then you are not following Christ. You have simply created a religion that fits your needs and strokes your ego. You need to confess and repent about wanting Jesus your way.  Paul didn’t believe he could have it his way. Peter didn’t believe he could have it his way. The other disciples didn’t believe they could  have  Jesus their way. Why do we think we could have Jesus our way?

Jesus is not an “ego – stroker.” He didn’t stroke Paul’s ego – he said that his grace was enough. He didn’t stroke Peter’s ego . He simply told Peter to go feed his sheep. The other disciples ego’s weren’t stroked – many of them died. In other words he didn’t come to build you and I’s self-esteem he came to change the way we think. Change our attitude. Change our way of life.

The ones who believed they could have it their way – stopped following Him.

• The rich young ruler
• Annanias and Saphira
• And countless others

Those who want it their way simply want peace on earth. Those who want it their way simply want everybody to follow their moral code. Those who want it their way simply want harmony with others. Those who want it their way simply want it to work the way they think it should. Even Jesus didn’t get his way. ….. he asked that the cup of suffering would pass by him.

Jesus is not a revolutionary nor was he a peacemaker. He wanted to set the world on fire. Not in a destructive way. Not in condemning way. But in an “I understand what I can do in your life kind of way.” That fire, that desire to be with him, is to burn within us. The word actually means boil. Jesus is to be constantly boiling within us.  Like water in a teapot.

This means we are to be constantly aware of His presence. Not in paranoia sense. But He is constantly on our heart and mind. We are constantly seeking after Him. So that He can transform the way we think. Transform our attitude towards others. Transform the way we live our life.

Who do you think Jesus is?

Our life reflects who we think Jesus is.

• If we think he is a good moral teacher – the desire for people to be morally good will then rule our thoughts and behavior.
• If we think he is a peacemaker – the desire for peace would then rule our thoughts and behavior.
• If we think He is an ego-stroker – the desire for having to feel good about ourselves will rule our thoughts and behavior.
• If we think he is a problem solver – the desire to make things perfect will rule our thoughts and behavior.
• If we think he is a political figure – the desire to make the world a better place through politics will rule our thoughts and behavior.

If we think He is the Messiah who came, lived, died, and rose again to make every man, woman, and child new creations – the desire to make Him known to others will rule our thoughts and behavior.

Again ….. Who do you think Jesus is?