The Jesus We Want vs. The Jesus We Meet

This past Sunday, we began a new sermon series at my church entitled, "What Would Jesus Do? Reclaiming a Christ-Centered Faith."  

The idea behind this series is to rediscover what it means to ask that question in every aspect of our lives as we do our best to follow Jesus more closely and be led by the example of his life and ministry in Scripture.

We also invited members to take a one-month challenge to intentionally ask "What Would Jesus Do?" every day when it comes to business and work, relationships, money, our purpose, politics, compassion and generosity, decision-making, and much more.  

Many people gathered after worship to pledge to do just that, and I would like to extend that invitation to you, my dear readers.  The link to the sermon video is below if you would like to watch it, and then make the same pledge: to spend the next month asking "What Would Jesus Do?" 

If you find you need a conversation partner at any time during the next month of asking that question, I am here to help.  You can reach out to me, and I'd be happy to offer whatever guidance I may have and to listen.  

Now, I'd like to reflect more on the passage that the sermon was based on, and to dig deeper into the issue that many of us have when it comes to creating our own version of Jesus as opposed to the one we meet in the Gospels.   

Scripture: Matthew 16:13–16

“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

It seems like such an innocent question. Jesus asks his disciples what people are saying about him, and they have plenty of answers. John the Baptist. Elijah. Jeremiah. One of the prophets.

Then Jesus makes it personal.

“But who do you say that I am?”

That question sits at the heart of Christian faith because before we can seriously ask, “What would Jesus do?” we have to ask whether we are willing to encounter Jesus as he actually is.

All of us are tempted to create a Jesus who resembles us. A Jesus who shares our assumptions, approves of our priorities, supports our politics, dislikes the people we dislike, and conveniently confirms the things we already believe.

But the Jesus we meet in the Gospels rarely behaves so conveniently.

Jesus welcomes people others exclude. He forgives people others condemn. He touches people others avoid. He challenges religious insiders while eating with sinners. He tells his followers to love their enemies, forgive repeatedly, relinquish power, become servants, welcome strangers, care for the vulnerable, and take up crosses.

Sometimes Jesus comforts us.

Sometimes Jesus confronts us.

Usually, Jesus does both.

Peter answers correctly: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Yet only a few verses later, Peter will argue with Jesus because Jesus isn't behaving like the Messiah Peter expected.

Peter had the right words but still had something to learn about Jesus.

So do we.

Perhaps one of the healthiest spiritual practices we can develop is allowing Jesus to surprise us. Read the Gospels not merely looking for confirmation, but asking: Where is Jesus challenging me? Where is he disrupting my assumptions? Where is he asking me to change?

The goal of discipleship isn't to create a Jesus who looks more like us.

It is to allow Jesus to make us look more like him.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, free me from the temptation to remake you in my own image. Give me the courage to encounter you as you truly are. Challenge what needs challenging, change what needs changing, and teach me to follow wherever you lead. Amen.

Reflection Questions

1. What assumptions about Jesus have I inherited from my culture, family, church, or politics?
2. When has something Jesus taught genuinely challenged me?
3. What might change if I approached the Gospels asking, “Jesus, what are you trying to change in me?”