Do I Really Know Jesus?

A friend of mine recently said, "Jesus was a prophet who taught love and acceptance."   My dear friend is my age and I thought he was raised the way I was.  Apparently he has now decided to acknowledge Jesus as a prophet, not as the son of God.  I thought, oh, did we not know the same Jesus when we were young?

Then I realized how Jesus is presented to children.  Mostly Jesus is some unrelatable subject, a figment of heaven that a child can not even conceive.  He is portrayed as a gentle, passive guy, who just wants everyone to live in peace and harmony.

That's all fine and dandy, but do you really know  Jesus?



Most don't realize that Jesus had a sharp tongue.  At one time He told a woman that she was worth less than a dog.  (Matthew 15)  At least three times Jesus called the religious elders "vipers", or "spawn of viper" which in our terms translates to the worst kind of snake.  (Matthew 3, 12, 23).  Then there's that pesky little situation of "no one gets to the Father, but by Me" and He won't budge on that matter. (John 14:6)

Jesus Himself said,  "Do you suppose that I have come to give peace upon earth?  No, I say to you, but rather division."  (Luke 12)  In John 6, Jesus was teaching, and because the people didn't understand his teaching through metaphor, and thought His message was too strong, they stopped following Him.  When that happened, He pointedly asked His twelve what they were going to do, and sharply told them that one of them was the devil.  Yeah, umm, hmmm, the whole "What Would Jesus Do" thing, that kind of doesn't correspond with the Jesus that I just examined.

How Do You Know What Jesus Would Do If You Don't Know What Jesus Did?

I'm still angry at my childhood friend who so totally doesn't understand Jesus - but because he was raised in the church thinks that he does.  He thinks Christians are mean and judgemental, and that they are not acting like Jesus if they have an opinion that might offend someone.   Well, yes, Christians are mean and judgemental because they are human, and humans are mean and judgemental.  Unless you are a born in oblivion or love to debate, people don't usually like to deal with others that have differing opinions.

I think that I am angry because his opinions, and mine, both stem from emotion.  Its really interesting when emotion enters the debate.   Its no longer what you "think", but what you "feel."   I "feel" like Jesus would have acted differently in this situation.  You "feel"?  Do you "know"?  How well do you "know" Jesus?

Jesus told us to turn the other cheek, (Matthew 5) but isn't that the opposite of Him coming to divide?  (Luke 12)  I believe (think and feel) that when Jesus was talking about turning the other cheek, He was discussing the topic of revenge.   The Apostle Paul discusses in the book of Romans that God said that He will repay - vengeance belongs to God.  When Jesus was asked about the situation of the woman being stoned, He wrote in the dirt, and offered, if you have never sinned, then throw the first stone.  (John 8)

Jesus wasn't just a prophet that came to teach joy, peace, and love.   He is the son of God who came to defeat death.  He came to bruise the head of the enemy.  Justice isn't always fun.  The truth does hurt.  Life is hard.   Jesus came to open a relationship with God - it is that relationship that will heal, bind the hurt, and mend the broken hearts.  Jesus came to pave the way for the Holy Spirit.   That's where the joy, peace, and love really come from.

I'm sorry that Christians have such a bad reputation among this generation.  It hurts my feelings when I am judged because I am a Christian, but I won't give up my faith.  I'm sorry that my friend is so entranced with what is politically correct that he will go to hell.  Perhaps before he dies he will have an opportunity to acknowledge Jesus as the son of God, I pray he does.

K