I might be wrong, but I wonder how often I have misrepresented Jesus in the public eye.

I first considered this when listening to a missionary who went to Beirut, Lebanon.  He made the comment that if he told people “I am an American Christian” his conversation did not go well (no kidding!).  His talks with people went differently, however, when he told them that he was a follower of Jesus.  Even the Koran says that the “followers of Jesus were greater than these”.

Following God can be totally misunderstood … by family, by friends, by colleagues, and certainly by people who do not know us.  Writing “More Than A Conqueror” on a shirt, demanding a political stance, or heaping accusations at a person who does not know God can lead people to misunderstand who God is.

And after all, the disciples themselves had no idea.  They were certain that he was there to overthrow — 

To Overthrow the religious establishment, 

To Overthrow the tyrannical rule of the Romans, 

and To Overthrow anything else that stood in their way.

And then Jesus was arrested and they scattered.  As they beat Him, strapped a cross on His back, and hung Him in humiliation and excruciating pain, they were devastated.  Their plan to “rule the world” was crushed, their hero was killed, and their hope was extinguished.

And then, He did the unthinkable.

He rose from the dead.

I am sure that they were greatly amazed BEFORE the questions arose in their minds:

Why couldn’t He have been discovered by men whose legal testimony would be valid, instead of by women?

Why did He invite the gentiles to come and worship Him as well?

And Romans?  Greeks?  Women?  What in the world was He doing?  What was He thinking?

He was Overthrowing the kingdom EXACTLY the way that He said He would.

He was making His followers die to something.

The issue of racism, and misogyny, and hatred of people who are different was settled 2000 years ago on a wooden cross — by Jesus!

Galatians 3 26 For all of you are God’s children through faith in the Messiah Jesus. 27 Indeed, all of you who were baptized into the Messiah have clothed yourselves with the Messiah.28  Because all of you are one in the Messiah Jesus, a person is no longer a Jew or a Greek, a slave or a free person, a male or a female. 29 And if you belong to the Messiah, then you are Abraham’s descendants indeed, and heirs according to the promise.

I am shocked as I see people go at each other with passionate hate.

Our fight is not about politics.

It is not about abortion.

It is not about walls or health care or gas prices.

Our fight is about the entrance of Jesus into our society.

If we allow Him in — we can be saved.

And if we don’t, we will have a mess.

And all of us, ALL OF US, will have to give up something that we want for something that we need.

When people ask me if I am for something or against something — my answer will always hinge around what He says.

Because WHAT HE SAYS … Is the only thing that truly matters.

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J