But, if Jesus were to show up right now, would you love the true Jesus of Scripture? Perhaps you would, but I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t love this Jesus. I know I don’t. I’d like to— I’m trying to, but His words go so far beyond my understanding or my desires of what I want God to be. He doesn’t fit into my box or my preferences. I doubt he fits in yours.

This Jesus says it is the poor in spirit and the meek who are blessed, not the righteous and the whole. This Jesus says to the poor, “you are blessed already” and looks at the rich and says, “sell all you have and give to the poor.”

This Jesus says the person you wouldn’t even pick for a janitor at your church is His choice for all the riches in eternity.

This Jesus gives to the poor, the injured, and the hungry without asking that they first become self-sufficient. This Jesus forgives the drunks and the prostitutes before they are rehabilitated. This Jesus eats dinner with people you wouldn’t let in your house— or want in your neighborhood.

This Jesus says it’s not for you to judge, not for you to fix and not your place to criticize the speck of dust in your neighbor’s eye until you have removed the giant tree limb from yours. In both cases, the solution to sin is in His hands, not ours.

This Jesus says your clothes, your car and your mansion don’t buy your spot in Heaven and neither do your good deeds nor your high standing at your church. This Jesus says your good deeds have about as much place in His Kingdom as a heap of filthy rags. He says no matter what you do, you are unworthy and only He is worthy.

This Jesus says you are not God, not close to God, nowhere near even being the god of your own life. Then, He offends the entire world by saying He is God.

You wouldn’t love this Jesus. For He comes into your church and flips over tables, shuts down your church bookstores, tells your pastors to stop charging money for courses where His word is being taught. He tells you, you can’t play favorites with His family members, can’t put one social class higher than another and can’t stop another class from hearing His message.

This Jesus forgives thieves and liars. He forgives women who have abortions and the doctors who perform them. This Jesus is a friend to the people you have deemed untouchable— while at the same time, He is a friend to you. Then, He tells you to love your enemies.

This Jesus says let your giving and your praying be done in secret. He says don’t take credit for your good works or righteous acts. He says all glory is His, and instant gratification simply isn’t in the cards. He flies in the face of prosperity teachers who say God shows financial favor and gives material possessions to those who love Him. In fact, this Jesus says you are blessed when you are mocked and persecuted for following Him.

Do you really love this Jesus?

His mother was surrounded by scandal. His earthly father was a common day laborer.

When he grew up, he was homeless and a bit of a drifter. He was tried and sentenced to a criminal’s death for upsetting the religious establishment of his time.

Yet, his Father was royalty. If you are impressed by pedigree, you can not find one better. If you are drawn to power, you cannot find one with greater power. If you like influence, there is no one more influential.

But Jesus was despised, ignored and rejected. He was the envy of no man. He was sacrilegious, untraditional, kept close friendships with bad company and taught a message so repulsive to religious leaders that they had him killed.

If He lived today, the outcome would be no different.

Jesus didn’t come to stop abortion.
He gave His life to bring eternal life to sinful people.

Jesus didn’t give His life away for the right to bear arms.
He died to set humanity free from sin.

Jesus didn’t walk among us to take away mental illness.
He became a man to redeem the world’s sinful nature.

Jesus didn’t come to talk about science or how we got here.
He came to talk about our need for redemption and to bring us Home.

Jesus didn’t arrive to herald a political revolution.
His concern was delivering us from the rebellion of our hearts.

Jesus didn’t come to tell us about healthy eating and natural medicine.
He came to heal us from our brokenness.

Jesus didn’t come to give us more faith.
He came because our faith is small.

Jesus didn’t come to show us how to “get right with God.”
He came to make us right with God.

Jesus didn’t die to give you prosperity.
Jesus died on a Roman cross because you couldn’t pay your debt.

Jesus came, walked among us and died to rescue humanity from sin.
When we don’t realize this, we make the same mistake as those who missed Jesus 2,000 years ago.

What do you think? Do you agree with Rob-Roy? Personally, I’m not sure where I land on this question. I do know my introduction would be a lot different. Here’s what I would say:

Ladies and gentlemen,
I’d like to introduce you to the only person who has ever loved me unconditionally.
I’d like you to meet the One Man who values me enough to travel a journey of billions of miles just to find me when I’ve wandered away.
The Man who gave up all His power, all His glory, all His dignity and His very life just to adopt me into His family.
I’d like you to meet someone who really cares, truly loves and always protects.
I want you to know The One who loves me in spite of me.
Even after all the times I haven’t trusted Him and all the times I’ve betrayed Him, He still keeps coming back for me.
I hurt Him every day and I do an incredibly good job of making Him look bad. Yet, He still cares and doesn’t leave.
My life makes Him look like a liar and a fraud.
But He is still faithful and unchanging.
I shrug Him off and put others before Him like He means nothing,
But the truth is, He is everything.
Without Him, I am nothing.
I’m not even worthy to speak His name.

That about sums up what I would say. How would you introduce Jesus?

For I was hungry, but you would not feed me.

“I can’t believe those builders. Today was the second time one of them has come into our yard, turned on our hose and stolen our water.”

 I was thirsty, but you would not give me drink.

“I know we should give to the poor and the needy, but these are illegal immigrants. They are in this country illegally. Why should I give to them?”

 I was a stranger, but you would not welcome me.

“I spent 100 bucks on this shirt. Besides, last time I gave to the needy, we didn’t get a thank-you note. People are so ungrateful!”

 I was naked, but you would not clothe me.

“Visiting hospitals just isn’t for me. I don’t know what to do when confronted with terminally ill people. It’s uncomfortable.”

 I was sick and you would not take care of me.

“I don’t understand prison ministries. Why should we waste our time and resources on people who broke the law. They need to pay their debt to society first.”

 I was in prison and you would not care for me.

 Then they will answer him, “When, Lord, did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and we would not help you?” The King will reply, “I tell you, whenever you refused to help one of these least important ones, you refused to help me.”

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
–Matthew 5:17 

When Jesus says He has fulfilled the Law,
He means we could not keep it. So He did.

When Christ says the Law is completed,
He means sin is no longer an issue and because of His work on the cross it is finished.

When Jesus claims the requirements of the Law are satisfied,
He means He has built a bridge that religion could not build.

How does Jesus Fulfill the Law?
He is the Lord our God. He was there when the Israelites came out of Egypt.
He is the Name above all names that so many have used in vain.
He is the one true God that we have all put our own idols before.
He is the Sabbath rest for all who are weary.

Just as Moses led the Israelites through the wilderness for 40 years,
Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan for 40 days.
Just as God’s message was delivered in Israel to 12 tribes,
Jesus’ message was delivered in Israel to 12 disciples.

Just as Abraham was instructed to sacrifice his son on a Mountain in the region of Moriah,
God sacrificed His Only Son on a mountain, in the same region.

Just as sin and death entered the world through Adam,
Sin and death met their end through Christ so that the world might be saved.

The Law is called the Word of God. It was delivered by the mouth of God and written by the hand of God,
Jesus is the Word made flesh. His spoke as God. His hands were pierced and the Law was fulfilled by His blood.

Jesus satisfied The Law because
No other sacrifice can make peace between man and God.
But Jesus is perfect peace.
Jesus is fully man.
And Jesus is fully God.

What Jesus Said

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
-Matthew 5:13-16

Salty Students
Salt has multiple properties and uses. This makes it difficult to evaluate Jesus’ intentions in this teaching about salt and of the spice losing its flavor. Scholars are not certain which use or property in particular Christ might have intended here. Being that Jesus was from the beginning and had a hand in the creation of the world— and thus played a role in the creation of salt, it may help to look at this statement based on the fact that Jesus knew the exact properties of salt and may have intentionally made a statement that included multiple meanings or layers.

Properties of Salt
Salt Preserves: Followers of Christ preserve the goodness in society. In our neighborhoods, cities, states, countries and even in our churches, we should strive to preserve that which is good and keep out that which is bad. We are also to preserve the teachings of Jesus and the Gospel He gave.

Salt Flavors: Salt makes food taste better and makes it more palatable. Jesus’ followers are similarly charged to take Truth into the world to make the lives of others more palatable and better. This is why Christians in the past and some today were instrumental in starting hospitals, orphanages and universities. A little bit of salt can bring out the best in a broken world.

Salt Brings Thirst: Likewise, Christians should make those who do not know Christ thirsty for His love and for His Truth. We should make the world want the Truth and freedom we have found. How often is that not the case today? We are not supposed to be dull, boring or judgmental. These things do not make the world thirsty.

Salt Purifies: In the Old Testament, salt was used to purify offerings given to God. It was seen as a purifying agent. Followers of Christ are to purify the world around them in the same way Christ purifies the church through His forgiveness and sacrifice.

Salt Heals: Saline solution works wonders for a stuffy nose or a sore throat. Though painful, salt on a wound will cure. While not all Christians can heal diseases, they can bring healing to those around them, whether it be from physical ailments or emotional wounds.

Losing Its Taste
True salt, as in sodium chloride cannot lose its taste and cannot be corrupted. In Jesus’ day, the salt used was not pure salt and could often be corrupted and lose its saltiness, once it did it was trampled in the streets. This is where the debate comes in over what Jesus meant about salt. As God in the flesh, it is almost certain Jesus would have known this contradiction between the inauthentic salt of his day and the true properties of real salt. If he did have this knowledge, it is possible Jesus was making a call for His followers to follow Him in word and deed, to always be authentic and to never be a Christian in name only.

Properties of Light
Light Illuminates: Light brings clarity to the world. It makes it so people can see. Followers of Christ do that with Truth. When we teach it should bring clarity to the reality we all live in. Our words and actions should open eyes previously blinded by lies.

Light Reflects: Jesus calls Himself “The Light.” We are not perfect and are not God, so we cannot be the light of the world ourselves, however our very lives should be a reflection of Christ. We should love as He loved, teach as He taught, help as He helped and forgive as He forgave.

Light Spreads: One light is all it takes to brighten the dark. Even the small flame of a candle can bring sight to a dark environment. Like a candle, the flame from one can be brought to another.

Light Exists: Darkness, on the other hand is the absence of light. Once light shines, darkness fades and is no more. In the same way, Jesus’ followers have the ability to destroy the darkness of deception with the light of the Truth.

Don’t Be Ashamed
If believers in Christ are light, which brightens and guides and brings clarity to the world, it would be foolish to hide the light. Instead, we are to let others know what we believe and not hide the message of Christ from the world. Jesus’  message is one of hope for the entire world and it isn’t a message we should be ashamed of or that we should hide from others.

Also…

Healthcare is a mess.
The Middle East is in a constant state of unrest.
Fears of terror attacks are returning.

A glance at the latest headlines is argument enough that the world as we know it has gone over the brink and is headed in an uncertain direction. We are worried, afraid and angry. We are running out of money and patience. We are facing a time of deep and gripping confusion and our souls are unsettled.

It’s bad. It’s probably worse than we think it is. At this point in history, the world seems like a dark and terrifying place. We are without hope and without peace.

On the other side of history, light came into a dark world without hope, without peace and with little to give thanks for. A star brought news of God’s answer to our despair on the outskirts of Bethlehem 2,000 years ago. In the time it takes to deliver a baby, a new hope began to fill a waiting world.

Perhaps on this side of history– in the dire situation we find ourselves in— we will truly understand how much the Savior is still needed. His story is no longer confined to the ancient past. It is still relevant. It is still the hope to which a frightened and desperate world clings.

• When we feed the hungry.
• When we give to the poor.
• When we give second chances for real or perceived wrongs.
• When we meet the felt needs of the suffering.
• When we meet the needs of the infirm and visit the sick in hospitals.
• When we make an elderly person smile.
• When we forgive people who do and say things we don’t understand.
• When we show love to one another.
• When we show love and compassion to those outside the church.
• When we show love and act in compassion to those who consider themselves our enemies.
• When we admit we are wrong.
• When we come to Him for healing, direction, forgiveness and love.

This often-uttered catch phrase echoes through the halls of churches and private schools. It usually means “Let me brag a little bit about my recent accomplishments.” When you hear this, you either have just heard or are about to hear about someone’s new house, new car, wonderful marriage, recent promotion, or sudden acquisition of unexpected funds.

Jesus called people blessed, too, but some of His “blessings” seem more than a little strange in our culture. He lays these out in a part of the Bible commonly called the Beatitudes.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Who are the poor in spirit? In Jesus day, they were the people He spent most of his time with. They were prostitutes, tax collectors and fishermen. They were common, everyday people with mounds of sin heaped high. They were people the religious establishment had rejected. They loved God and wanted to grow closer to Him because they knew they were in need, but they were turned away at every point by the self-righteous.

Today, they are the single mother who has had an abortion, the pregnant teenager, the homosexual, the alcoholic and the man with the tongue ring. They are the ones who sit at the back of the church and don’t talk much. They come because they want to know God, but they don’t feel like they belong.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Think about someone who is truly in mourning. Picture a widow who just lost her husband of 50 years. She’s broken. When she closes her eyes she sees his face and when her eyes are open, she can’t control the tears. She is hopeless and miserable and she can’t pull her emotions together. She is not the type anyone would consider “blessed.”

When Jesus talks about mourners, he is likely talking about people who mourn over their sin and over their personal failures. These are the people who are hard on themselves and are unable to forgive themselves. Their self-loathing and blame may be counterproductive, but you cannot ignore their understanding of the depth of their need for Jesus. He promises they will be comforted. Those who mourn for their sins are the only ones who truly understand how badly they need to be rescued from those sins. Their personal pain, the very failures that keep them awake at night provide the groundwork for the true blessing of loving their God.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
The meek. The patient, the passive and the peaceful are promised the earth itself. It is not given to the go-getters, the name-droppers or those who call undue attention to themselves. Ironically, Jesus calls a group of people blessed who would never dare to boast about their blessings.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for Righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
It isn’t those who think they have it all figured out, it isn’t those who already consider themselves righteous, it is those who hunger and thirst, who are desperate for love and redemption and who know they are hungry and thirsty. Again, we see that it is the desperate and needy who are considered blessed.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy.”
The people who give to others and put others before themselves are called blessed. So often, the people who go around claiming “blessings” are the ones who did all they could to take from others, throw others under the bus, and who adopted a “me-first” attitude. That works in this world and has made a great many quite wealthy, but Jesus says true riches are given to those who show mercy.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
Pure in heart here is more than just a moral purity. This one is about motives. People who give so they can boast or make a name for themselves don’t give from a pure heart. The pure in heart are those who do good, not with an ulterior motive or because it gives them something to boast in, but those who try to do good works out of a genuine love for God. These are the people who come to God with broken hearts to be purified, not the ones who come to him with arrogant pride and feel that God somehow owes them for their goodness.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
In a world where getting what you want often means backbiting, office politics and all out war, those who are called blessed are the ones who strive to avoid conflict and who try to compromise. Creating conflict can get you power, property, money and success, but it doesn’t resemble God. Those who resemble God are those who seek to resolve conflict rather than perpetuate it. Once more, we see that the ways of the world are not the ways of God. The peacemakers are called blessed, but they are often walked on.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Persecution is not something the average person would consider a blessing. When we count our blessings, we don’t typically include this on the list. Persecution in this sense though means to be persecuted because of your relationship to Christ. To be persecuted for this reason shows evidence of a life focused on God. Such a life is considered to be blessed. The shift in thinking here is profound: those who are persecuted are powerless. It is the powerless and not those in power who are given the Kingdom of Heaven.

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in Heaven.”
The unpopular and hated are blessed. Those who stand for what they believe in and are not blown by the winds and moods of the masses are called blessed. Those who choose the long and hard road instead of the easy ride are considered better off.

Why are all these groups of people we would consider nobodies called “blessed?” Because God is a long-term God. He is the God of the Big Picture. We may feel blessed in the short-term when we are comfortable, but we find ourselves more dependent on God and closer to Him when we face discomfort.