Does the title sound like a silly question to you because you are a follower of Christ and therefore have no problem saying , "well, of course, He is the Christ?" But this IS the question for today, and in light of our culture and the direction that some of Christian faith is turning, it is a question of great impact. Today's scripture poses this question throughout the text of John 7:1-29. In this part of the Gospel of John, we see Jesus deciphering how people are deciding who He is, while He teaches the crowds. He hears their debate, He listens to their thoughts and notes their confusion. Then He declares who He is, but still many cannot seem to understand. Their hearts are not ready. Their ears refuse to hear. Their eyes are still covered and their minds are in a tunnel of what they have expected the Christ to be. They seem to want their own version.
This question – Is Jesus the Christ?—is still being asked by many in 2007. Just in the last year, we have witnessed the book and the movie The Da Vinci Code become popular and touted by the media. Indeed, they could not seem to get enough of it. The book lays claim to a very different Jesus then the one in the book of John. This one fakes death on the cross, and escapes to France to live out his life with Mary Magdalene and their child. Then there was the book called The Gospel of Judas, which was a supposed account by Judas about Jesus and an explanation of why Judas did what he did. And just recently, James Cameron the director of Titanic fame, was sure that he and some half-baked journalist, had found the tomb of Christ's family, including Jesus.
Never mind that the Da Vinci code is a novel, for some it has been treated as fact. Never mind that Judas more then likely did not have time to compose his account of why he did what he did before hanging himself, some saw it as truth. Never mind that most credible archeologists on the planet have debunked the notion that the tomb that Cameron found could be Jesus' family with Jesus himself buried in this spot, the Discovery Channel ran a documentary of it as scientific drama. Needless to say, for each of these sensationalistic, nonsense pieces, the hullabaloo has died down. The last one especially fizzled like a short sparkler.
But of much greater concern, is what is occurring in real churches and real denominations that claim Christ, but who are moving further and further away from scripture as they re-invent Jesus to their own liking. When Jesus says something tough and hard for us to hear, as he does many times, there are denominations who are now ignoring these parts of scripture and Christ's words so that they will not offend anyone.
Moreover, for the last 20 years the famed Jesus Seminar, has met twice a year with a team of 135 New Testament scholars whose purpose is to use methods to determine what Jesus, as a historical figure, may or may not have said or done. From what I understand, they have thrown out most of what Jesus said and left little intact. Which leaves us a very thin faith. The seminar's reconstruction of Jesus portrays him as a "wandering wisdom sage who did not found a religion or rise from the dead, but preached in startling parables and aphorisms." Incidently, several churches in Eau Claire banded together two years in a row to bring information about the Jesus Seminar to our populace. In reviewing the promotion, it would appear that they were in agreement with the findings of the Jesus Seminar.
Which raises the question about truth, reliability and conviction. With every chink out of the divinity of Jesus, we lose the center. It is a slippery slope. Is Jesus the Christ? Johns words are breath taking as he begins his Gospel account of Christ. They are God-driven. He leaves no room for us to sway to doubt. He is a witness who has seen with his own eyes the savior. He has heard His words. He has known the light of the world. Sometimes we live in ignorance and conclude it is bliss, but only until we hit the wall of truth. God is not deaf to those who tear at the center.
And blessed and merciful Jesus hears our debate. He listens to our thoughts and notes our confusion. His words continue to declare who He is and, yet, there are many who cannot seem to understand. Their hearts may never be ready. Their ears may always refuse to hear. Their eyes will remained covered and their minds will be shut forever in a tunnel of what they expect the Christ to be. They will continue to search for their own version, and will remain in darkness because they have rejected the light that was given.
Laurie Erdman
See what's free at AOL.com.
1 comment:
Having so many friends living the life that you so frequently describe, I ALWAYS can relate to and understand your posts. I can 'feel' your fear for the lost and your passion for the modern church.
What I note amongst my non-believing and marginally-believing friends is a rejection of Christ's command to come out of the world. By their unwillingness to reject worldly desires, they try to co-mingle Christ with a form of self-discipline which denies them only a few things, and they create a denomination of one. Christ in their image to suit their needs on any given day.
Oh, but I still see myself in that description. In my fallen condition, am I so different than them in wanting to have a Jesus that suits my needs? It is ONLY because of the Holy Spirit in me and a willingness (or sometimes just a discipline) to read and be taught the Word that I know I that I cannot just 'create' Jesus to be who I want Him to be. He is the I AM - and I must accept Him in His entirety or not at all.
How sad for those we know who will hear the words " I never knew you" even though they had invested themselves in 'church' their whole lives. KP
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