A question that bothers me: What Would Jesus Do?
Remember all the “WWJD?” paraphernalia from the 90′s? Yeah, you do. The key chains… bracelets… necklaces… bumper stickers… license plates… Who hasn’t seen the popular acronym before? I couldn’t help but laugh when a few days ago I stumbled upon the old “WWJD?” key chain that faithfully held my first car key during my sophomore year in high school. What made this especially funny to me is that I wasn’t even a Christian then. I thought I was a Christian (but only by default, since I went to a Christian church); however, it would be another few years til I truly knew the gospel and came to that radical saving faith in Christ.
So, with key chain in hand, I asked myself: what was it that inclined an unbelieving Chris Poblete to dig the “WWJD?” phrase at the time? Perhaps it was an attractive ideology to live by?
That’s when I realized that, though totally well-intentioned, “WWJD?” was the wrong question to be asking myself.
I don’t think it’s a bad question… not at all. However, it does miss the point. Hugely. “What would Jesus do?” sells Jesus Christ as an ideology… and idea for how to make good decisions for living a proper life. It sells us short of knowing the Gospel. He becomes our friendship model, our self-help mantra, our ’5 steps to a better marriage’ and our ’10 steps to worry-free living.’
But Jesus came to bring the Gospel.
And the Gospel is good news… not good advice.
Now that I’m saved, I understand that God did not send his Son to teach me the right things to do in this life…
Jesus didn’t come to make me more religious and spiritual. He didn’t come so that I would be overcome by emotional religious piety and experiences. He didn’t come so that I would vote for family values and lowered taxes. He didn’t come so that I would passionately serve in the latest cause, raising awareness for health pandemics and social injustices. He didn’t come so that I might be encouraged to drive a bag of collected plastic bottles to the recycling center in my Toyota Prius because God cares about his Earth. He didn’t come to teach me to be accepting and open-minded to everyone else, everywhere and no matter what (unless they are not as “open-minded” as I am). He didn’t come to make me a better people person with a charming smile, a good handshake and polite manners.
Definitely not saying that these are all bad (though some are), but he didn’t come because I needed the perfect example on how to do good “Jesus-things”.
He came because I needed a Savior.
You see, the Jesus Christ we need is the Great Reedemer–the Savior King. This King of Kings showed God’s own love for us by leaving his great throne in heaven to live a life that we were supposed to have lived, die a death that we are otherwise condemned to die, and rise victoriously from the grave in triumphant victory over sin, satan and death. He came to free us! He absorbed the wrath of God and ushers us not into a life of reconditioned morals, but rather, into a life marked by God’s irresistible grace, the forgiveness of sins, and the free gift of salvation.
That’s what Jesus did.
“… he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed” -Isaiah 53:5
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God” -1 Peter 3:18
This is a message worth sharing. It’s a life that he provides–a NEW life–not a lifestyle. It’s a Gospel that saves. And thus the new question we should be asking:
What DID Jesus Do?
… let us ask and remind ourselves daily.
*** UPDATE: 05/28/10 ***
Reader Chris Hopf was kind enough to nicely recommend Michael Horton’s Christless Christianity, which addresses similar ideas.
9 Comments on "Four Letters and a Punctuation Mark That Bug"
omg chris… this is beautiful.
Chris, I love this article. I starred it on my Google Reader.
P.S. Nice post title.
Preach it dog. Good examples are one thing, Saviors are quite another. Jesus is my Savior.
Wow. This has been on my mind for years. Thanks for expressing it in great words.
this was very insightful.
Love the premise here- it is very similar, almost too similar, to Michael Horton’s thoughts in his book, Christless Christianity, where he says the exact same thing. Love your passion, but give credit where credit is due my friend.
Ha. Chris, thanks for the head’s up brother. The only book I’ve read by Dr. Horton is Gospel Driven Life. I remember googling “what did jesus do?” before I wrote this last year, and all I found were blog posts on miracles and such referencing the phrase “what did jesus do?” …and nothing on atonement.
I’ll be sure to check out Christless Christianity and point readers in that direction too. Be blessed.
ALOL!!! What a dousche. Dude obviously doesn’t know you =) Too bad CP has been preaching that message since my freshman year of college!!!
sorryyy I just found it really funny.
pharasaical plagiarism police: FAIL.
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