which Jesus?

A story about a youth group and a flip chart …

Conventional View Emerging View

The HumanSituation: Whatis the story thatwe findourselves in?

God created the world as perfect,but because our primalancestors, Adam and Eve, didnot maintain the absoluteperfection demanded by God,God has irrevocably determinedthat the entire universe and all itcontains will be destroyed, andthe souls of all human beings –except for those specificallyexempted – will be foreverpunished for their imperfectionin hell.1

God created the world as good, buthuman beings – as individuals, and asgroups – have rebelled against God andfilled the world with evil and injusticelike a terrible disease. God wants to savehumanity and heal it from its sickness,but humanity is hopelessly lost andconfused, like sheep without a shepherd,wandering farther and farther intolostness and danger. Left to themselves,human beings will spiral downward insickness and evil.

BasicQuestions: Whatquestions didJesus come toanswer?

Since everyone is doomed tohell, Jesus seeks to answer thesequestions: how can individualsbe saved from eternalpunishment in hell and insteadgo to heaven after they die? Howcan God help individuals behappy and successful until then?

Since the human race is in such desperatetrouble, Jesus seeks to answer thisquestion: what must be done about themess we’re in? The mess refers both tothe general human condition and itsspecific outworking among hiscontemporaries: living under dominationby the Roman empire, and divided intovarious competing sects.

Jesus’ message:How did Jesusrespond to thecrisis?

Jesus says, in essence, “If youwant to be among thosespecifically qualified to escapebeing forever punished for yoursins in hell, you must repent ofyour individual sins and believethat my Father punished me onthe cross so He won’t have topunish you in hell. Only if youbelieve this will you go toheaven when everyone else isbanished to hell.”2 This is thegood news.

Jesus says, in essence, “Other people andgroups – including your own religiousleaders - are leading you farther andfarther astray. I have been sent by Godwith this good news – that God loveshumanity, even in its lostness and sin.God graciously invites everyone andanyone to question and reject what theyhave been told and instead follow a newpath. Trust me and become my disciple,and you will be transformed, and you willparticipate in the transformation of theworld, which is possible, beginning rightnow.”3 This is the good news.

1 Of course, there are many modern western non-religious ontologies and framing stories too,plus Eastern ontologies and framing stories – both religious and irreligious.2 This reflects a Calvinistic Evangelical protestant version of the message. The popular RomanCatholic version might say, “You must believe in the teachings of the church and follow itsinstructions, especially those regarding sacraments.” The popular mainline or liberal Protestant

2 questions:From Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crises, and a

Revolution of Hope

What are the top global problems?

What does the message of Jesus say to those problems?

Top Global Problems:

High Noon (20)

United Nations University (15)

Copenhagen Consensus (10)

Millennium Development Goals (8)

PEACE plan (5)

United Nations University: The State of the FutureTop Fifteen Challenges: How can …1. … sustainable development be achieved for all?2. … everyone have sufficient clean water without conflict?3. … population growth and resources be brought into balance?4. … genuine democracy emerge from authoritarian regimes?5. … policymaking be made more sensitive to global long-term perspectives?6. … the global convergence of information and communications technologies work for everyone?7. … ethical market economies be encouraged to help reduce the gap between rich and poor?

8. … the threat of new and reemerging diseases and immune micro-organisms be reduced?9. … the capacity to decide be improved as the nature of work and institutions change?10. … shared values and new security strategies reduce ethnic conflicts, terrorism, and the use of weapons of mass destruction?11. … the changing status of women help improve the human condition?12. … transnational organized crime networks be stopped from becoming more powerful and sophisticated global enterprises?13. … growing energy demands be met safely and efficiently?14. … scientific and technological breakthroughs be accelerated to improve the human condition?15. … ethical considerations become more routinely incorporated into global decisions?

Copenhagen Consensus Top 10 Global Problems

1. Hunger and malnutrition2. Climate change3. Conflicts4. Financial Instability5. Water and Sanitation6. Subsidies and Trade Barriers7. Population/Migration8. Communicable Diseases9. Education10. Governance and Corruption

8 Millennium Development Goals:1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.2. Achieve universal primary education.3. Promote gender equality and empower women.4. Reduce child mortality. 5. Improve maternal health.6. Combat HIV/AIDs, malaria, and other diseases.7. Ensure environmental sustainability, confront climate change.8. Develop a global partnership for sustainable development.

Rick Warren’s PEACE Plan1. Promote reconciliation to overcome conflict.2. Equip servant leaders to combat corrupt leadership3. Assist the poor through humanitarian aid (poverty)4. Care for the sick to combat disease5. Educate the next generation to combat ignorance

spiritual emptiness corrupt leadership poverty disease ignorance hunger and malnutrition climate change conflicts Financial Instability Water/Sanitation

subsidies/trade barriers population/ migration communicable diseases

education governance/corruption hunger education gender inequality child

mortality maternal health environmental sustainability ethnic

conflicts terrorism weapons of mass destruction organized crime networks

energy demands clean water population growth authoritarian regimes

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FOUR GLOBAL CRISES

Societal Machine

Equity Security

Prosperity

The Ecosystem

Heat

Solar Energy

ResourcesWaste

Framing Story

1.Prosperity - crisis of the planet.

2. Equity - crisis of poverty.

3.Security - crisis of peace

4.Spirituality - crisis of framing story

Jesus’ framing story/good news

God’s kingdom is at hand - available to all. God calls all people to repentance and reconciliation - to enter and participate in God’s kingdom.

Jesus’ Good News

as a framing story of hope

I believe in Jesus. I love Jesus. I am committed to Jesus. But I am aware that the word “Jesus” can

have very different meanings.

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

One of my most faithful critics (his name is not

important) said,

Some emergent types [want] to recast Jesus as a limp-wrist hippie in a dress with a lot of product in

His hair, who drank decaf and made pithy Zen statements about life while shopping for the perfect

pair of shoes.

He then went on to say,

In Revelation, Jesus is a prize fighter with a tattoo down His leg, a sword in His hand and the commitment to make someone bleed. That is the guy I can worship. I cannot worship the hippie, diaper, halo Christ because I cannot worship a guy I can beat up.

From Left Behind: “The Glorious Appearing”:

[When Jesus spoke] ”… bodies ripped open, blood pooling in great masses … Men and women and soldiers and horses seemed to explode where they stood." [Jesus walked through the battlefield] “… the hem of his robe turning red in the blood of the enemy."

Another of my loyal critics said …

“The only reason Jesus came was to save people from hell … Jesus had no social agenda …” He didn’t come to eliminate poverty or slavery or “fix something in somebody’s life for the little moment they live on this earth.”

Which Jesus?

The Cute Baby Jesus

The Prize-fighter Warrior Jesus

The Second-Coming Killer Jesus

The Private, Personal “make me feel good” Jesus

The Prosperity “help me get rich” Jesus

The Fire Escape “get me out of hell” Jesus

The Evacuation “leave this world behind” Jesus

The Institutional “organ music/stained glass” Jesus

… Or None of the above?

Which Jesus?

In groups of 2 or 3 … talk about which Jesus you grew up with. Which Jesus is primary in your faith community? In America?

We’ll re-gather at the bell …

Which Jesus?

Matthew 16:13 ff

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples … “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”



150 miles N. of Jerusalem,

30+ miles from Galilee



When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples … “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus replied, “Blessed are you…”

What did Peter mean when he answered,

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Which Jesus was he talking about?



"Divine Augustus Caesar, son of a god, imperator of land and sea...”

- inscription at myra, lycia

Inscription from the Asian League of Cities - requiring change of all calendars so that Caesar Augustus’ birthday will now be the first day of the year, from just before birth of Jesus:

Since the providence that has divinely ordered our existence has applied her energy and zeal and has brought to life the most perfect good in Augustus, whom she filled with virtues for the benefit of mankind, bestowing him upon us and our descendants as a savior – he who put an end to war and will order peace, Caesar, who by his epiphany exceeded the hopes of those who prophesied good tidings (euaggelia),

those who prophesied good tidings (euaggelia), not only outdoing benefactors of the past, but also allowing no hope of greater benefactions in the future; and since the birthday of the god first brought to the world the good tidings (euaggelia) residing in him .... For that reason … the Greeks of Asia have decided that the New Year in all the cities should begin on 23rd September, the birthday of Augustus ...

KURIOS CAESAROR

KURIOS IESOUS?

So Peter was proclaiming Jesus as God’s chosen king, ruler, leader, and supreme authority for humanity. Caesar wasn’t Lord: Jesus was.

But then notice what happens…

From that time on, Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things … that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”

Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me. You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

In many ways, we still stand with Peter in that moment -

Confused.

Feeling whiplash.

Speaking truth one minute and playing for the wrong side the next.

Trying to imagine how a crucified king can be king at all.

Christ … Liberating king

Son of the living God … Supreme authority, divinely sanctioned

Lord … KURIOS … supreme authority

Son of man … Daniel 7:13 ff. A new generation of humanity.

Christ … Liberating king

Son of the living God … Supreme authority, divinely sanctioned

Lord … KURIOS

Son of man … Daniel 7:13 ff. A new generation of humanity - not a beast!

Suffer?

Be killed?

Often, we (mis)read the Book of Revelation to resolve the tension:

Jesus’ first coming might have been meek

and mild, but he’ll come back and behave more

like Caesar!

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True…. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him… Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. (Rev. 19, selected)

CAESAR … and Jesus

Warhorse & chariot … donkey

Sword … basin and towel

Crown of gold … crown of thorns

Crushes enemies … loves enemies

Tortures … undergoes torture

Kills and finally dies … dies and rises from the dead, giving life to all.

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

And he is the head of the body, the [assembly]; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven,

by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. [col 1:15-

20]

Which Jesus?The Jesus who came - the Jesus of the New Testament - is the one we are to

follow.

Which Jesus?The one who healed the sick … released people from the

oppression of evil spirits … gave sight to the blind … gave hearing to the deaf … fed people for free …

brought peace and calm to a turbulent storm … gave life to the dead … healed a paralyzed hand … empowered

the lame to walk … included the excluded … confronted hypocrites … turned tables … died on Caesar’s cross …

rose from the dead … sent the Holy Spirit.

Which Jesus?Quaker scholar Elton Trueblood used to say that the

doctrine of the Holy Trinity and the mystery of the incarnation are meant to tell us this:

the living God is like Jesus, and if we see Jesus, we have seen the true

character of God.

Which Jesus?

Chant

From “Songs For a Revolution of Hope, Vol. 1: everything must change.”Adapted by Brian McLaren.

This chant is from Colossians 1, which many scholars believe was an early Christian hymn.

Left margin lines - last word sung “down up.”

Indented lines - last word sung “up down.”

(Don’t worry - they harmonize if you get mixed up!)

Christ is the image of the God who can’t be seen. Christ is the image of the God who can’t be seen.

The firstborn of all creation.

In him all things were created.Things in heaven and on earth

Things visible and invisibleWhether thrones or dominions,

rulers or powersAll things have been created through him.All things have been created for him.

And he is before all things.All things hold together in him.

And he is the head of the body, the church

He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.

So he has the first place in everything.For in him all the fullness -The fullness of God -Was pleased to dwell.

In Him God was pleased to reconcile all thingsAll things to himself,All things on earth, all things in heaven

By making peace through the blood of his cross. By making peace through the blood of his cross.

Q & A:What questions does this raise for you?

-We’ll resume promptly at 11:00.