Would Jesus be Welcomed in America Today?

What if Jesus came unannounced, with no fanfare, to America today, and began to teach and live in the same way He did two thousand years ago in Israel?  Would He be welcomed?

Jesus came at a critical moment in history. Israel was chaffing under Roman occupation and longed to be free, living under the former glory that was theirs in the days of king David. People lived in Messianic expectation. Biblical prophecy foretold of the coming of a king who would come and restore Israel to greatness.

So what happened when Jesus did come proclaiming the kingdom of God by the things He taught and the way He lived? 

For approximately three years Jesus proclaimed the way of love. He taught that we are to love our enemies, to "turn the other cheek" when wronged, that loving our neighbors includes anyone who needs help that we are capable of helping. He associated with those who were cast as undesirable by society out of a genuine compassion for their eternal souls. He warned that one day we would be judged by the love and compassion the we show to "least of these", you know the hungry, the naked, the prisoner, the stranger, basically those who are marginalized by the people around them. He came calling people to enter a heavenly kingdom that stands in opposition to the kingdoms of this world. It is a kingdom where humility is true greatness as opposed to the arrogance of the powerful people of this world. 

The religious leaders of the day clashed with Him repeatedly. What they were expecting from a Messiah figure was not what they were witnessing in Jesus. He violated their ideas of godliness. They held power over the people, but the multitudes were clamoring over this man who was kind and compassionate, who healed their diseases, who showed them what it was like to love God and their fellow man.

It all came to a head when Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey. This fulfilled a Messianic prophecy concerning the coming king who would restore the kingdom to greatness once again. The people welcomed Him with shouts of "Hosanna to the son of David, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" Like I stated above, Messianic expectation was running high. The people longed for someone to come and "make Israel great again."

Jesus didn't live up to their expectations. By the end of that week the religious leaders turned a mob of people against Jesus and had Him put to death by crucifixion.

Would we expect it to be any different here, today? If Jesus suddenly appeared and began to teach and do the very same things that He did then, I fear the outcome would be just the same. We have a government, religious leaders, and a multitude of professing followers of Jesus who want to "make America great again." Would Jesus live up to their expectations? Where does humility and sacrificial love fit into this kingdom? It is not the kingdom that Christ has charged His followers to seek.

 

The Idolatry of the American Church

Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?

Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?

Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said,

     "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord. "AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; and I will welcome you. And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me," says the Lord Almighty.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 NASB

When the face of American evangelical Christianity is a man who stands in stark opposition to everything Jesus taught, and modeled for us by example in the gospels, the hypocrisy is glaring.

By supporting this man and his movement; by ignoring and excusing his unrepentant actions; by embracing his ungodly agenda, all in the name of Jesus, we give the lost around us an opportunity to blaspheme the God we claim to serve. Instead of drawing lost souls into the kingdom, we drive them away. Why would they want what "we have" when we have nothing at all. 

If the salt has lost its flavor it is worthless (Matt 5:13). I'm afraid our becoming yoked to the political system has cost us dearly in the eyes of the world. It has cost us more than we can ever imagine.

Today if you hear His voice.....

Does It Really Matter?

The national anthem. Kneeling football players refusing to stand. Angry people, insulted by the "disrespect" shown to the flag and country it represents. Amidst the roiling turmoil, Christians have raised their voices in disgust as well. But does it really matter? Is this a cause that should be of the utmost importance to the advancement of the gospel and kingdom of Christ, that we as Christians need to become involved in it? Does Christ expect us to be patriotic? These are real questions that we should all ask ourselves.

As for being patriotic, the Bible teaches us to be in subjection to our leaders, to obey the laws of the land, pay our taxes, and respect those in authority (Romans 13:1-7). However, you will be hard pressed to find a passage of scripture that would teach us to be patriotic. It is not "God and country" as so many Christians believe. The exact opposite is true. The bible also abundantly teaches us that we as Christians are strangers and pilgrims in a world that is not our home (1 Peter 1:1; Heb 11:8-10, 13-16, 13:14). In fact we are exhorted to come out and be separate (2 Cor 6:17), to not be conformed to the world (Romans 12:2), and not to love the world (1 John 2:15).

Contrary to popular opinion, America is not a godly nation, it is not God's chosen people, and is not currently serving God. Like all of the other nations of this world, it is enshrouded in spiritual darkness, the hearts and minds of the people blinded by the god of this age (2 Cor 4:4). Look at the rampant sin, the disdain for God and His ways, all of the wicked things that this nation does and allows, and ask yourself how it could be possible as a Christian to be filled with patriotic fervor? Whose side our we on? Do we love Christ or this world? It can't be both.

We are in this world, but not of it (John 17:14-18), citizens of Christ's kingdom.  As Christ's ambassadors our purpose is not to fix this world, not to make our nation great again, but to lead others to repentance and faith, that they too would escape the corruption of this sinful world, and find refuge in Christ Jesus. We read that someday the kingdoms of this world will all come to nought. This world and all it stands for will someday be destroyed (2 Peter 3:8-13; 1 John 2:16-17). We are called to follow Jesus, to obey Him, to live by His word, and to make His kingdom the all consuming priority of our lives, while we wait for a new heavens and earth where righteousness dwells. Don't let yourself get sidetracked by other things, and as a result lose out in the end. When we appear before Christ, it will not be about our protests, our defense of the pledge of allegiance or the national anthem, but we will be judged by our obedience to Christ.

A Political Jesus?

We read in John's gospel that Jesus "perceived that they would come and take Him by force, to make Him a king" (John 6:15 KJV). I fear that this is what many professing Christians desire to do today as well. They seem to believe that somehow Jesus wants to reign and rule in the affairs of the United States through political means. If somehow we can get a "conservative" president, the right mix of conservatives in congress, a conservative bench, then righteousness will reign in this country, Jesus will be king of our nation.

I find it interesting that Jesus, when He perceived the intentions of the people, departed from them. He had no interest, no desire to rule an earthly kingdom. Imagine the good He could have accomplished in His lifetime for the nation of Israel had He actually displaced the Roman empire and ruled from Jerusalem. However, that was not His true purpose in coming to earth.

We read of Him standing before Pilate, when He states, "My kingdom is not of this world: if My kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is My kingdom not from hence" (John 18:36 KJV).

Why then do we insist upon embroiling ourselves in the politics of this world, when instead, we should be living for the advancement of the true kingdom of Jesus Christ. There are indeed two kingdoms, the kingdom of this world, and the kingdom of God. Let the world take care of the world, while we put our effort and energy into Christ's kingdom, where our allegiance truly belongs. 

Someday the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever. (Rev 11:15) Until then however, this world will wax worse and worse. We as followers of Jesus Christ, can accomplish far more good through the spreading of the gospel and fervent prayer. It has never worked to legislate righteousness through political means, and it never will. The "legalizing" of Christianity during the reign of Constantine is the perfect example of the error of mixing Church and state. Let the Church be the Church, living as strangers and aliens in this present world, looking for the city which is to come (Heb 13:14), while calling people out of the darkness of this world, into the kingdom of Christ (Col 1:13).

See also this link

"My Kingdom Is Not Of This World."

     In John's account of the trial of Jesus, we see a profound statement, that has implications for us today as followers of Christ. Jesus makes this statement to Pilate,

     "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm." John 18:36 NASB

     There are several things that we can draw from this passage concerning the kingdom of God, and how we as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, are to live as subjects of this kingdom.

 1. There are two kingdoms, and only two. The kingdom of this world, made up of kings and kingdoms, politicians and parties, and the kingdom of God, where Jesus Christ reigns supreme.

 2. In the kingdom of God, His servants do not fight. While nations may war against nation, and politicians war against politicians to gain control of human government, Christ's servants do not fight.

 3. Christ's kingdom is not of this realm. The world has its ways, based upon selfish ambition, and physical force. The kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom, where Christ rules in the hearts and lives of His faithful followers. The power of this kingdom is not a physical power, but the very power of God poured out as His subjects cry out to Him by faith. His followers affect this world only as they seek first His kingdom (Matt 6:33). A true Christian will be motivated by love rather than selfishness. This stands in stark opposition to the ways of the world.

     As Christians, we live in this world, but are not of this world; we are strangers and aliens here (Heb 11:13). As members of the heavenly kingdom, we strive toward a different purpose, and wage a different warfare than that of this world (2 Cor 10:3-4).  As soldiers in the heavenly army, we do not get entangled in the affairs of this world (2 Tim 2:4). This should affect us in every area of our lives as we live in this world as ambassadors of another kingdom! We do not get involved in the affairs of the world; in its politics and its conflicts. We represent Jesus Christ, as His ambassadors. Our purpose is to seek first His kingdom and righteousness, and to urge men to be reconciled to God through Christ (2 Cor 5:20). 
     As Christians, we are to be in subjection to human governments where it does not conflict with the word of God (Romans 13:1-2; Acts 4:19-20). We are to give honor to whom honor is due, pay our tribute and taxes, and render unto Caesar that which is his (Romans 13:7; Matt 22:17-21). We are commanded in scripture to pray for those in authority so that it would go well for us, and also so that they may be saved (2 Tim 2:1-4). 
    We can do far more for the cause of Christ if we let the world take care of the world, while we make Christ's kingdom the focus of our lives. If we would faithfully do this rather than immersing ourselves in politics and social activism, we would actually see souls saved, lives transformed, and God's kingdom advanced.
     We have tried fixing the world, the world's way, but it seems to have only gotten worse. Isn't it time to try it God's way?