Are we too familiar with Jesus Christ? Has our familiarity with Him caused us to read the Scriptures in a biased manner? In a manner that strips Christ of His rough edges and unpredictability? In a manner that refines Him to fit our sensibilities, our tastes? In a manner that keeps Him in our comfort zones?

Jesus Christ is anything but predictable and refined. Those who knew Him were anything but comfortable. Indeed, often they were shocked at His radical moves and authoritative teaching. When we fail to be shocked by the actions and teachings of Jesus, we have grown too comfortable with Him and have shaved off His rough edges to fit our extremely fragile egos and comfort-loving life-styles.

Reading through the Gospel according to Matthew in one setting recently reminded me anew of Jesus' incredibly unpredictable actions and teaching.

To any outward observer, Jesus' birth had to appear illegitimate--the result of fornication rather than virgin birth (1:18-25). At birth, He is first sought out, not by the religious establishment of the day, but by eastern occultists and soothsayers (2:1-12). Christ's birth then brings bloodshed in its wake as hundreds of innocent children die because of Herod's paranoia (1:16-18).

Jesus was preceded by a Prophet--John the Baptist--who was anything but ordinary. He clearly placed himself outside the religious establishment of the day represented by the Pharisees and Sadducees (people more like us than we would like to admit). As influential and as moral as they were, John did not hesitate to call them to repentance along with the rest of his audience (3:1-12). In Jesus' first public appearance, He identified with this Prophet in baptism rather than the religious establishment, a bold move on His part, immediately alienating Him from the status quo (3:13-15).

During Christ's initial confrontation with Satan, we find out something concerning the nature of His kingdom. His kingdom does not include sensational miracles or worldly kingdoms but it does include personal suffering (4:1-11). This view of the kingdom was foreign to the religious establishment of His day.

After His temptation, rather than making disciples of those in top religious positions He made disciples of common fishermen and tax-collectors (4:18-22; 9:9). Again, another strike against the status quo. He then presented a full-scale attack on the current religious teachings of the day in His Sermon on the Mount (5-7; esp. 5:20; cf. 16:6, 12). In this sermon, He attacked the Pharisees and their life and teachings with clarity and passion. The crowds who heard this message realized Christ's teaching was unlike any they were currently hearing from their religious leaders (7:28-29).

Jesus then began a healing ministry to the poor, weak, and impoverished. Against all contemporary scruples, He touched a leper (8:1-4). Even though hostility between Rome and Jerusalem was escalating, He helped a Roman Centurion whose faith, according to Jesus, was greater than any He had encountered among His fellow Israelites (8:5-13). He healed women (9:20-22), outcasts and maniacs (8:28-34) and even claimed to personally forgive sins (9:1-8). Unconcerned about what others would think or the harm that would come to His reputation, He freely dined with sinners and tax-gatherers (9:10-11). He boldly told those who opposed Him that He didn't come for their type ("the righteous"), but for those they despised ("sinners") (9:12-13). The rejects of society had a friend in Jesus. None were exempt from His care and compassion. His mercy appeared endless toward those who were hurting.

These actions were so shocking that the followers of John the Baptist had a hard time understanding Him. He refused to fast as John's disciples expected Him to do (9:14-17). Indeed, His ministry was so unpredictable that even John the Baptist's expectations had to be reconsidered (11:1-6). Jesus tenderly tried to encourage John while still remaining true to His shocking, unanticipated work.

However, His actions among the religious leaders were not as tender or merciful. Without regard to the religious establishment of His day, He freely broke every taboo and tradition that was stifling to true spiritual life. In the plain view of those he knew would be offended, He broke man-made Sabbath restrictions (12:1-21). He opposed the popular conceptions of the Kingdom of God (13). He refused to bow to the tradition of the elders (15:1-20). He taught that evil proceeded from the heart and not from things (15:16-20). He declared that God would reward people, not according to merit, but according to God's graciousness (20:1-16). In the midst of His unceasing assault against phony religion, He didn't mind offending the Pharisees (15:12; cf. 22:29). He clearly told them that the tax-gatherers and harlots would enter the kingdom before them (21:31-32). He publicly exposed the hypocrisy of the religious establishment, liberally using colorful and offensive words to describe those guilty, such as "hypocrites," "sons of hell," "blind guides," "fools," "serpents," "brood of vipers," "hell-bound ones" (22:18; 23). In one public setting, He violently cast out merchandisers in the temple (21:12-13). He prominently declared in His teaching that the religious leaders' were bringing upon themselves and their nation judgment from God. A judgment that would be manifest by the Kingdom of God being taken away from Israel (21:33-46), leading to the desolation of Israel (23:37-38) and the destruction of their temple (24:1-2).

The response of the religious leaders toward Jesus was less than appreciative. In their opinion He was no less than the devil's own (9:34), "Beelzebul himself," (10:25) "a gluttonous man, a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners," (11:19) "in league with the prince of demons" (12:24). Because of this, the religious leaders sought to trap Him either through His words or deeds (19; 21:45-46; 22:15; 26:3-4). Jesus, quite aware of the opposition, repeatedly proclaimed to His disciples His upcoming sufferings at the hands of the religious establishment (16:21; 17:12, 22-23; 20:18-19; 26:2). He warned them that if they would do this to Him, then they would do it to them as well! He then announced to His disciples the devastating circumstances that would arise between His first and second coming and encouraged them to take heart in the midst of this chaos, remaining true to Him until the end (24-25).

He made it very clear to His followers that His coming and teaching were guaranteed to bring division instead of peace, even separating close family members from one another (10:34-39). And yet, in the midst of this turmoil, He demanded that a forgiving spirit be displayed in His followers (18:21-35; cf. 6:14-15), manifested in a humble, child-likeness (18:1-6) and servant's heart to all (20:20-28). Those who lived like this would be the greatest in His kingdom (18:1-6). In the midst of all this chaos, He never lost His joy and zeal for life. Children were attracted to Him in droves. He gladly received children and prayed for them (19:13-15). Near the end of His life, we still find the children crying out His praises (21:15). And yet, His joy was tempered with sorrows and frustrations and He was not afraid to express His frustrations with others (17:17).

But the most unpredictable and shocking element of all is this: This Savior of sinners suffered a sinner's death. This King of all kings endured the ignoble shame of being a crucified criminal King. The deliverer, the triumphant Christ of prophecy, anticipated for years, turns out to be a suffering Messiah--indeed, a brutally tortured, despised, and mocked Messiah! The infinite, almighty and everlasting God dies at the hands of finite men (26-27)! Does this news shock you anymore? Do you find comfort from this Man and His message because of the unpredictable greatness of His sacrifice or because of your smug, self-satisfied familiarity with a story that no longer stirs your imagination, grabs your affections, and quickens your heart-rate?

Who would have thought of such a story? What mind could have imagined such a turning of the tables? What genius could have devised so great a salvation in so unpredictable a manner? A suffering Messiah. A crucified criminal King. A God who dies. Hardly predictable! Absolutely shocking!

When we consider the true Jesus of the Scriptures, we come face to face with this fact: If He were physically present today in the same way He was 2000 years ago, and if He were doing and teaching the same things today that He was 2000 years ago, quite frankly, many of us wouldn't like Him. He has too many rough edges. He doesn't fit our picture-perfect bill. He is anything but predictable. He is holy, but not a separatist. He is righteous, but not nice. He is good, but not a "holier-than-thou" type. He is effective, but not efficient. He is compassionate, but not a sickly-sweet sentimentalist. He is determined, but not predictable.

Do you know this unpredictable deliverer? Or is your Jesus an idol of your own devising? A Savior you've pieced together? If at some point, He does not offend you or crush you, shock you or wound you, then you haven't really honestly dealt with Him for who He really is!

Have we in the evangelical community sterilized Jesus? Have we made Him a no-shock, user-friendly, status quo promoting, goody-two-shoes who refuses to rock the boat or shake our world? Have we made Him to fit our own conception of Messiah? And how is this response any different from those who rejected Him in the first place?

Written November 27, 1997. © Richard J. Vincent, January 12, 2003

"It is utterly arbitrary to pick out the sayings of Jesus that you happen to like and to construct a version of 'Christianity' based only on them... We like to construct a Christ in our own image rather than reconstructing ourselves and our ideas in His image; to judge rather than be judged. It saves us the trouble of truth. Truth is often very troublesome."
(Peter Kreeft, Everything You Want To Know About Heaven, p.217)

"The world cannot accept who Jesus was, how he lived, and what he did, because in all he did he was selfless. To the world around him, he became a great fool. He did not live for personal success, comfort, a quality lifestyle, academic achievement, money, and self-betterment, or for hanging with the right crowd, social respect, coming in first and being on top. Instead, he denied himself his rights (Phil. 2:6-7), took the lonely, tortuous road of suffering, and spent himself for others. He laid down his life to please his Father and to save us."
(R. C. Sproul Jr., Vanity and Meaning, p.66)