No Less God
They would strip God of his clothes and poke holes in God's flesh, but they would never strip him of his identity or poke holes in his promises that stand forever.
Promote, promote, promote. His day in Nashville starts at 6 a.m. with interviews and more interviews, then rehearsals and recordings. On Thursday he returns to “American Idol” for a guest appearance. On Saturday he’ll fly into Milwaukee for a CD release party. Then soon back to Nashville for hair and makeup touchups, sound checks, and performances pitching his debut album, “My Best Days.” Nashville is a fresh scene for Milwaukee native and former “American Idol” contestant, Danny Gokey. His manager describes his updated genre as “modern country,” a fashionable new look and sound for a Midwestern musician whose background is pop, rock, and soul.
In the world of entertainment image is everything and there’s nothing wrong with a performer like Danny Gokey tweaking his image to make his best appeal, especially as he launches a career. But what about those 70’s and 80’s bands who suffered an identity crisis in the 90’s and tried to change their look and sound along with Coke changing its taste? Bad idea. Now some of those same bands are back at county fairs finding success playing the same old songs with the same old singers because that’s what they’re known for.
Jesus didn’t hire a publicist, makeup artist, or agent even though image played a significant role in his publicity as Savior. When Jesus started touring publicly to promote the salvation of God he quickly became known as a friend of sinners. Penitent prostitutes, tearful tax collectors, and sorry sinners of all kinds found God’s mercy in Jesus. “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away,” Jesus promised, “Everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life” (John 6:37,40).
Image played a part for many of those who sat on the seats of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish judiciary council in Jerusalem. Popular high priests, powerful family heads, distinguished teachers of the law, and aristocratic Pharisees and Sadducees made up what amounted to the Jewish supreme court of 70 men. The Sanhedrin sat in a semi circle of tiered rows behind and above each other in an emergency meeting called hastily once they had Jesus in custody.
“The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death” (Mark 14:55). This trial was over before it began. And Jesus knew it. So he’d answer their questions with more than they bargained for. “From now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God” (Luke 22:69).
They would strip God of his clothes and poke holes in God’s flesh, but they would never strip him of his identity or poke holes in his promises that stand forever. This Son of Man standing before them is the Son of God. Neither their unjust verdict nor its sentence of death would undo that. Nothing they say or think or feel or do would change his image. Ever. They wanted a different kind of god. He wouldn’t give them one. He wouldn’t be the one. And because of it they lost unlimited life.
Now, what happens when Jesus isn’t the kind of God you are looking for? Sometimes, if we’re honest with ourselves, we wish Jesus would be a different kind of God. And we put Jesus on trial for being – himself? For asking too much of me, for blessing others more than me, for letting me struggle longer than I’d like, for showing mercy to my enemies, for not appearing in a blaze of utopian glory and making me perfectly happy.
“You will not believe me” (Luke 22:68) Jesus says sadly to us, as he said to the Sanhedrin. It was too late for them, however, because in their hearts and minds they had already killed him. It is not too late for us, who have seen Jesus alive, who by the Scriptures believe he is God. The one, true God who reverses human hopelessness; out of death he brings life, out of sickness he brings healing, out of weakness he brings strength, out of struggle he brings character, out of sinful thinking he brings right living.
The Sanhedrin couldn’t make Jesus any less God and we can’t either. Jesus is the God who gives himself, the God who dies in our place, the God whose love is powerful enough to save anyone. From his own lips we hear Jesus say it, “I am God.”
So, let him be.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, do not change. Instead, change me. Amen.