“Gibson had undertaken “The Passion of the Christ” with the avowed purpose of contravening the overwrought piety of such conventions, and in that, certainly, he had succeeded. Gibson's resurrected Christ rises in the tomb with a steely glare, and then strides purposefully into the light, to the insistent beat of martial drums. With that, Gibson's Passion story, and perhaps even, the controversy that has attended it, became clear. Gibson had once said that he wasn't interested in making a religious movie, and in “The Passion of the Christ” he hadn't. He was making a war movie.” The Jesus War, by Peter J. Boyer
Was, or is, Jesus a Warrior?
(Hint: He really was Jewish, and timing is key.)
What does that mean for His disciples today?
Are they warriors, too? If so, how?
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Now that He’s resurrected, is Jesus at war with the world?
The quick answer is, “No. The world is at war with Jesus.”
I don’t think that anyone can imagine that the Jesus/Yeshua of the gospels would kill or even torture anyone. Debate, yes. Overturn some tables and do some miracles, yes. But would anyone who honestly taught “Love your enemies” personally destroy their homes or their businesses? I think not.
Then how did it come about that the history of the world has been full of soldiers for Jesus, that one church claiming to be “Christian” has persecuted another “Christian” group charged with heresy, or that an organization claiming to worship a Jewish king would persecute His Jewish people for hundreds of years?
The answer comes down to a new set of questions:
- When is Jesus coming back? Or is He?
- What is He going to do when He comes?
- How does that relate to Israel and the Jewish people, if at all?
- And, what should His disciples, the “Christians” be doing now to prepare the way for His return, if anything?
Born as a baby in Bethlehem, Jesus humbly came to give Himself in sacrifice so that the sins of every person could be blotted out by His blood in faith, making it possible for man to become holy through the indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit. He did this voluntarily because He was never defenseless. As He told Peter, who had tried to defend Him from the mob with a sword,
“Put your sword back in its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? How then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen this way? (Matthew 26:52-54)
Even after His resurrection, Jesus’ disciples were expecting Him to return very soon with those legions in order to restore the kingdom promises to Israel, freeing her from Roman dominion. But Jesus told them that they would receive power, not to rule as kings over other people or the nations, but power to be His witnesses across the planet to all nations, His servants to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins until such time as the Father would determine that the time had come for Jesus to return as the conquering Messiah King. (Acts 1:6-8; 3:19-26)
When Jesus does return, He will come in the fullness of His present, glorious power. (Revelation 1:12-18) The glorified saints come with Him, but they do not fight! He does it Himself - with some help from angels. (Revelation 19:11-20:4) He comes back to the Mount of Olives, which splits in half, and defeats all of the nations of the world gathered to attack the remaining forces of Israel defending Jerusalem. This is also the time when the Israelites remaining alive recognize and accept their Messiah. (Zechariah chapters 12-14)
Honestly, by that time there won’t be any further doubts, one way or the other. Why wait until then? There are some real benefits to joining the winning side now.
...all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death...Therefore, we have been buried with Him through baptism into death in order that as Christ was raised from the dead throught the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection...(Romans 6:4-5 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. (Colossians 2:2-4) |
