There may not be much conflict among the greater Christian population, but I’ve never personally been interested with the WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) Campaign. Having watched the devaluation of holy things and holiness in our society, it seems odd to superimpose the Savior onto automobiles, foods, and houses. The WWJD crowd went from asking about His nature to His preferences, e.g., “what would Jesus drive?” or “what would Jesus eat (meat? dolphin?)” or “what would Jesus wear?”
These speculations have clouded our intent to be like Him. I would rather ask, “What Did Jesus Do?” and “What Did Jesus Say?” The beautiful part of these questions is that they don’t call for opinion or hypothesis. They don’t depend on cultural settings or the outcome of a religious focus group. The Bible tells us exactly what He did and exactly what He said. Matthew 9:35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
Jesus went about doing good. He loved people; rebuked the self-righteous; and commanded us to be born again of the water and the Spirit (John 3). Jesus fellowshipped with the low class and the high class. He was a friend to the friendless and was the self-proclaimed Door of Heaven. He made bold statements to repent or perish. He prophesied of the end of the world and ordained a Church that the gates of Hell could not penetrate. Jesus loved people from every walk of life and He promoted His Kingdom above all other things.
The amount of scripture devoted to Him in both testaments is so rich there is no need to reinterpret Him. He needs no explanation, just an introduction. A few Greek men revealed this in John 12. They came to a festival and approached Philip saying, “Sir, we would see Jesus.” John 12:21, i.e., “Don’t tell us what you think about Him. Just lead us to Him.”
They were not there for a social event. They were not interested in a commentary or opinion about what He might do. They simply wanted to see the Master, Teacher, and Healer for themselves. In doing so, they removed speculation and found out Who He was.
I cannot tell you what kind of car He might drive if He lived on earth today. Who knows what His recycling habits might be or what type of food He might eat. What I do know is what He did. He came to build a church. He came to set the captives free. He gave liberty to them, which were bound. He was the Perfect Lamb of God sent to take away the sins of the world. I’m after His nature, not a presumption.
Pastor Jeffrey Harpole