Almost every religious portrayal of Jesus I see has nothing to do with the historical Jesus at all. Is that ok?
I hear about “my saviour” who is “always there for me.” I hear about “my Jesus” who I “know thou are mine.” It sounds like a good friend who always has my back, or whatever.
Is this a biblical understanding of the personal presence of Jesus the Christ? Regardless of this, I can’t think of one religious song that seriously embraces the traveling Jewish peasant named Jesus. I can’t think of one song that embraces Jesus’ unique vocation to rescue the Jewish people. “He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’
Perhaps an ultra-personalized version of being a Christian and disciple of Jesus has overshadowed the real Jesus. And maybe this creates cultural “Christians” who see a Jesus that looks like them, talks like them, and already does what they do. And maybe WWJD really means what would the “ideal ME” do.
