Presently, we are engaged in a kind of study of N.T. Wright’s book, Simply Jesus,[1] following it chapter by chapter, seeking to understand the image of Jesus, I see in Dr. Wright’s work. Getting Jesus right is probably the most important task Christianity has in any generation. If we don’t understand who Jesus is, how could we ever expect the world to bother with him or feel inspired to get to know him? The problem for each succeeding generation of Christians, as I perceive it to be, is we accept the Jesus, we’ve been given, lock, stock and barrel, never questioning, if our teachers had it right. We sing the same song to our generation that the previous generation sang to theirs. But, is that wise, if their perception of Jesus as King was wrong?[2]
If we keep in mind that, when Jesus invaded our world (John 1:1, 14), he came to those who should have known him, but they wouldn’t accept him as he presented himself (John 1:11). Imagine, Jesus came into the world of mankind and showed us what God was like, but we wouldn’t believe him (John 1:18; cp. 1:11). In other words, those of us who should have known Jesus, because we were in a covenant relationship with God, simply refused to accept him for who he was.
This is part of the Gospel of Jesus, and I believe we overlook it by saying, “The scripture, John 1:11, is not for us, Christian believers; it depicts the condition of the Jews of the first century AD.” Well, that’s only half the truth. Indeed, it does depict the Jews of the first century AD, but the scripture is also for us to consider, as we think about who Jesus is. Some of us seem to desire a great religious leader, but not a king, someone to save our souls, but not rule the world. Others of us may want a king, someone who will, indeed, take charge of the world and give structure to the chaos that we see there, but the king they desire is one who would rule according to the policies of those believers, who seek such a king.[3] None of us seem to want a religious leader to be the Leader, or a king to be the King. We all seem to have preconceived notions of who we’re looking for, and that, my brethren, is exactly what the Jews of the first century were looking for (Mark 2:16-17; John 6:15, 60-66; 12:34), but they simply couldn’t receive him, as he presented himself (John 1:11). Why do we think, we’re any different?
Dr. Wright’s book, Simply Jesus “…is written in the belief that the question of Jesus—who he really was, what he really did, and what it means, and why it matters” actually does matter. Moreover, if Jesus is our Truth (John 14:6; Colossians 1:30), then we should expect him to affect us in every area of our lives, whether that be religious (spiritual) or our worldview in matters of “culture, justice, beauty, ecology, friendship, scholarship and sex.” When we simply look at Jesus, we should expect to be changed into his image by the Spirit (2Corinthians 3:16-18), he has deposited within us (John 14:16-18).
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[1] Simply Jesus, “A New Vision of Who He Was, What He Did, and Why He Matters;” by N.T. Wright; copyright 2011; first edition; Harper Collins Publishers. This study, itself, follows the book’s outline, chapter by chapter, but how I interpret Dr. Wright’s thoughts are completely my responsibility. He may not endorse what I believe he is saying, and I don’t wish to put my words into his scholarly mouth. N.T. Wright, by the way, is my favorite scholar.
[2] See my previous study: The Challenge to the Churches.
[3] As I write this study (May, 2025), I’m reminded of our own problems in choosing a leader in America. Some of us want a leader who would implement their policies about abortion, while others among us don’t want that at all. Many don’t wish to give religious issues over to the state to administer as it sees fit. We aren’t united on this issue, so how could we be united in how we perceive Jesus in our generation?
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