Hollywood Jesus

In Mark 8:27, Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say I am?” The disciples went on to tell Him, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” You can hardly blame Jesus for asking. By that time, He had performed plenty of miracles. He had healed Simon’s mother-in-law of a fever and a man with leprosy. He had healed a paralyzed man who had been lowered through a roof by his friends. He had healed a deaf and dumb man, another man who was blind, fed 5000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish, raised a 12 year-old child from the dead, and healed countless sick people, including a hemorrhaging woman who barely touched the cloak of His robe. He cast demons out of many people, including a man who was possessed by a “legion” of demons. It must have been quite a show when Jesus redirected the demons into a herd of 2000 pigs and they rushed down a steep hillside into a lake and drowned. Oh, and did I mention that He had walked on water? Any one of these events would have been front page news in today’s world. Likely, word had spread from village to village of this man, Jesus and His many miracles.

Stop for a minute and imagine what sort of answers Jesus would get if He posed the same question today to His disciples, “Who do people say I am.” Perhaps they would answer, “Well, Lord, Madonna says you are a great teacher. Ashton Kutcher sports a trendy t-shirt that boldly proclaims you are his homeboy. In the movie, Bruce Almighty, it talked a lot about God, but you didn’t get a part. Ditto for the popular show, “Touched by an Angel.” You did, however, get a part in South Park—as the host of a cable access show called “Jesus and Friends.” Unfortunately, they didn’t always portray you in a positive light. Hollywood will occasionally take a stab at making a made for TV movie or feature length movie that depicts your life. Unfortunately, most producers fail to consult with you and end up fashioning their own custom-made Jesus. The exception is Mel Gibson—his movie would make you real proud.

When it comes to pop music, Jessica Simpson sang that you are her portion in the hymn, ‘His eye is on the sparrow.’ She included the song on one of her CD’s—you know, the one called “Irresistible,” where she poses seductively on the front cover in a see-through blouse. Popular retailer Urban Outfitters sold you as a refrigerator magnet dressed in white briefs and hanging on the cross. The $14 “Jesus Dress Up Kit” came complete with a variety of magnetic costumes including a hula skirt and a Satan mask. Abercrombie and Fitch made mention of You in their controversial quarterly catalog that advertised “Group Sex” on the front cover. The reference made to You in the catalog is so blasphemous, we cannot bear to repeat it in Your presence. You are available on EBay as a dash board bobble head doll for a mere eight dollars. When it comes to people searching for information about You online, You are googled slightly more than The Beatles, but sometimes less than Britney Spears. And when it comes to American teenagers, 82% call themselves Christians but unfortunately, 53% of these same teenagers claim that you committed sins while on earth.

Perhaps with a tear in His eye, Jesus would reply in the same way He did to the disciples so many years ago when He said, “But what about you? Who do you say I am?” And in the end, this is the million dollar question for each and every person. The answer will determine whether or not we spend eternity with God or apart from God so the question must be pondered carefully. Will you answer correctly as Peter did when he said, “You are the Christ” (the Messiah, the Son of God). Scripture is clear when it says that “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (2) Regardless of who those in Hollywood and today’s pop culture say Jesus is, in the end, whether in heaven or hell, every knee will bow and every tongue confess, “Jesus Christ is Lord.”

Who do you say He is?

Footnotes:

1. Barna.org; http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?

2. Phil 2:9-11 (NIV)