The Case Against the Internet Jesus: Part 1 – “Colonizer” Jesus
Today, I would like to list and better explain and critique these problematic ideas so that there is no confusion or misrepresentation of the Savior revealed in the pages of scripture.
“Colonizer” Jesus
White
Now, this is a given. Jesus was not white as we understand the term today and possibly as the term was understood then. He was not caucasian as one who belongs to the nations above the Caucasus mountain area. He was not European. He was born in Bethlehem, a small town belonging to the nation-state of Judah located in modern-day Israel-Palestine.
“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.” Luke 2:1-7
Christian
It sounds like the creator of this list didn’t understand what he was writing about. The term Christian means someone who follows Christ. Christ-following himself seems redundant. Christians are mini-Christ’s. Disciples, students, followers of Jesus. This one proves to be way too redundant and unnecessary a claim.
“And when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” Acts 11:26
Patriotic
Now when we think of patriotic our mind either goes to Mel Gibson or paintings of George Washington on a boat or something. Perhaps, we imagine American bald eagles hovering about, F-16 jets flying over football stadiums, American flags waving to and fro, and so forth. No. That’s idolatry. Jesus was not idolatrous. He honored his nation-state because He instituted it thousands of years before in the patriarch Abraham. Jesus followed the customs of his religious state to the point where no one could accuse him of being anti-Jewish or anti-statist. Mind you, a good Jew was a Jew who followed the civil, moral, cultural, and religious laws of the Jewish state. Jesus was very much the perfect citizen. (note: there’s a difference between being patriotic and being a nationalist.)
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Matthew 5:17
Justice Through Retribution
I’m not so sure what this means. Justice means doing the right thing or being right within. Retribution means giving back. Jesus, as mentioned above, was no lawbreaker nor was he immoral. I believe this dogma wants to portray the idea that Jesus might’ve been an antinomian cleric, a ruleless derelict, whose purpose was to allow wrongs to go on being wrong. He not only supported retribution but those who came into contact with him were either convicted of their morally problematic lives or outright ignored his call for setting things right.
“But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’” Luke 18:8
Died For Your Sins
Wow. Now if this isn’t a misunderstanding of the biblical Christ I don’t know what is. Listen, I will quote one of the most known verses in all of biblical literature. Get ready for this one.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
And this one:
“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” 1 John 3:16
And this one as well:
“ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
Sends Sinners To Hell
No other person in the Bible spoke more about damnation and hell than Jesus. But I believe the author of this Internet Jesus Phenomenon is not very well versed in biblical literature. Let us first determine why ‘hell’ or judgment in the afterlife was instituted in the first place.
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Matthew 25:41
Jesus explains to his disciples whilst standing outside the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, not long before his eventual death, that ‘hell’ is a place of God’s justice against fallen and villainous spirits. People who join these fallen spirits in this judgment are people who deny Christ’s call for purification of their souls from sin.
Silent In The Face of Oppression
This is misleading. We all understand that Europe sought to use Christianity to conquer the world (i.e., crusades and the doctrine of discovery). I do agree to an extent with the idea that the biblical Christ was misconstrued to support many forms of abuse and neglect, violence, and death. But later, when European and Colonial Christians came to their senses, they used the same scripture to abolish these institutions. This is a slippery slope argument on the use of Christ on the subject of oppression. It requires a more in-depth study of scripture and understanding of Christ.
Condemns Sinners
No brainer. This point illustrates a world where sin goes unpunished and that it is better for God to recant His holy character to allow sinful people to go without justice. That isn’t justice. That’s antinomianism. That’s anarchy. Lawlessness. But, to better understand the dogma I will cite this:
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.” John 2:17-21
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
“As Scripture says, ‘Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.’ For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:11-13
We’re all already condemned. Can’t sentence a man on death row to death twice.
Endorses Church and State
So, this one is misleading as well. Jesus, again, was not an anarchist. He was not even an insurrectionist zealot. He lived according to the Jewish customs and laws, never breaking one of them. Christians believe Jesus is God incarnate and God is the creator of laws. Mind you, God instituted the Jewish state which functioned first through a theocratic system and later through a theocratic monarch in King’s Saul, David, Solomon, and so forth. Christ, God in the flesh, is very much in favor of rulership where people in civic leadership are in tune with their Creator.
The problem is that in the Old Testament, pre-incarnation, flawed men ruled in theocratic governments. In the New Testament, post-incarnation, flawed men still ruled in the same, but the issue here isn’t church/state clauses but who is in control. Christ promises a coming Kingdom where He is the King and Ruler of all things. Only God can govern and rule righteously because only He is Righteous enough to properly weigh the scales of power and oppression.
“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.” Romans 13:1-7
There’s a difference between a Christ-run state and a religious man or woman-run state.
A King
Really? The word Christ is Greek for Anointed One, whereas the ancient writ and people called this coming King Messiah, which also means Anointed One. This ‘anointing’ only took place when crowning a new king. I mean, the whole of the book of Zachariah speaks on this.
“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Zachariah 9:9
“God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords” 1 Timothy 6:15
Lest we forget, when Christ was crucified the Romans wanted to mock him and the bitter Jews surrounding the cross by slapping a sign over Jesus’s head that read:
“Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is Jesus, the king of the jews.” Matthew 27:37
I mean, a bit of reading surrounding Jesus and the Roman Prefect who sentenced him to death by crucifixion, Pontius Pilate would be enlightening enough:
“Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” John 18:33-38
Again, Jesus is King but Europe and Colonial America(s) distorted His coming kingdom for a temporal one here on earth through which they could destroy others.
Upholds Tradition Family Unit
Again, a faulty understanding of scripture leads to this faulty assertation. Jesus is God incarnate. God relays to us what a “traditional family unit” is and why. In the Old Testament, a family was made up of fathers, mothers, children, aunts and uncles, grandparents, cousins, which, put together, formed communities. Jesus was born into such communities and never called them into question but spoke against the distortion of such.
“He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh.” 19:4-5
Christ is in no rush to deconstruct the family but to promote a healthier understanding and example of it in His own life and sacrifice for His people.
Endorses Holy War
Again, the European crusades were in direct contradiction to the teachings of Christ. European Christians had come to such numbers that they influenced Roman will and power, later making themselves rulers of the Roman empire. This deadly union (man-run church/state) led to horrendous crimes committed by the church. I agree that a European-centric exceptionalist christ (small ‘c’) is not Christ at all but imperialism under the guise of Christian virtues.
An image is circulating the net depicting a contrast between a white-washed Jesus and a middle-eastern, possibly East Indian-looking Jesus. Under each image, there is a list of items or dogmas that each Internet Jesus supposedly promotes. I believe these images are set up to give our modern technologically advanced and literarily duncified generation a better understanding of the historical Christ whose image and persona have been distorted by a Eurocentric version of the Jewish resurrectionist over time.
Today, I would like to list and better explain and critique these problematic ideas so that there is no confusion or misrepresentation of the Savior revealed in the pages of scripture.
“Historical” Jesus
Middle-Eastern Brown Skinned
This is a given, yes, he was born in Bethlehem, Judah, Israel. A middle-eastern man who might have been constantly exposed to sunlight. Not only was he born in an area where people have a bit more pigmentation than their European counterparts and a bit less than their Ethiopian ones, but it is also safe to conclude that Jesus was neither white as we understand the word nor was he black as we understand the word today.
He was middle-eastern. Jewish. Brown-skinned, baby. He was a brown man.
Jewish
Of course. This does not mean that him being Jewish his followers are to support and follow the sacrificial customs of Judaism. No. He was born a Jew, lived in a Jewish society with Jewish laws and customs, with Jewish religious doctrines and dogmas but his very existence was to display that God superseded traditional borderlines. Christ came to give access to people from all walks of life a way of redemption in Him. That’s why His followers are called Christians, not Judaizers.
Colonized by Rome
This is historically accurate. Jesus was born in Judea, which at the time, was conquered and governed by Rome. Not sure what the author wants to allude to here. This empire was as corrupt as any other so it doesn’t mean we are to petition Christians to be okay with living under immoral institutions but to promote and celebrate moral and lawful ones. Christ does not call for insurrections. Keynote.
Justice Through Restoration
Justice through death, really.
“ For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
We can only be restored once we are righteous and our righteousness only comes through Christ’s expiatory sacrifice on the cross. Outside of Christ, restoration, wholesome and effective, long-lasting restoration, is impossible.
“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.” 2 Corinthians 5:17-19
Killed by Church and State
This is empirically true. Jesus was falsely accused of blasphemy by the Jews and tried by the same under their kangaroo court. This sin, according to Jewish law, requires the individual guilty of such a crime to be punished by death, preferrably, stoning. But because Jews under Roman rule could not put people to death they appealed to the Roman empire and called for an even worse, or in fact, the worst method of execution available for Jesus: crucifixion. This was such a request that even Pilate, the officiating judge on this case, seemed shocked that such death or punishment for that matter, would be required of a man he believed innocent. He did this to avoid a riot.
“Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.”
But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)
Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”
But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. So Pilate decided to grant their demand. He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.” Luke 23:13-25
Friend of Sinners and Outcasts
This is absolutely true. Jesus was often seen hanging out with the most hated people in society. Tax collectors, drunks, prostitutes, and lepers, but not once does the Bible or the gospels state that Jesus was comfortable with their sins. Time and again he tells them:
“Go and sin no more.”
Liberates the Oppressed
Yes. This is absolutely true. Christ is a deliverer, liberator, savior, and redeemer. What we cannot forget is that liberation begins in the soul. Christ’s first advent was for the forgiveness and redemption of the sinner, who, after being saved, could go and preach the same message to others. A society governed by regenerate born-again Christ-loving and serving people will not stand idly by as oppression takes place. It was a difficult task in those days as the Roman Empire subdued and razed any opponent but with time Christians accumulated enough grace from governing bodies to build monasteries, orphanages, hospitals, and communities to help the most destitute and unwanted people in society. They produced laws that would protect human life, no matter how fragile or unwanted. A society forgiven of its sins and sealed with God in its heart go forth and liberate.
“Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
‘The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor’
Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Luke 4:14-21
Critiques Religious People
Well, we have to define what this means. “Religious People” is so broad. Jesus never defamed religious people because He instituted the Jewish religion. Jesus denounced religious hypocrites. The gospel of Matthew saves an entire chapter just to itemize Jesus’s words against self-righteous clerics who used the faith to demean, oppress, and further enslave its adherents.
Jesus doesn’t critique good faith and religion, He denounced bad religion. There’s a difference and know it, through this nuance dogma, helps us better understand Christ.
Subverts Empire
Yeah. No. Not really. Just was accused of being an insurrectionist by the Jews but Pontius Pilate rebuffed their claims by stating several times that there was no wrong in the man.
This idea of “subverting empires” is stamped in the mindset of feudal religionists who want nothing more than to destroy physical opponents.
This is antithetical to the person and character of Jesus who went to His death without once lifting a finger. When being arrested he chided his disciples for pulling swords to defend him.
“Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed him.
Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.”
Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.
“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”
In that hour Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me. But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.” Matthew 26:49-56
Homeless Man and Child Refugee
Correct on both cases.
“Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 9:58
And:
“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’”
Jesus was the original itinerant minister but compared to our contemporary sort, Jesus was often left with no place to sleep but the outdoors. And he was such an advocate of children that He opted for the most severe punishment on whoever harmed little ones. (Mind you, when Jesus says ‘these little ones’ who stood before him but also there is a double meaning to that terminology. He means not only physical little children but also adults who come to faith in him).
“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” Matthew 18:6
Had Half Siblings
Yes. And I’m not sure what the Internet author alludes to with this. Christ was born of a virgin, the first son to his mother, and later, Joseph and Mary got busy having more kids.
“Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him.” Mark 3:31
This does not mean that having half-siblings is bad. Usually, it is a sign of a broken relationship or in Christ’s situation being the fact that He was conceived via a miracle. He never denigrated or mistreated his family. Scripture does not support people chiding and mistreating family members because we are all bound as a family under Christ.
“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28
Non-Violent
This one is tricky. Yes, Christ’s mission on earth was to be a sacrifice for the redemption of mankind.
“He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” Isaiah 53:7
Christ was not a violent man as we understand. He did turn tables over and pulled out a whip to run money changers out of the temple. That was the only case where we see Jesus intimidating corrupt officials out of a sacred place. It does not merit the possibility that our life should surround this particular incident because Christ’s mission was more than just one moment.
What the Bible does allude to is that Christ is a knee-capper. A time will come where He will bring our fallen world and its fallen structures and leaders to a violent end.
“Therefore 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 acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11
And that at the end of time, everyone who stood in contrast to Christ, refused his sacrifice, will be “tossed” into the place of their proper belonging.
“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:11-15
So there is a difference between man to man violence that is usually done out of hatred, selfishness, narcissism, sexual depravity, envy, pride, and add to the list.
But the violence that Christ will enact will be pure, holy, just, and done out of a clean heart to set things right, once and for all.
Concluding Thoughts
Anyway, this has been my observation of the Internet Jesus craze that is sweeping social media with confusion about the character of Christ.
If you want to know more about the historical Christ, the biblical Jesus, simply read the Gospels, read materials written by his disciples, and then compare what you’ve read with the behaviors enacted in the last one thousand years.
You’ll find that Jesus is Jesus and the rest, well, the rest is the rest.
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