This is an excerpt of my chapter “Jesus, the Mirror” in “Who is Jesus to You?” a book that released today from Quior Publishing. Get your copy here.
The more I've learned about Jesus, the more fascinated by him I've become. From growing up in a Baptist church where Jesus was presented as an all-powerful, divine-human who loved me so much that he died on the cross so that God could forgive me of my sins to learning about the historical figure of Jesus, first through History Channel documentaries and later as I pursued degrees in Biblical studies, the more I've learned about Jesus, the more I've realized that there are genuinely endless layers to this complex, inspiring, and influential man who has changed the course of human history for better and sometimes, for worse.
While I once believed that Jesus was a fierce, divine power that demanded to be submitted to lest we face eternal hellfire, I have now come to understand Jesus in a much less complex way. Put simply, I view Jesus as a mirror for humanity. He beckons us to contemplate our true selves and the potential for who we could become. He invites us to follow him on the simple way of love, guiding us towards transformation- for ourselves and all creation.
Many people will read that and immediately jump to questions about theology, getting lost in endless debates about whether Jesus was indeed God incarnate or not, whether he had supernatural powers or not, or how exactly we understand where Jesus is today. Still, none of that is interesting to me anymore. These are certainly not questioning Jesus himself was concerned with, according to the Gospels, and have minimal bearing on Jesus' transformative power for our world. So, instead of trying to theorize about things nobody can ever know, I focus on reflecting upon and seeking to emulate Jesus- this is, after all, literally what it means to be a disciple.
But even that is more complicated than many people realize: the truth is that we know very little about the historical man named Jesus. While many Christians assume that the Gospel accounts of Jesus' life and teachings are accurate biographical accounts, scholars have long acknowledged that the Gospels are, at best, secondhand accounts written decades after Jesus walked the earth that reflects what people came to believe about this mysterious man rather than who he actually was. Nobody followed around Jesus with a pen and paper recording the events of his life. It is unlikely that anyone actually wrote down anything that Jesus said while he was actually alive. So if "accuracy" about Jesus is what we seek, we will be very disappointed- there is no perfect account of Jesus' life and teachings.
What we can say is that whoever Jesus was, his message and ministry so impacted and inspired the people who encountered him that many of them devoted themselves to retelling his story, repeating his teachings, reorganizing their lives, and even eventually elevating him to a god-like status, worthy not just of emulating but of worshipping. These disciples likely embellished, exaggerated, or even made up some of the details of Jesus' life- but it's also likely that much of what they repeated was a true reflection of who Jesus was and what he actually taught. Jesus' followers were so inspired by his witness that they spent the rest of their lives doing their best to keep his message alive. Such a thing can be said of relatively few other humans throughout history. So, whoever Jesus was, he was a truly remarkable person.
One of the things that makes Jesus remarkable is his background. We can tell that Jesus wasn’t born into wealth or prestige. He wasn’t well educated and, during his life, didn't attain much in the way of social status or political impact. By all accounts, he was the most ordinary man whose faith led him to believe that a better future could be created for not only his people but the whole world, and instead of just believing that, he used his life to start making this a reality. He clearly believed that God was with him, even though he was chosen to bring hope to his people who had faced continuous suffering at the hands of corrupt and unjust rulers and longed for a more just and equal world.
People underwent a profound transformation as he spread his message and selflessly contributed his modest means to aid the suffering. His inspiration was so powerful that it moved them beyond mere hope for a different future. Instead, they began actively creating a new world within the confines of the old one. They started establishing revolutionary communities focused on support and care, challenging the oppressive systems of the Roman Empire designed to keep them subjugated. Embracing those marginalized and deemed unfit for inclusion, they invited them to share in meals, prayers, work, and life together. As they journeyed through their communities, they spoke passionately about Jesus and his simple social and spiritual renewal vision, inspiring many to embrace his message of a soon-coming 'Kingdom of God.'