I will never forget the old Jewish woman. I met her at a nursing home in Hendersonville, NC. A group of us Christian college guys would go and hold Sunday meetings at several nursing homes on Sundays.
It was my turn to preach, and I chose to preach the Gospel, which emphasized who Jesus is. Most services were well-received by kindly elderly folks appreciating the attention and program. In the middle of my message that day, however, this woman starts yelling out from her wheelchair as loud as she can, “That’s not true! Jesus cannot be the Messiah! Jesus is not God!” She went on for a few minutes like this, really worked up. One of my co-workers gently led her back to her room.
After the unusual service, I went to visit the woman at her room. I asked her why she so violently reacted to my message. She was honest in her frail state of mind, unguarded. She said something like, “Jesus cannot be God. If He was God, then it would mean that all my mother’s good works for the synagogue were in vain. Jesus cannot be God.” What she was communicating to me was this: “The Gospel of Jesus Christ is too offensive. I’m afraid of the painful realities I would have to face. I refuse to believe.” In my inexperience, I was shocked to hear such a clear declaration of unwillingness to believe, regardless of whether the Gospel was true or not.
The good news of Jesus Christ, the genuine message, is very offensive. It cannot but be so. The offensive nature of the Gospel cannot be removed without changing its powerful message.
Why the Message of Jesus Offends
There are a host of reasons why the unchanged message of Christianity is offensive to those that hear it. The very first sentence in the Bible, the beginning of the Gospel story, is “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth[1]” (Gen. 1:1). Immediately we are confronted with the reality that there is one God who is Creator over all. As we continue to read, we find that we are created by God for His purposes, to know and serve Him. This leads us to understand that we are accountable to Him for how we live our lives. We resent being told we owe our Creator all that we are and have in this world. Many, many people reject Christianity before even getting past these foundational realities.
It gets worse. The Bible unfolds how mankind willingly sinned against God, doubting His Word and goodness, bringing sin and death into the world. We find that the woman, Eve, sinned first (some will cry sexist!) and that the first man, Adam, plunged the whole human race into sin through his complicit failure. It becomes clear that all who come from Adam would be born in sin and contribute to the fallenness of a world in rebellion against its Creator: “sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). We feel attacked in our perceived innocence!
Many can handle this much truth, however. It is when the gospel message moves forward to the promised Messiah who would save His people from their sins that things get more complicated. When it becomes clear that the Bible teaches that the One True God is a Trinity, and God the Son became a man to rescue fallen mankind from sin and eternal judgment, we cringe as our concept of God is challenged. Colossians 1:16 tell us of Jesus, “For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominion or rulers or authorities—all things were created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.”
Muslims, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and many other splits from Christianity are born out of the offense the Deity of Jesus brings. All these groups have created altered versions of reality that make more sense to them, that do not require them to grapple with God in human form. In doing so, they reject biblical Christianity and give birth to man-made spin-off religions.
Adding Insult to Injury
Offenses continue to pile up when we understand the Bible teaches that the Son of God who became the God-man, Jesus, came for the purpose of becoming our righteousness through His own obedience and then also paid for our sins in His own body on the cross. It is unbearable for us to think that we cannot save ourselves or, at the least, help God save us. It is too much for the religious masses to believe that God Himself would or even could pay for mankind’s sins. Catholics and many other professed Christian groups and denominations today have created a mixed message of faith and works. They are not able to accept the clear message of Christianity: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Then comes the kicker for some—the Gospel clearly teaches that once the Son of God finished His saving work through His life and death, He rose from the dead, conquering sin and death. The Son of God, Jesus, returned to heaven and now freely gives forgiveness and an eternal inheritance to all who will repent and believe on Him. And He is coming again! For Christians are those who have “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, who He raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 9-10). To believe that Jesus actually rose from the dead, that He lives even now, and that He is coming again—many deny these supernatural claims and so reject Christ.
Many claim to believe in the Creator, the God of the Bible, or even claim to be Christians, all while denying the most basic and central truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Sadly, many more cults, denominations, and movements could be added here, including the Oneness Pentecostals, Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ) from the Philippines, and Sun Myung Moon of South Korea.
Jesus Speaks To Those Offended
Jesus said, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Luke 7:23). After revealing many truths about Himself that so many find offensive, Jesus said, “Do you take offense at this?” and “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:61, 63). He also made this statement: “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am He you will die in your sins” (John 8:23-24).
The offensiveness of a message does not negate its truthfulness. Truth is often offensive. The real issue is not whether a message gets under our skin, but whether or not it is vital information we need. We must humble ourselves before God and His truth to be forgiven and freed from sin and destruction. Jesus said to some rejecting Him, “You refuse to come to Me that you may have life” (John 5:40). Friend, don’t allow your feelings or pride to hold on to offenses in the message and walk away. Humble yourself and believe.
Photo by Andre Hunter on Unsplash
[1] All Scripture quotations are from the ESV unless otherwise noted.
