There are two popular views of Jesus. One sees Him only as a towering judge, ready to condemn the world and gleefully watch as it burns in Hell. The other stands in stark contrast, viewing Him as a gentle, loving friend who wants nothing more than the happiness of His followers, so long as they follow Him. I don’t need either of these Jesuses.
I am a sinner, condemned to die. I don’t need a Jesus who will stand on the sidelines. I don’t need a Jesus who will destroy me. I need a Jesus who will become flesh and suffer death for me. I need a Rescuer, a Savior. I need a Jesus who will intervene on my behalf, One who will take all my sins onto Himself and atone for them. I need a Jesus who will not only forgive me, but also heal me and restore me so “that I may be His own, and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.”
I am a saint. I am a redeemed, baptized, forgiven child of God. I don’t need a Jesus who will put limits on that status. I don’t need a Jesus who will motivate me to lead a better life or “set my heart on fire.” I don’t need a Jesus who wants my happiness. I need a Jesus who will place His name on me, regardless of how deserving I am. I need a Jesus who will make me His own, even when I am incapable of following Him with my sinful flesh. I need a Jesus who will give me His Spirit and work good through me, instead of expecting me to do it on my own. I need a Jesus who will come to me since I cannot come to Him. I need a Jesus who wants my salvation, not my happiness. I need a Jesus who will say, “When through fiery trials your pathway will lie, My grace, all sufficient, will be your supply. The flames will not hurt you; I only design your dross to consume and your gold to refine.”
The Jesus I need is “not a tame lion.” He has compassion, but He is also just. He has mercy, but He is also jealous. He does not share the attention of His beloved, the Church. He forgives the repentant and draws them to Him. Yes, He is loving and a friend to sinners – but He is not a friend to sinners by saying, “That’s all right – do better next time.” We cannot do better. We can only do worse. He knows this. Our sinful flesh allows nothing better. But the bride of Christ has been covered with her Husband’s righteousness. As the bride of Christ, we can do better. And that is how Jesus is a friend to sinners – by shedding His blood and cleansing sinners in it. He is not your friend in a way that gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling in your heart. He is your friend in a far more intimate sense. He comes to you and gives of Himself. You do nothing but receive His love and cleansing.
The Jesus I need is the Jesus you need. It isn’t hard to get the Jesus we need. The Jesus we need comes to us in Baptism. The Jesus we need is seen and heard in the preaching of the Word. The Jesus we need forgives us in Absolution. The Jesus we need draws near to His bride – us – in Holy Communion. The Jesus we need is always there, for He has put Himself there. We did not decide to come to Him. He will never leave us. That is the Jesus I need.
Miss Rachel Soyk is known on her blog as “TripletThree.” She serves as a copy editor for the Higher Things Reflections. She is a student at Concordia University in Mequon, WI, where she is majoring in Literary Appreciation and minoring in Philosophy. She is an invaluable member of the Higher Things Internet Services Staff.
