If Jesus Were Around Today...

“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out.” –Acts 3:19

Peter and John were just going to the temple when a lame beggar asked them for money. Instead, but a miracle of God, they healed the man in Jesus’ name. And the once lame beggar walking and jumping around in the temple drew some attention. Peter preached the gospel of Jesus Christ and called for his audience to respond by faith and repentance.

The author Luke wrote his Gospel then the second volume Acts, which he begins saying what Jesus began to do and to teach He now continues to do and to teach through His church whom He fills with His Holy Spirit.

I see a lot of articles and social media posts which begin with, “If Jesus were around today, He would be with _____.” Christians know a glorious truth. Jesus is alive. He is around today. And He is very active. Jesus is still calling sinners to repent and believe. Jesus is still calling the weary to come and find rest in Him.

Yes, our Lord rose from the dead and ascended. Yet, it was for the church’s benefit for Jesus ascended and sent us the Holy Spirit (John 16:7). Jesus is active right now on earth in His Spirit-filled church. If someone would like to see Jesus and be with Him, you would see Him in His Spirit-filled church.

I think this is where our post-Christian world is hostile to our Lord Jesus. They reject the church and want to redefine Jesus to be more acceptable to the world than His church.

I find it interesting that so many in safe social media posts or interviews or podcasts suggest that if Jesus’ earthly ministry were today He would be accepted. Yet, Jesus is alive. I preach His living Word inviting sinners to know Jesus who is alive right now. Jesus is still widely rejected by many in this world, for they reject His Spirit-filled church whom He loves as His bride (Ephesians 5:25).

The world does not want to attend church because Christ’s living and active Word pierces their hearts in the church’s faithful preaching. Instead, the world seeks to reinvent a more palatable Jesus. Dear reader, Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). His unchanging, eternal character is reflected in His Word which, unlike withering grass and fading flowers, endures forever (Isaiah 40:8).

Jesus is not okay with your sin. Jesus did not dine with tax collectors and sinners from a motivation that such people are better hangs than crusty religious types. I see many so-called churches mock God’s eternal Word and redefine Jesus by forming a Christianity which does not call sinners to faith and repentance.

Jesus did tell the Pharisees He did not come to call the righteous. Yet, He did tell us His mission. He came to call sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32). Yes, the Pharisees were blinded to their own sinfulness shrouded under a heavy veil of self-righteousness. However, sinners need to change their ways. And Jesus gives the power to repent. And our Lord is still calling sinners to respond to His good news with faith and repentance in the preaching of His unchanging Word from His Spirit-filled church.

Is Jesus still dining with sinners today? Yes, in His church. And He still talks with sinners.

If we respond like the Pharisees claiming to have no sin, then we are liars (IJohn 1:8). If we confess our sins to our God we offended, He forgives us and cleanses us (I John 1:9). Here is where the hostility in our world truly lies. The worldly do not think sin offends God, nor do the worldly believe they need cleansing.

So, the worldly hate Jesus by hating His Spirit-filled church who proclaims the gospel and calls sinners to faith and repentance. The Spirit-filled church belonging to Jesus is hated by this world for refusing to conform to its ways and continue the hard road of being conformed to Jesus.

We are encouraged by our Lord Jesus whom the world hated first (John 15:18-19). But the world’s hatred of Jesus does not discourage us from the mission of Jesus to save sinners. We still dine with sinners. We serve and love even our enemies, unlike the world who hates and cancels their enemies. For we display to the world Christ and our continued conformity to Him, even in the face of the world’s hatred and hostility. We must proclaim His gospel and call sinners to faith and repentance. We must for the love of Christ compels us.

Perhaps you read this and realize your hatred for Jesus and His church. Good news. Jesus died to save sinners. Come to Him and find rest and peace, dear sinner with a hostile heart. Come confess your sin. He promises to forgive, to cleanse, and to transform you. And like the Apostle Paul, you will find you were once an enemy to God’s people, now by grace you are welcomed and belong to God through Jesus Christ.

Heavenly Father, I pray now that all who read this repent and believe upon Jesus who died and rose again, finding safety in Your presence, salvation from Your holy wrath, and joy and peace in Your eternal kingdom. I pray for Christians who read this to be encouraged in the preaching of the gospel and living a life obedient to the Lord Jesus even in a hostile world filled with hatred. We praise You for Your goodness and kindness toward us. We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God and long for all the new heavens and the new earth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.