Jesus was NO Politician!

Knowing more than anyone about people, able to read minds and hearts, knowing the future of things, it seemed that Jesus would have made a very successful politician. What were the politics of Jesus?

It may come as a surprise to many, but Jesus Christ did not involve Himself with the politics of His day. Even though He had a strong interest in government, He chose not to become involved in any of the political factions of the day, either in the Jewish government or in its master, the government of Rome.

Christ had good reason to remain apart from politics. The message He preached was indeed about government, but a government He would bring to the earth, not one that would come about through human efforts. Jesus’ message was about the government of God that will rule the world and that will bring about world peace!

On one occasion, a crowd of followers was so impressed with Jesus’ miraculous ability to feed a large crowd, including 5,000 men, with five loaves of bread and two fish that they attempted to take Him by force and make Him their king.  However, Jesus escaped their intentions and departed to a mountain alone (John 6:5-15).

Obviously, He would have had support if He had wanted to overthrow the existing powers. But it is clear that Jesus did not wish to become involved in the politics of the society around Him.

When Christ was on trial for His life before Pontius Pilate, the Roman procurator of Judea asked Jesus about His political aspirations. During this exchange, notice what was said: “Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, ‘Are You the King of the Jews?’  “Jesus answered him, ‘Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?’ Pilate answered, ‘Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?’ Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I would not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here’” (John 18:33-36).  Even though Jesus was born to be a king, He told Pilate that He wasn’t involved in the politics nor would he interfere with the politics and governments of man.

In spite of the clear message from the Bible that the Kingdom of God will not come through human efforts, numerous people through the centuries have taught that it will. Some say the Kingdom is in men’s hearts, while others say that the mission of the Church is to change today’s governments, making them godly.

Numerous prophecies show that Jesus will not only be a king when He returns to earth, but also that He will be inaugurated as King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Isaiah 9:6-7; Revelation 19:15-16). The politics of today will not solve the world’s most persistent problems. These will only be resolved when Christ becomes the supreme authority over the entire world.

Even though Jesus did not involve Himself in the politics of His day, He did teach His disciples to respect governmental authorities. Regardless of the nation in which one resides, respect for that nation’s leaders is part of the responsibility of a true Christian.

Paul speaks of this when writing to the Romans, “Let every soul, be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves” (Romans 13:1-2, compare with Daniel 4:17).

Later in the same chapter, Paul states that we should pay whatever taxes we may owe (Romans 13:6-7). Jesus addressed this same subject when answering the Pharisees’ question of whether it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar. He told them to “render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21).

Paul also commented on respecting government leaders when writing to Titus. Paul said... “Remind them [the members of the Church] to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work” (Titus 3:1).

Peter adds, “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God” (1 Peter 2:13-15).

According to the Scriptures, Satan is the “god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4). The Bible speaks of the world we live in as being evil. Paul, writing to the Galatians, stated, “Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father” (Galatians 1:3-4, KJV).

This present evil world, including its governments, is of Satan’s making. Sadly, all nations have been deceived by Satan (Revelation 12:9). Though Christians live in the world, they are not to be of the world. The night before His crucifixion, Jesus, praying for His followers, said to His Father, “They [His disciples] are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17:16).

The governments of this world, in so far as they are under Satan’s sway, are in opposition to God. Satan cannot be reformed; he has to be eliminated. That is also true of the human governments of this present world. Removing both Satan and human government is exactly what Jesus is going to do.

Although Christians are admonished time and again in the Scriptures to respect the leaders of the nations in which they reside and to be law-abiding citizens, there is no biblical example of believers trying to change, set up or take down the political system of their nation. The “citizenship” of Christians is in heaven... meaning God counts His followers as citizens of His coming government (Philippians 3:20).

Christians are to be ambassadors of the government that Jesus will set up when He returns to earth (Ephesians 2:19; 2 Corinthians 5:20).  Ambassadors are representatives of one government, living in another. Christians are sojourners and pilgrims in the nations of this world (Hebrews 11:13); yet they, like the apostle Paul, may also be citizens of these nations.

The message Jesus declared was about a future government—not the present one. He told of the Kingdom of God—a government that He would establish on the earth in the future. He admonished those who heard Him to repent and believe in that message, that way of life.

What would the politics of Jesus be today?  If Jesus were here in the flesh today, what would He do in our present political environment? Would He campaign to get His favorite candidate elected?

No, He would still be declaring the message He spoke about when He came during the first century. The solution to man’s problems is not to reform present governments, but rather to replace them with the Kingdom of God, along with the elimination of God’s adversary who corrupts the hearts of men. 

What should Christians do? The mission of a Christian is to be an ambassador of Jesus Christ— an advance emissary of His Kingdom, His coming government. Ambassadors of governments today are expected to not involve themselves in the politics or governmental systems of other nations. Instead, they submit to the government and laws of the nation in which they live. Christians do the same as long as the local laws do not conflict with the laws of God (Acts 5:29). 

If Christians are going to follow Jesus’ example, they will not get deeply involved in the politics of this world.  Our mission is to proclaim Christ’s message to all nations. The good news is that the Kingdom of God is coming!

What does the Bible say about Politics?

If there is anything that will spark a spontaneous debate, if not an outright argument, it is a discussion involving politics... even among Christians. As followers of Christ, what should be our attitude and our involvement with politics? 

It has been said that “religion and politics don’t mix.” But is that really true? Can we have political views outside the considerations of our Christian faith? The answer may surprise and even frustrate you. The Bible gives us two truths regarding our stance towards politics and government.

The first truth is that the will of God permeates and supersedes every aspect of life. It is God’s will that takes precedence over everything and everyone (Matthew 6:33). God’s plans and purposes are fixed, and His will is inviolable. What He has purposed, He will bring to pass, and no government can derail His will (Daniel 4:34-35). In fact, it is God who “sets up kings and deposes them” (Daniel 2:21) because “the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes” (Daniel 4:17). 

A clear understanding of this truth will help us to see that politics is merely a method God uses to accomplish His will. Even though self-willed men abuse their political power, often intending it for personal gain, God means it for good, working “all things together for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Second, we must grasp the fact that no government cannot save mankind from its appointed day of reckoning with the Most High. We never read in the New Testament of Jesus or any of the apostles expending any time or energy schooling believers on how to reform the pagan world of its idolatrous, immoral, and corrupt practices supported and endorsed by the government. The apostles never called for believers to demonstrate civil disobedience to protest the Roman Empire's unjust laws and brutal treatment of people. Instead, the apostles commanded the first-century Christians, as well as us today, to proclaim the gospel and live lives that give clear evidence to the gospel’s transforming power.

There is no doubt that our responsibility to government is to obey the laws and be good citizens (Romans 13:1-2). God has established all authority, and He does so for our benefit, “to commend those who do right” (1 Peter 2:13-15). Paul tells us in Romans 13:1-8 that it is the government’s responsibility to rule in authority over us, hopefully for our good, to collect taxes, and to keep the peace. Where we have a voice and can elect our leaders, we should exercise that right by voting for those whose views most closely parallel our own.  Those being Christian, Godly values and views.

One of Satan’s grandest deceptions is that we can rest our hope for cultural morality and godly living in politicians and governmental officials. A nation’s hope for change is not to be found in any country’s ruling class. The church has made a mistake if it thinks that it is the job of politicians to defend, to advance, and to guard biblical truths and Christian values.

The church’s unique, God-given purpose does not lie in political activism. Nowhere in Scripture do we have the directive to spend our energy, our time, or our money in governmental affairs. 

Our mission lies not in changing the nation through political reform, but in changing hearts through the Word of God. When believers think the growth and influence of Christ can somehow be allied with government policy, they corrupt the mission of the church. Our Christian mandate is to spread the gospel of Christ and to preach against the sins of our time. Only as the hearts of individuals in a culture are changed by Christ will the culture begin to reflect that change.

Believers throughout the ages have lived, and even flourished, under antagonistic, repressive, and pagan governments. This was especially true of the first-century believers who, under merciless political regimes, sustained their faith under immense cultural stress. They understood that it was they, not their governments, who were the light of the world and the salt of the earth. They adhered to Paul’s teaching to obey their governing authorities, even to honor, respect, and pray for them (Romans 13:1-8). More importantly, they understood that, as believers, their hope resided in the protection that only God supplies. The same holds true for all Christians today. When we follow the teachings of the Scriptures, we become the light of the world as God has intended for us to be (Matthew 5:16).

Political entities are not the savior of the world. The salvation for all mankind has been manifested in Jesus Christ. God knew that our world needed saving long before any national government was ever founded. He demonstrated to the world that redemption could not be accomplished through the power of man, his economic strength, his military might, or his politics. Peace of mind, contentment, hope and joy—and the salvation of mankind—is accomplished only through His work of faith, love, and grace. 

Inventing a Christian America

Today, March 1st, is Super Tuesday.  11 states hold primaries today to determine their preference for a presidential candidate within each political party.   Typically the outcomes of each states voting represents a presidential candidate's first test of national electability. Convincing wins in Super Tuesday primaries have usually propelled candidates to their party's nomination.

Political elections are as much about those doing the electing as it is about those eventually elected to office. Think about it, if each vote represents what a voter believes and hopes for, then the person elected is really a magnification of the desires voters happen to have at that point in time.

This is why national elections are so fascinating. Every four years, Americans collectively paint and present to the world a picture that communicates their aspirations and fears. It is a picture that enables us to see the character of a nation.  Every four years candidates are going to “fix” the problems of America, just like every candidate in all the prior elections have been going to do.  Something is wrong with that picture, as it would seem that no problems are ever really fixed, or not fixed right as a new crop of political saviors would project.

Growing up in America, you learn early on that the land of the free and home of the brave considers itself to be a Christian nation.  This assertion is not simply drawn from the presumption that America has many self-professing Christians living within its borders, it is born of America’s identity as a whole, its history and its destiny are somehow tied to Christianity.

Political leaders feel the need to appear Christian, say Christian-sounding things, [Two Corinthians..?] show up at Christian institutions, and end their speeches with “God Bless America!” American money proclaims “In God we Trust.” What could be more Christian than that?

The current election cycle is demonstrating once again that the rhetoric and mythology of a uniquely Christian America should come to an end. Why? Because the votes don’t lie.  Though voters may speak piously and rather vaguely about Christian values and ideals, polls and election results communicate clearly that this is a nation consumed by fear, anger, suspicion, and racial divisions – none of which are Christian virtues.  

If voters were serious about presenting to the world a picture of a Christian America, they would need to be painting with the colors of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, fidelity, gentleness and self-control, because these are the colors that, as the Apostle Paul said in Galatians chapter 5, give convincing evidence of harmony with Jesus Christ and the power of God at work in American lives.

Of course, Americans and their leaders will continue to speak in the name of God, even profess grand things about God, as they make their case for American Exceptionalism and the righteousness of the American Way. But from a scriptural point of view, this rhetoric is all rubbish. What matters is not what you say but how you live.  And from a Christian point of view, nothing matters more than living a life that is inspired by God’s love for everyone. (1 Corinthians chapter 13)

In Matthew’s gospel (chapter 25) readers are taken to the time when God judges all the nations of the world. It is a rather terrifying scene because many of the people present at this judgement are convinced that they are the legitimate inheritors of the Kingdom of God.

But God is not fooled. God simply asks... Did you feed the hungry, offer drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick and visit those in prison?

How will America fare in this time of judgment, especially when we admit as evidence the  millions of Americans (many of them children and the elderly) who do not have enough good food to eat, or the millions of Americans who have to drink water polluted with lead and industrial/agricultural pollutants?  

What about the refugees and immigrants who are being refused at our borders and made to feel unwelcome in our land, or the homeless, many of them ill, who do not have a home and proper shelter from the elements, or the prison inmates, many of them African American, who are treated like the garbage of society?  See, in America it does matter where you live and what color you are and how much money you have.  The people of color in Flint Michigan with lead poisoned water are far less important than the people of Malibu California.

God is asking the nations about their public policy, not their verbal piety, because the true test of Christianity has only ever been and always will be... the test of love.

Imagine a political leader saying, “If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-2).

Love or noise? Love or nothing? Christianity hinges on how people choose between them. If Americans were serious about being a Christian nation, they would call forth and elect leaders who are patient and kind, and never boastful or rude. They would demand a political process much less characterized by vitriol and noise.  But for that to happen, the people who vote would themselves need to espouse the virtues of love.  You see, we don’t get the opposite of who we are... we get exactly a reflection of our own core values.  That’s why this years political candidates are woefully insufficient to the tasks of inspiring and pristine leadership. Ain’t pretty but its true!

America, BE who you are and tell it like it really is.  Or, look in the mirror, change, and start living what you say you are... a Christian nation!  Contemplating an end to the rhetoric of a “Christian America,” is not the same as suggesting an end to Christianity in America. 

However, the violence and hate, and the greed and the lack of sympathy for those deemed to be threatening minorities, all those outside the prevailing majority who make the rules, strongly suggest that now is precisely the time for a sustained re-infusion of God’s love in our American foundations.  

But for that love to be genuinely Christian, and not a projection of our own fear, anxiety  or arrogance, citizens are going to have to separate once and for America’s true nature from true Christian ideals. They are not the same thing.