Jesus Isn't White American Jesus Isn't African American Jesus Isn't American

So much pain and confusion that’s circulating the nation in regards to the shooting in South Carolina. So many people with questions, and some with proposed answers. I’ve witnessed a few people express their anger about the involvement of God during this time. One person asked, “Where was that white Jesus when this happened? Could he not have stopped this? Isn’t he supposed to be all powerful?” With these questions it seemed like this person was or has been frustrated with the idea of Jesus being white. He knows that hope is needed, he just doesn’t want it from a “white” Jesus. The white Jesus he's referring to is a Jesus of his imagination. The white Jesus he's referring to is his notion of an Amerincanized Christianity that he and many others believe is a "white man's" religion. His statement is coming from a place of frustration and bitterness, not only towards white people, and not only towards how things are/were for black people, but his frustration and bitterness is ultimately towards God.

Theologically, the truth stands that all (all races) are born separated from God because of our sin, none is righteous (Romans 3:10). That's a problem because we're all made in the image of God. God is Spirit. God isn’t Black, White, or Asian. We all need to be reconciled to God to truly have spiritual life and joy. His Son was sent to reconcile us (circumcised and uncircumcised- Jew and none Jew). I’m not naïve; I know that racism is real. The truth is, it’s only been about 50 years since this nation and people were plagued by obvious and consistent racism. And in our nation, I know that most of the pictures we see of the Savior of the world is of a white man. Now, I don’t believe Jesus looked like James Evans, and neither do I believe He looked like Johnny Depp or Patrick Swayze. I believe Jesus looked like a Middle Eastern man because that’s where He was from. He wasn’t born in America, so He didn’t look American... White American or African American. Most importantly, if you want a picture of Jesus, here's a perfect picture, “He (Jesus) is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature (First half of Hebrews 1:3).

Something for us to think about

We need to be careful about focusing on what Jesus looked like instead of focusing on who He was/is. He's the Son of God, the Bread from heaven, the Lamb of God, and the Savior of the world. In 1 Peter 1:8-9 Peter writes this about the physical absence of Jesus and the continual hope for Christians, “Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” Peter is writing to believers who had not seen Jesus. This was during the walk of the early church. It had not even been 70 years since the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. These believers loved Jesus without seeing Him. They saw Him with spiritual eyes because of the resurrecting and sustaining power of the Holy Spirit. They were satisfied with Jesus because of His Person. They loved Jesus because of God’s love for them (1 John 4:19). God’s love for them is what gave them Jesus in every way.

Through God’s love He chose them in Christ before the foundation of the world; through God’s love He sent Jesus to live a perfect life under the law; through God’s love He put His Son on the cross for the sins of His people; through God’s love He allowed His Son to die and be buried because our sin deserved/deserves death; through God’s love He raised His Son back to life to never die again; and through God’s love His Son ascended back to heaven. The beauty and sobering fact about God’s love is that every person who’s in Jesus receives Jesus’ life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. Every person in Jesus is forgiven and given the righteousness of Jesus to live in newness of life, here on this earth. When those who are in Jesus die, or when Jesus returns, all who are in Him will be fully with Him forever.

So when people say things like, “Where’s that white Jesus,” or, “I can’t believe in that white Jesus.” Neither can I, but that doesn't give you or me a pass to reject the Jesus of the Bible. That doesn't give us a pass to hate white people, or any other race. God was not silent during the Atlantic Slave trade, God wasn’t silent during the Civil Rights Movement, and He isn’t silent now. Sadly, a person’s hatred for God pours out to show their hatred for people. The scary part is when they use it in the name of “spirituality” or “religion.” Let us go to the cross of the Jesus of the Bible. The Jesus of our imagination will not save us or keep us. The Jesus of our imagination will only make us feel superior or bitter towards another race (white or black). Only the Jesus who is the radiance of the glory of God, the Jesus who is the exact imprint of God, the Jesus who is fully God and truly man, only that Jesus can save and reconcile a man and a woman back to the Father.

So where is the “white” Jesus (If I were to answer the angry gentleman from earlier)? He’s in your imagination. Let us drop our anger and bitterness and let us respond to God’s love through His Son. Let us humble ourselves to follow the King of Glory who paid for sin and who rose again to save sinners. God's sovereign grace will not be stopped by a depiction of Jesus, nor will it be stopped by hard hearts. His Word and His Spirit testifies to truth. Let us turn and trust in Jesus. Come Alive.