A Manifesto by Ryanne- Part 2

This is the second part of my notes/comments on Jesus Wants to Save Christians: A Manifesto for the Church in Exile by Rob Bell and Don Golden.

 

            After a long excursus on the Israelites suffering in slavery in Egypt, the authors begin discussing Jesus. On page 68, the authors write, “And so central to the vision of the future, and the identity of the needed leader of the new exodus, was that this leader would be a son of David, but a new son of David who used power purely and properly. No violence.” Then later on page 88, they write,

“The only way to break that cycle is for someone to absorb it. A true leader of a new exodus would have to resist ever using power in the form of violence against another human being. Isaiah called the one to come a suffering servant [Isa. 52:13-15]. Someone would have to have the courage to put away the sword, forever, regardless of the consequences for his own security. No matter how tempting it is to pick it up and start swinging, someone would have to say, ‘Forgive them, Father, because they just don’t get it.”

The descriptions of Jesus given here make him sound like a passive, peace-loving hippie. Which he was not and is not. In Matthew 10, Jesus warns his disciples of what is to come. He tells them that they will be persecuted, that they will be hated. And in verse 34, Jesus says, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.”

The passage in Isaiah that the authors quote is a prophecy about Jesus coming as a servant who suffers greatly for our sin—which is very true. But I would like to point out that this is the same God who is spoken of just a few chapters later in Isaiah in a very different way. “I trampled them in my anger and trod them down in my wrath; their blood spattered on my garments, and I stained all my clothing” (Isa. 63:3b). In fact, throughout the Bible, the wrath of God is spoken of nearly 200 times—often in very violent terms. Isaiah 13:9 says, “Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, Cruel, with fury and burning anger, To make the land a desolation; And he will exterminate its sinners from it.”

This is not needless violence (like in slasher movies); this is a righteous violence against those who reject Jesus as their Savior and substitute for our deserved punishment. Paul asks if we should say that “God is unjust in bringing his wrath upon us”? And he promptly answers, “Certainly not!” (Rom. 3:5-6)

            I would also like to briefly point out that while Jesus did come to earth the first time to suffer and die, when he returns again, it will be a very different story. Jesus does not “put away the sword forever.”

Rev. 19:11-16 “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robed dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He reads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on his robe and on his thigh He has a name written, ‘KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS’.”

The Jesus described here will not be pushed around. He is a warrior. And his wrath will be satisfied.

            Later in the Manifesto, the authors write: “When people are manipulated with guilt and fear, when they are told that if they don’t do certain things they’ll be illegitimate, judged, condemned, sent to hell forever—that’s violence” (105).

I have issues with this statement. I believe that people must submit their lives to Christ. And if they don’t, they will be sent to hell—forever. And, honestly, I do not believe it’s violence to tell people that. God’s righteous wrath against us in our sins was satisfied by Jesus on the cross. However, this only applies to those who accept Jesus as their sacrifice. Accepting Jesus’ atonement for your sins is something you must do to avoid condemnation. Period.