Surprised by Jesus

“Surprised by Jesus: His Agenda for Changing Everything in A.D. 30 And Today” (Tim Stafford)

Believing that Christology drives missiology which in turn drives ecclesiology, I’m continuing to pursue books about Jesus. Tim Stafford’s book was excellent–partly because it helped me continue to decipher N.T. Wright’s insights about Jesus and about Jesus’ Kingdom agenda.

Stafford argues that Scripture gives us no detailed plan for how to live the gospel in our situation. We have to translate. And translations always require creativity, inspiration, and careful analysis of both the Scriptures and our situation. But, Stafford says, we always start with Jesus’ pattern and example. His life is not given to provide simply background information, but is our ongoing guide. “We should not merely carry on Jesus’ mission, but do it in the same way that he did, following his steps.” As John wrote about life with God, “Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did” (1 Jn 2:6).

In the following summary points, Stafford makes clear that by looking carefully at Jesus’ life, we learn how we are meant to live. His life directs and corrects ours.

1. Jesus was baptized.
To follow in Jesus’ steps begins with a baptism that is more than a transaction between you and God. It means identifying with the people of God, just as Jesus did. You have found your family. You may be ashamed of them, but you cannot pretend to belong to some other family. You may disagree with them on many issues, but you disagree as brothers and sisters. . . Like Jesus, we define ourselves by our God-given community, God’s people. We belong to them, and we serve them.
2. Jesus faced temptation.
Temptation is a central reality of the Christian life. Jesus experienced it, and so will all who follow him. Jesus’ temptations show that even the best man gets tempted. The temptations also offer us hope: tempters do not always win. These temptations show that like Jesus we must “listen to God’s word, worship God alone, and willingly wait for God’s direction.”
3. Jesus proclaimed the good news.
Jesus announced the good news that the kingdom of God has come on earth. It can be witnessed in time and space. “I am changing the world,” Jesus said, “come and see.” We too must be people who speak to others about what God is doing in and thru Jesus. We too announce to the world that God is alive and active in our world. We don’t hold up a sign that says: “Repent, the end of the world is coming.” We do what Jesus did–we hold up a sign that says: “Repent, the world has just begun.”
4. Jesus called his disciples and trained them in a vigorous way of life.
We too must make room for God to call people today, and we must train them for radical discipleship. We are a movement, not a club: we prepare people for action, and our expectations are high.
5. Jesus healed and helped wherever he experienced needy people.
Jesus never healed for publicity, but simply because his nature was to help people when they asked for help. So we must unfailingly help those in need, praying for them and doing all that is in our power to relieve their suffering. God provides his power to do amazing wonders when we work and pray in the name of Jesus.
6. Jesus prayed.
Like Jesus, we should seek solitude to pray to God and also be willing to teach his disciples to pray. But if we want to pray like Jesus, we will pray with the consciousness he brought to the world, a consciousness of God’s kingdom. His prayers should raise our concerns to another level. When we pray, we typically pray about our worries–individualized often around jobs, illnesses, how to make our lives happy. But to pray like Jesus is to pray kingdom-ly–to pray for the urgent and corporate agenda of bringing God’s kingdom rule from heaven to earth.
7. Jesus warned, especially against hypocrisy.
Jesus took on the “religious insiders” and warned them about hypocrisy and lack of sincerity. We also must warn each other of these things. Those who follow Jesus will not be spotless, but they will take spots seriously. Genuine holiness will be our constant concern, as it was for Jesus.
8. Jesus went to Jerusalem, knowing he would suffer and die.
We too must go to our Jerusalems, where opposition will meet us. The Jesus’ movement will always be drawn to the most difficult places on earth.
9. Jesus gave his life for others.
We should also give our life for others. We do not sacrifice for the sins of the world, but we willingly die to ourselves in order for others to live. That is the core of Jesus’ example–his willingness to serve even to the point of death, without bitterness or rancor. To be like Jesus requires sacrifice for others’ sake.

Stafford closed his book with these words:

God gave his Son to transform everything. He calls each of us, all of us, to join in the transformation. We walk in the steps of Jesus, translating his gospel into ever-new situations. We expect to grow together and multiply until we meet Jesus and the resurrection of everything. The he and his redeemed creation will no longer be a bubble of hop in an alien world. We will be all in all.