It's All About Him

The Road to Emmaus

In Luke 24:27, Jesus appears to two fellow believers. It is after the crucifixion, and they are discouraged about the violent death Jesus had just suffered. Jesus at first seems like a stranger to them, but as he spends all day with Him, they recognize Him for who he is.

In those hours, Jesus took the time to explain that all the scripture is truly about Him.

Look at what it says in Luke 24:13-27:

13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, "What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?" And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?" 19 And he said to them, "What things?" And they said to him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see." 25 And he said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

Think about that moment. Who would not want to be a part of that Sunday school lesson? Could you imagine the men sitting under that teaching?

The Historic Christian View

Jesus says the scripture is about Him, and honestly that is how the historic Christian church has always viewed it. However over the last 150 years, scripture has stopped being preached in that fashion. Instead, we see and hear more and more that scripture is about us. We are taught what authors Christian Smith and Melissa Denton call moral therapeutic deism. The popular website, gotquestions.com, gives a great synopsis of this belief:

The term Moralistic Therapeutic Deism was first coined by sociologists Christian Smith and Melina Lundquist Denton in their 2005 book Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers (Oxford University Press). Based on extensive research, they identified the predominant beliefs of American teenagers, even those that claim to be Christians. They named the core beliefs Moralistic Therapeutic Deism or MTD. The five core beliefs of MTD are as follows:

1. A god exists who created and ordered the world and watches over human life on earth.

2. God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions.

3. The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good about oneself.

4. God does not need to be particularly involved in one's life except when God is needed to resolve a problem.

5. Good people go to heaven when they die.

The beliefs of Moralistic Therapeutic Deism are "moralistic" in that they place a high value on "being good" as found in #2 and #5, above. Good is really defined by popular culture rather than the moral imperatives of the Bible. So tolerating behaviors the Bible calls sin might be seen as "good" while calling those behaviors "sin" might be seen as intolerant or hateful, which is bad.

The beliefs of Moralistic Therapeutic Deism are "therapeutic" in that the primary value is feeling good about oneself as articulated in beliefs #3 and #4, above. God's "job" is to take care of us.

The Danger of This Belief

The danger of a belief like this is that God is more a "genie in the bottle" looking out for our happiness and less like the God of the Biblical text. In short, it places a heavy emphasis on God's blessings and aligns it with the "American Dream," and it leaves out any mention of sin and the wrath of God. And because MTD has been in the Christian consciousness for the better part of three decades, millions of Americans do not understand historic Christianity.

The Priority of Preaching Christ

This is why, as a pastor, I must make it a priority to teach and preach Christ. He is the victor, and he is the champion of all the stories. I look to Him as the character I am to reflect and not people like David, Moses, Gideon, and many more. They all look forward to their Messiah. Jesus is the hinge in which everything turns. It is why the Hebrew author can so confidently say in Hebrews 11:32-40:

32 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— 38 of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

39 And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

The Truth We Must Embrace

While hundreds of thousands of books are sold every year teaching that the Bible is about us, we must pivot to a position where we understand that the Bible is about Christ. His glory, his death, his kingship is what matters. When I lean into that truth, it illuminates my worship of Him and allows me to truly give my whole life to Him.