“The other Jesus” is not a reference to another literal person. It’s actually a misrepresentation of the true Son of God as revealed in Scripture. The purpose of this post is to distinguish the true Jesus from the other Jesus.
Far too many people have a distorted or incomplete understanding of the Person and mission of the Lord Jesus. The principal reason for this is largely due to false teaching and an unfamiliarity with apostolic teaching, The Scriptures must be examined closely to find the true Jesus as one examines a $20 bill to avoid a counterfeit.
Most people believe that Jesus is an historical figure, a good man, a teacher, and even a prophet. Some believe the Scriptural accounts that He was born of a virgin, was crucified, rose from the dead, and ascended into Heaven. There are also those who believe that He is both man and God and that He died for their sins. However, His accomplishment on the cross of Calvary is not understood. This knowledge is critical for salvation.
The Other Jesus & False Teaching
Despite the affirmations, the unsaved person is reluctant to engage in a serious conversation about Him. There is even less interest in learning about His most significant accomplishment, which was done for them personally. Sadly, this indifference prevents the vast majority of people from knowing the way to salvation.
It’s often been said that we should not talk about politics or religion. For the average person, these topics can be volatile and lead to confrontation, something most people would rather avoid. Nevertheless, there is no ignoring the teaching of the Lord Jesus. The problem is that His life and teaching interfere, restrict, or even condemn, to some degree, a lifestyle to which people are drawn. This dilemma causes people to create “the other Jesus,” one which satisfies the conscience, and an ungodly lifestyle.
The Biblical Jesus has much to say about sin and living a life pleasing to God. The natural man does not like the topic of Penalty for Sin, especially personal sin. In today’s culture, there is significant effort being made to redefine certain behaviors that were once undeniably considered sins. Therefore, “another Jesus” must be found (or invented) that agrees with these altered behavioral definitions.
Apostolic Teaching
This is not a new occurrence. Paul dealt with this when he wrote to the Corinthians: “But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.” (2 Corinthians 11:3 & 4).
Paul wrote these words to people who were already saved. Such is the power of the forces that strive to usurp the clear teaching of God. It’s a two-front assault; one is to prevent people from knowing the saving grace of God and the other is to confuse those that are saved, in order to ruin their testimony by false teaching.
The apostle Peter, too, was concerned with false teaching: “You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness.” (2Peter 3:17) Unprincipled and ignorant false teachers are the architects of the “other Jesus.”
The Penalty for Sin
The world is filled with religious people, most of whom cannot deny the reality of the Lord Jesus. However, when His teaching challenges the precepts of their religion He must be characterized as somebody other than He who is revealed in Scripture. This must be done to blunt the efficacy of His word and work.
The primary problem with the “other Jesus” is that he cannot save anyone, but he can, temporarily, provide false hope and peace. In other words, he can appease the conscience and allow people to engage in, otherwise, sinful behavior. In the same way, he can keep people in bondage to a religion that does not offer salvation by God’s grace, through man’s faith (Ephesians 2:8).
The true Jesus is light and gives light; “the other Jesus” perpetuates darkness. How serious is the situation? Every religion, apart from Biblical Christianity, proclaims some form of “the other Jesus.” In reality, “the other Jesus” is a fabricated, knowingly or unknowingly, in an attempt to marginalize the true Jesus so as to conform to the world. “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.” (1John 2:15-17)
The Other Jesus Does Not Offer Salvation
Which “Jesus” do you follow? The true and only Jesus is the One revealed in the Bible. “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (John 17:3) We receive this eternal life when we trust in that which the Bible says Jesus did for our salvation. Specifically, we must trust that the Lord Jesus came down from Heaven, was born of a virgin, and is both God (God the Son) and man, in one Person. Further, we must trust that the Lord Jesus was crucified on the cross of Calvary, bearing our sins in His body and bearing the wrath of God against our sins.
Understanding Grace
In other words, we must believe that the Lord Jesus paid the penalty for our personal sins. The Apostle Peter declared of Jesus in Acts 4:12: “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among mankind by which we must be saved.”
Hebrews 2:3 presents the seriousness of rejecting this truth: “How will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard.” Escape “What” you may ask? Eternal banishment to Hell. Who are those that confirmed this truth? These were the Apostles, who spent three years with the Lord Jesus and heard, firsthand, the wonderful plan of salvation.
We live in a world where people are encouraged to follow their own truth. Such a proposal defies logic and is irrational. The Lord Jesus, in John 14:6, stated, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” The Greek word for truth is “alētheia,” which is defined: “That candor of mind which is free from affection, pretense, simulation, falsehood, and deceit.”
I encourage you to find the true Jesus in Scripture, receive Him as your savior, abandon the other Jesus, and obtain the assurance of eternal life in Heaven. “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.” (Colossians 2:9)
Thank you, brother. We live in a time of great spiritual delusion and deception. False teachers and their heresy are prevalent and promoted constantly. To put our faith in Christ is to know our Lord from His Word for his is the Word. Jesus is beyond our comprehension, but He gave believers His Word and His Holy Spirit to guide us with His light as we sojourn in this dark world. Thank you again brother for your heartfelt and inspired message.
Well said Timothy. We are indeed in very difficult times, spiritual speaking.
This is a wonderful message not only for new believers but us oldies as well!
Oh how He loves us!
He surely loves all those, who are in Christ.
Concise and precise!