The Political Activism of Jesus: Lessons for Today

(This is an summary from a section of the book Jesus is Involved in Politics!: Why Aren’t You? Why Isn’t Your Church?)

Misconceptions About Jesus and Politics

When we think of Jesus, we often picture a gentle teacher, healing the sick and preaching about love. Many believe He steered clear of politics, focusing solely on spiritual matters. But is this really the case?

Let’s challenge this common misconception. Jesus wasn’t just a spiritual leader; He was deeply involved with politicians and in the political and social issues of His time. His actions and teachings often had profound political implications, even if they weren’t always obvious at first glance.

Distinction Between Good and Bad Leaders
First remember the Jews had a Republic. In fact, our Republic is modelled on the documentation of the very first time a Republic is mentioned in history: Exodus 18. So, Jesus had the equivalent of our senators and representatives and judges in His government.

They were called the Sanhedrin, and the members of the Sanhedrin were the Pharisees and the Sadducees. In Exodus 18 God actually commands that one in every 10 of us must be an elected representative at some level. This was not a suggestion but a command to anyone in a Republic.

Furthermore, Jesus had a knack for spotting the difference between genuine leaders and those who were just putting on a show. He wasn’t afraid to call out the Pharisees when they were being hypocritical.

Civil Disobedience as a Form of Protest
Jesus wasn’t one to blindly follow man-made laws that He knew were unjust. He healed people on the Sabbath (Luke 13:10-17), which was a big no-no according to law at the time. And remember when His disciples were picking grain on the Sabbath? (Matthew 12:1-8) Jesus defended them, saying that the laws were created to help and protect man. Man was not created for the law. Meaning we had to look at the real intent of these laws.

The Sabbath law was designed to give men a day of rest not to restrict them with legalistic rules. So, saying that grabbing a few grains of wheat was the equivalent of working was sheer nonsense and violated the very intent of the law. It was a man-made unjust law.

These actions might seem small, but they were actually pretty radical for the time. Jesus was showing us that sometimes, to do what’s right, we need to question and even disobey man-made laws that are harmful or unjust. It’s a lesson that’s still relevant today, isn’t it?

Jesus as a Political Figure: A Lobbyist with a Mission
Imagine Jesus as a kind of ancient lobbyist. No, He wasn’t hanging around government buildings in a suit, but He was hanging around the temple in a robe, and He was definitely trying to influence the political leaders, the lawmakers of His time.

He spoke with rulers, debated with religious authorities, and always advocated for what He believed was in-line with the objective moral laws of God, the Torah.

When Jesus talked about the Kingdom of God (Matthew 4:17), He wasn’t just talking about heaven. In fact, we know the Kingdom of God cannot be limited to heaven only, it must include earthly things, otherwise why are there tares in the field that have to be removed (Matthew 13:24)?

Jesus was describing a way of living and governing that prioritized love, justice, and compassion. In a way, He was lobbying for a complete overhaul of the way they ran their now corrupted political system that was originally based on a pure Godly commandment in the Torah.

The Boldness of Jesus in Confronting Leaders
Jesus wasn’t afraid to speak His mind, even to those in power. He once called King Herod a “fox” (Luke 13:32), a fox in the Middle East was the equivalent of a rat.

And He didn’t hold back when it came to his Senators (the Pharisees) either, calling them “whitewashed tombs” and a “brood of vipers” (Matthew 23:27, 33). Pretty strong language, right?
Jesus was showing us that sometimes, speaking truth to power requires bold and direct language.

He was teaching us that moral courage often means standing up to those in authority when they’re in the wrong. When was that last time you or your pastor called your Senators or Representatives who pass godless laws a brood of vipers?

Jesus’ Focus on Justice, Mercy, and Faithfulness
At the heart of Jesus’ teachings was a focus on justice, mercy, and faithfulness. He criticized the religious leaders of His time for getting caught up in tiny details of the law while neglecting these bigger principles.

Remember when He said, “You have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness”? (Matthew 23:23) He was not talking about God’s laws.

Those were clear, he was talking about how the legislators had taken God’s laws and added to them and twisted them to ignore justice and mercy and how they were no longer faithful to God’s laws in the Torah.

Relevance of Jesus’ Actions to Modern Politics
So, what does all this mean for us today? Well, if we want to follow Jesus’ example, it means we are not to ever just sit on the sidelines when it comes to politics. We need to be actively involved, speaking up for justice and working to create a society that reflects the values Jesus taught.

This doesn’t mean we all need to run for office (though the Bible commands that 1 in 10 of us need to!). For the other nine, it could be as simple as voting, volunteering for Godly causes we believe in, or speaking up when we see injustice. The key is that we’re engaged and working to make an actual difference.

The Christian Duty to Speak Out Against Injustice
Being like Christ isn’t just about being nice and loving everyone (though that’s important too!). It also means standing up against what’s wrong, even when it’s uncomfortable or risky. Jesus showed us that sometimes, love means confronting injustice head-on.

So, let’s take a page from Jesus’ book. Let’s be bold in our pursuit of justice. Let’s speak out against corruption and unfairness. Let’s get involved in our communities and political processes. Because that’s what Jesus did, and if we want to follow His example, that’s what we need to do too.

Remember, every time we stand up for what’s right, we’re helping to build the kind of world Jesus envisioned – a world of justice, mercy, and love. And isn’t that something worth fighting for?

Pray this prayer: Lord make me an instrument of your Justice, so that the world may have Peace.

For more evidence proving not only that Jesus was involved in politics and that we are commanded to, please get the book: Jesus Is Involved In Politics! Why aren’t you? Why isn’t your church? book.j3ip.com