Move from asking “What Would Jesus Do?” to asking “What Did Jesus Do?”
The phrase “What Would Jesus Do?” was popularized in the 1990s. Often epitomized by colorful bracelets that bore the acronym WWJD, the concept was intended to serve as a constant reminder for followers of Jesus to act as he would act.
Therefore, in any given circumstance the goal of WWJD is for us to ask ourselves, what would Jesus do in this particular situation? Then we should act accordingly.
I like WWJD as an ongoing nudge to always strive to behave in a manner consistent with Jesus. However, this requires that we presume to know how Jesus would act today.
This necessitates interpreting his actions from two thousand years ago and projecting them into our modern culture, which we invariably do through the lens of our personal experience.
Some call this contextualizing. The problem in doing so is that we make assumptions and might be in error.
Instead of presuming to know what Jesus would do, it might be better to look at the Bible to see what he actually did.
In reading the biblical books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—the biographies of Jesus—here are some of the things that Jesus consistently does:
Jesus Loves Everyone
The Bible shows Jesus loving everyone, especially those on the fringes of society, the people who “good” folks avoid. Jesus does the opposite, going out of his way to love those who few people love.
Jesus Questions Spiritual Conventions
A paraphrase of a reoccurring teaching of Jesus is “You have heard it said ____, but I say ____.” It seems Jesus consistently challenges the beliefs people have and the way they act.
His teaching delights the common people and frustrates the people who think they have everything figured out about God and what he expects.
Jesus Heals People
Jesus goes around healing people of their physical infirmities, from removing fevers to raising people from the dead. In this spectrum of need are people with odd afflictions that the Bible calls evil spirits.
It matters not if these people are really possessed by demons or if their struggle is actually mental illness. The reality is that Jesus heals them. He solves their problems and makes their lives better.
And for those who claim that miraculous healing doesn’t apply today, check out Jesus’s future-focused statement in the book of John: “Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these” (John 14:12 NIV).
Jesus Feeds People
On two occasions Jesus feeds hungry people, miraculously multiplying a measly amount of food to feed a multitude. Before you assume you can’t do that, go back to read the above verse in John.
Of course we don’t always need a miracle to feed people. We can just do it the normal way and feed hungry people from the resources we have.
Jesus Opposes Religiosity
Jesus opposes the religious status quo. Though Jesus clearly loves everyone, one group consistently earns his criticism: the spiritual leaders who follow regimented religious rules. They adhere to a spirit of religiosity.
Though they are devoted in their righteousness and adherence to their traditions and interpretations of the Bible, Jesus consistently has to correct their errant thinking.
These are the things that Jesus does. May we go out and do the same, to do what Jesus did.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.
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