Why Do We All Like Jesus?

Mark Lauterbach (affectionately known as “Gandalf”) is at it again with another thought provoking post:

A number of years ago we decided not to ask people if they were interested in the Bible, but to ask if they were interested in learning more about Jesus. In the times we have tried this direction, we find most people are interested in Jesus, for whatever reasons. They think he is wonderful.

But he is wonderful in a way that makes no sense. NOTHING we think of as important or crucial to being a good person is present in his life. He never sought to discover himself, be himself, nurture himself, or love himself. He never made himself #1. He served. He utterly submitted his will and his life to his glorious Father. He took no thought of Himself. He was, in the midst of this, joyous and free and truly loved people. And he never read “Happy Living for Dummies.”

. . . [Berkouwer] said concerning Jesus, “His whole life was the ultimate opposite of autonomy.” This is shocking. Nothing could be farther from what we moderns think is important. We value autonomy. We want to make up our own life style, our own ethics, our own world. We think that being self-ruled is what is necessary to being authentic.

Jesus was utterly self-submitted. He came not to do his own will, but the will of him who sent him.