Judah Smith
By Ashley Andrews & Suzanne O'Keeffe, 700 Club Interactive
CBN.com –MESSAGE TO WORLD
How would you describe Jesus? What is He to you? Judah Smith, lead pastor of The City Church in Seattle, WA, asked himself these very questions. But he didn't stop there. He decided that everyone should fill in the blank for themselves - "Jesus is ___." And that's just what he did. In 2010, Judah launched jesus-is.org, a website that allows anyone and everyone to share just what they think about Jesus - no matter good, bad or ugly. It's a place where people can share their mind, their hearts and a bit of their story. It's modern, controversial, intriguing and inexplicably honest.
JESUS IS _____ .
How some define Jesus:
"Joy. Laughter. Freaking awesome. A servant. Not real. Everlasting love. Wonder. Generous. Freedom. An artist. Out of this world. Legit. Dead. The end of the story. Not a player. A crutch. Mowing my lawn. Buy one get one half off. Not the sharpest tool in the shed. Better than Oprah. Not white and does not have blonde flowy hair or blue eyes. The messiah. A fraud. Responsible for more deaths than the Nazis. My Anecdote. A con artist. Fiction. My best friend. Pretend. Faithful. My second chance. More than enough. My reality. My homeboy. I am. Not a homophobe. My Brother. Boss. Included in AT&T Service. Stalking you on Facebook. Waiting. The King of Cool. Cooler than an I-pad. My shrink. Epic. My Redemption. Something you should try before you die. Propaganda. Not God's Son. A myth. Ashamed of religion. A terrorist. Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down. Gay. A hippie. Not a republican. The reason you're not in Hell. Going to have the last word. Irrelevant. A lie. Who He says He is. The man who walked on water. Not in San Diego. Exactly like his Father (Awesome!). A victim. The Only Real King. Writing my story."
WHAT GOES IN THE BLANK?
For Judah Smith, the answer to this fill in the blank is found in Scripture. "There are a lot of opinions in the world about who Jesus is. Some people have said He is a good teacher. Others have said that He is a prophet or a healer. But the true answer as is found in the Bible." "The Bible," Judah shares, "declares that Jesus is, in fact, the Son of God. That He literally took skin, put on flesh and bone, and came to this earth. He was fully God and fully man. The Bible declares that He is our forgiveness. In fact, Jesus declared the He was sinless - He had never done anything wrong. And that He had come to forgive us of our sins and all the wrongs that we have committed. Jesus is more than a good teacher, He is more than a good man, and He is more than a miracle worker. He is the Savior of the world, and He has come to set you free. The Bible declares that Jesus came down from Heaven that He came to the earth to take your place. His purpose for existing, His purpose for coming for some thirty-three years on this planet was to die on a cross to take our punishment, our penalties so that we can be forgiven and know newness of life."
The point in all of this is simple. Jesus is not afraid of what any of us think of him. He doesn't cower to public opinion - never did, never will. And every person that has heard of Him has their own thoughts about Him. "Everyone has an opinion of who Jesus is. That's why," Judah says, "jesus-is.org exists - as a platform for people to express who Jesus is to them." Through jesus-is.org people from all over can share just what they think of Him. It's also a way that Christians can share their hearts, their testimonies - they can come together to say something powerful with just a few simple words.
As Judah sees it, "Jesus is God, a compassionate healer, a friend of sinners, the point of all life, the all powerful one, the servant of all, the victorious and ever-present God." This is how he chooses to describe Jesus. His videos available on thecity.org (The City Church) offer in-depth teachings about who Jesus really is for those wanting to know. Through this, Judah describes the Jesus we can see in Scripture. What's more, the website has started a movement, Jesus Is Projects. These projects, which currently number at 131 (and counting), are works or charity, that include everything from helping in a soup kitchen, cleaning a street, to mowing an elderly woman's lawn, supporting our troops and other random acts of kindness. And it is all done to show God's love - to be the definition of Jesus.
In the end, it all comes down to Him, Christ. As Judah sees it, "Jesus is a lot of things, but the answer is in the Bible. It says that Jesus is the Son of God, who came to earth on a mission to restore mankind to God. By living a perfect life, dying on a cross, and coming back to life, His mission was a success. We can know God because of Jesus. So maybe the reality of who Jesus is remains too big for the blank." Through jesus-is.org, Judah hopes to "encourage others to rediscover who Jesus is. He is more than just a good man; He is more than just a good teacher. He is the Savior of the world and He wants to forgive us. He wants to give us meaning and purpose in our lives. This is who Jesus is. Encounter Him today."
UPDATE 2013
Justin Bieber, heart-throb pop singer sent out an Instagram picture of Jesus Is: Find a New Way to Be Human and wrote, "So proud of my pastor. In 2012 Bieber was "named the third most powerful celebrity." The book was scheduled to be released the 26th but it came out early. Judah is the best speaker of our generation. Read this book (you) won't regret it." His book rose to #11 on Amazon Top 100 and #3 with Barnes and Nobles Top 100. .
Since the launch of Judah's campaign to get Jesus on people's mind, the one thing it has done is cause people to react and respond. Over one and a half million visits on the website have been made, and around seventy-five thousand people have answered the blank. It is not only Christians who are viewing and commenting but also the "anti-Jesus" who can be hateful and perverse as well as the "funny and bizarre." His goal is to create a place where all kinds of people will have conversations about beliefs, listen to each other, ask questions, and be open to understanding why someone believes what they do. Having an ear to hear another's opinion will create a platform to "build bridges" to each other. Judah writes, "Our mission: to show you who Jesus is."
In his new book which is accompanied with a DVD, Judah takes on questions from the most common to the most difficult questions that are asked about Jesus. In the chapter titled "Come to Me", he discusses the issue of holiness and the Pharisees, and carrying the load of pleasing God by good deeds. Revealing to those who might not otherwise understand, it is God's grace not good works that bring us in relationship with Him. The extreme pressures of today have caused people to just be plain tired from trying to be good, investing in self-help books, and seminars trying to find a solution to our problems and our lives. Jesus pointed to the futility and impossibility of being perfect, and directed them to take their rest in Him. In every chapter Judah explores some of the most controversial ideas about Christ.
On a personal level, Judah became aware of being concerned about his own reputation when challenged by a fellow pastor. He asked Judah if he knew any people who were in gangs, prostitution, and other not so great activities. Out of that conversation was the reality as Christians we do not put ourselves in areas that the Bible says to avoid BUT we do "subject ourselves to people who really need the Gospel." In one article Judah explained we are not to have the mindset to take people on as an assignment or program. We are to have an evident love of Jesus and a heat to reach people who have been abused in the name of Christ or those who have never heard of Him.
While writing this book and being truthful about his personal setbacks, Judah was able to take a step back and consider what he could learn about himself and be open to change. He writes that in the age of media and distraction, it is a perfect time to be open and honest with ourselves and others. Being transparent allows others who ordinarily have a pre-conceived idea of Christians being perfect, to relate and see through us that God's grace is real and more than enough.
Wanting everyone, even those who don't believe in Jesus or maybe are sitting on the fence, Judah digs deep to give understanding why the Father sent Jesus, what His purpose on earth was, His "accomplishments," and how that effected and continues to effect the lives of those who follow(ed) Him. "My goal in this book is to help people see the irresistible Jesus for who He really is....No matter what they might have done or who they are, it's never too late for grace."