My teammates and I started watching a television series on Netflix called “A.D. Kingdom and Empire“ together.
Now before you ask me why I’m spending my time watching Netflix on the Race, hear me out.
This series has brought the gospel of John and the book of Acts to life for us. We have been able to see the disciples as they stumbled and succeeded. We’ve seen Saul of Tarsus kill Christians, get blinded on the road to Damascus, and then baptized by Ananias. And it’s sparked great discussion within our team about the Bible.
One of the most memorable scenes for me was when the high priest and the Roman governor, Pilot, were discussing why they crucified Jesus. An argument broke out and the high priest finally yelled, “HE WAS A DANGER TO THE STATUS QUO!”
Now, I had never thought of Jesus as a dangerous man. He was a man of peace. A simple carpenter who spent his free time with a bunch of fishermen.
But the more I study the Bible and the more I watch this series, I’m realizing more and more that Jesus was dangerous.
The people of Jerusalem were very religious. Their laws revolved around religion and worship. The high priest was one of the most important political figures. There was definitely no such thing as separation of church and state. They studied the Old Testament scriptures and one of the highest honors was to follow a Jewish rabbi to be discipled and taught by him.
And then in walks this man Jesus with his band of fishermen, proclaiming to the world that He is the messiah that was prophesied about in the scriptures. He said things like:
”I will tear down this temple and then raise it up again in 3 days.”
”Nobody gets to the Father except through me.”
”I am the Son of God.”
“Eat my flesh and drink my blood.”
This series has allowed me to understand just how radical and crazy these things must have sounded to the religious people of Jerusalem. Saying things like this would condemn you as a blasphemer of God and you could be flogged, stoned, crucified, or tortured in any other way.
The status quo said love your neighbor and hate your enemy. Jesus said love them both.
The status quo said make animal sacrifices to cover your sins. Jesus said my blood will cover all of your sins, forever.
Jesus was truly a danger to the status quo. The things He said were radical. They were unheard of. Unwanted. Unpopular. And unwelcome.
Being able to watch his disciples challenge the status quo with their faith and actions has been inspiring for me and my teammates.
It has me reflecting a lot on my life back home. Does my life sing a different song than the world tells me to? Do my actions and words reflect popular culture or truth? Do I share my faith and beliefs with others or do I sit quietly with them because the status quo says it’s rude to share?
I needed the challenge and conviction that this has brought me. It would be so easy for me to get home from the World Race and live a life that the status quo tells me I should be living. I want to be radical in my love for others. I want to share my faith because of the passion the Lord has given me for evangelism. I want to inspire myself by reading scripture and studying the lives of Jesus and His first disciples. I want to be a danger to the status quo.
My challenge for you: Read the gospels. We have a tendency in the American church to study the gospels and move on to another, more “relatable” book in the Bible. No. I need a daily reminder of the gospel, because it is new for me every day. A daily reminder of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. A daily reminder of my salvation in Jesus and the grace and forgiveness he pours out on me. Don’t become bored or numb to the gospel. The gospel is never boring! It’s the most exciting news in the world.
Give this series a try! It has sparked new passion in me and my teammates for studying scripture and we have benefitted from it greatly.
Grace and peace from Ghana!
