Which Jesus?

Having just celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ, the question is: Which Jesus? I ask this question so that when we examine people groups in the United States, we find many among professing Christians and others who celebrate Christmas, but have conflicting views of who he was, and is.

At no time in this column do I wish to offend anyone. I will not offer any condemnatory, nor even pejorative, comments regarding those who hold to contradictory beliefs regarding the person of Jesus, in comparison to classic, orthodox Christian, catholic [adjective; i.e., "universal"] teaching.

So, why offer this column? To remove the misunderstanding from many who speak of Jesus, but is a different Jesus. This is because, contrary to popular belief, numerous various groups do not believe in the same God.

It is vital to realize that if groups believe in a different God, they believe in a different Jesus. "Aren't you making a mountain out of a molehill?" One-thousand percent no!

My own granddaughter showed me study sheets from a seventh-grade class which made the statements: Christian, Jews and Muslims all believe in the same one God simply calling him by a different name. This is not true.

Christianity follows Judaism but is separated by the fact that Christianity believes that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God, while Jews do not believe that Jesus was anything more than just a man. Both believe in the same God. Islam is similar to Judeo-Christianity, as they believe in the same God, but called Allah. [Emphasis mine. Words emphasized are contrary to the words of the Bible. John 1:1; 5:23; 8:58; 20:28, 1 John 2:23, Gen. 1:26, Deut. 6:4, Ps. 110:1, Matt. 22: 41-46]

The orthodox, catholic, historical faith confesses that there is only one, true God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Christian faith also confesses that salvation is possible to only those who believe in this God. The best expression of that belief is found in the Athanasian Creed, the last ecumenical creed, accepted by all of Christianity after it was composed by Christian congregations in ancient Gaul, modern France, in the 5th or 6th century.

Whoever will be saved shall, above all else, hold the catholic faith. Which faith, except everyone keeps whole and undefiled, without doubt he will perish eternally. And the catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in three persons and three persons in one God, neither confusing the persons nor dividing the substance.

This, most certainly, conflicts not only with the modern Jewish religion and Islam, it is also rejected by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints [LDS], Jehovah's Witnesses, and various traditions commonly labeled as Christian [i.e., United Church of Christ, United Pentecostal Church International, Disciples of Christ, and even liberal segments of "Lutheranism," the Episcopal Church, and others]. This ancient creed is the antithesis, the complete opposite in the extreme to modern creeds such as "The Sparkle Creed" now circulating among numerous more liberal Christian congregations.

"I believe in the non-binary God whose pronouns are plural. I believe in Jesus Christ, their child, who wore a fabulous tunic and had two dads and saw everyone as a sibling-child of God. I believe in the rainbow Spirit, who shatters our image of one white light and refracts it into a rainbow of gorgeous diversity. I believe in the church of everyday saints as numerous, creative, and resilient as patches on the AIDS quilt, whose feet are grounded in mud and whose eyes gaze at the stars in wonder. I believe in the calling to each of us that love is love is love, so beloved, let us love. I believe, glorious God. Help my unbelief. Amen." [Rachel Small Stokes, "pastor" of Immanuel United Church of Christ in Louisville, Kentucky, posted by Edina Community Lutheran Church in Edina, Minnesota]

What is most distressing is that those congregations and particularly, those members, who confess the words of the creed are not Christian! [Matthew 10:32,33]. They are not children of the triune God!

As a confessional Lutheran pastor, it saddens and frightens me when I hear from the lips of those who I would assume to be Christian [Eighth Commandment], and yet deny the very God in Whom they believe they are following. Here are two comments to the "Sparkle Creed" by professed Christians:

A Catholic reader added, "This is gorgeous." Another reader said, "I hate creeds across the board. Even the good ones make my skin crawl. This is the first one that resonates with my soul."

Remember, I am not offering judgmental viewpoints. These above statements, either by laity, or those of church bodies, are based upon the above church's official teaching. And if not official doctrine, they are allowing the teaching of, or openly holding to, such contrary doctrine and/or practice.

As much as I would love to include the necessary substantiation to my statements, this platform does not allow it. If anyone desires evidence which supports such claims, I most heartily encourage you to contact me, and I will make it available. All of these claims are what these bodies say regarding themselves.

As a confessional Lutheran pastor, I am greatly alarmed at the ignorance of professing Christians relating to God. The way many (this is not an example of hyperbole) Christians speak about God, it sounds as if they do not believe in the Trinity. Some out of ignorance. Others due to willful rejection. And why is this? Typically, due to poor instruction in the Christian faith or almost none at all!

All of this is at the heart of my original question: Which Jesus are many celebrating at Christmas? Unfortunately, quite often, not the true Jesus, the Son of God, the third person of the Trinity, the man/God, Jesus the Christ. Savior from sin for the world!

May all who value truth look to Jesus Christ as THE Savior for their sins, that through faith in him receive everlasting life.

THE REV. RICK PETTEY is pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Gravelton and Trinity Lutheran Church in Fredericktown. He can be reached by calling 944-4378 or emailing to sthilary@trinityfredericktown.net.