Jesus Centred Part 1

I want to explain why I describe my theological approach as “Jesus Centred Happy Theology.” So, to kick off Jesus Centred Part 1, I want to start by asking a question…

What is God like? 

All of us have some sort of version of what God is like. During this pandemic we hear some saying that God sent the pandemic to reset or even judge the world. Others say that God has taken His hands completely off Earth, or perhaps everything here on in is simply fate. Still others are saying this is just a simple case of karma. 

So, what is God like?

Having grown up overseas I have made lots of friends around the world who have very different ways of how they would answer that question.

For some of my friends God is many, for others God is one. I have friends who worshipped hundreds, if not thousands of gods. In their eyes, god is what you attribute to god. I have other friends who see god as a strict, task master who is quick to judge and punish creation. I also have friends who love and follow Jesus, as I do, yet even our pictures of God are vastly different.

I love all my friends, and I would agree that each of them has at least some revelation of the true nature of God. But how do we work out what God is really like? 

I believe that this is the problem that Jesus came to reveal to us. 

• The apostle John said that in Jesus, God had become flesh. (John 1:14)
• The Apostle Paul said that Jesus was the image of the invisible God. (Col 1:15)
• The author of Hebrews says that Jesus is the exact picture of God. (Hebrews 1:3)

• Jesus said that He and the Father are one. (John 10:30)
• Jesus said that if you have seen Him, you have seen the Father. (John 14:7)
• Jesus said that He only spoke what He heard the Father say. (John 12:49)
• Jesus said He only did what He saw the Father do. (John 5:19)
• Jesus said that He revealed the Father to His disciples. (John 17:25-26)

It’s pretty safe to say that God is like Jesus. 
Always has been, and always will be.

And this is good news. It’s good news for the poor, the outcast, the tired and hurting. It is good news to those of every race, every gender, every age. It’s good news because Jesus was inclusive, accepting, merciful and powerful. He healed, (not made people sick) set people free, and filled people with life and hope. He invites all people into eternal life - which Jesus describes as intimately knowing Him! That is what God is like and always was and always will be like!

This is “Jesus Centred Happy Theology.” Jesus reveals God exactly as He is, and that my friends, is extremely good news!

When I seriously considered this teaching a number of years ago, I found a whole number of beliefs that I had that simply did not match up to God revealed in Jesus. I continue to allow Jesus to shape my picture of God.

This leads us to ask ourselves some serious questions… What does our picture of God look like? Does it line up with who Jesus is? Or does our version of God need a bit if a facelift?

Will you allow Jesus to be Lord over your theology?
Will you allow Jesus to reveal God to you?

*** I hope Jesus Centred Part 1 has provoked some thoughts - stick around for Jesus Centred Part 2 as we take this thought another step further.