This article appeared in the December 2024 issue of Church & State magazine.
When I relocated to Texas in 1996, I was acquainted with only one Jesus, the
Jesus of the Sermon on the Mount. This Jesus, whether historical or mythological,
left an indelible mark, significantly shaping my worldview and values.
Christ was a figure of peace, humility and radical love for me. This Jesus preached
turning the other cheek, loving one’s enemies and the blessedness of the meek.
In Matthew 19:24, Jesus said: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a
needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
To me, this meant that to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, greed and selfishness
could not exist. Jesus called for faith to be lived out in personal acts of kindness and
humility.
Then, I moved to Texas and met a Jesus utterly foreign to the one I had grown up
with and knew. Who was this strange Jesus? One quote from Jesus’s Sermon on
the Mount kept running through my head. “Beware of false prophets which come to
you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them
by their fruits.”
I had no idea that in American Christianity, two distinct portrayals of Jesus emerge
from the New Testament. On the one hand is the Jesus of the Sermon on the
Mount. This Jesus is a teacher of profound ethical and spiritual wisdom, calling his
followers to a higher standard of living that encompasses not just love and peace,
but also justice, humility, integrity and a deep trust in God.
On the other hand, the Jesus of the Book of Revelation embodies divine judgment,
authority and power, often depicted in a manner that contrasts sharply with the
more peaceful and compassionate Jesus of the Sermon on the Mount.
In Revelation, Jesus is the ultimate judge of humanity, dispensing wrath upon those
who have defied God. His role as the executor of divine justice is central, a justice
portrayed in violent, apocalyptic terms. He comes with a sword, ready to strike
down nations, his judgment final and absolute.
The Jesus of Revelation is portrayed as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, a title
that emphasizes his supreme authority over all earthly powers. There is no room for
dissent or disagreement — his word is law, and his decrees are carried out with an
iron hand. This unyielding authority can be arrogant, as he demands total
submission and loyalty from all creation.
Anger is a significant aspect of this depiction. The Jesus of Revelation is often filled
with righteous indignation toward sin and rebellion. His anger is not merely a
passing emotion but a driving force behind the cataclysmic events described in the
book. His wrath pours out through plagues, wars and destruction, showing no
mercy to those who stand against him.
This Jesus is also an avenger, particularly of the martyrs and the faithful who have
suffered for their beliefs. He is determined to vindicate them, often through acts of
vengeance against those seen as oppressors. This vengeful aspect of his
character is a far cry from the forgiving Jesus of the Gospels, highlighting a more
militant and aggressive side.
In Revelation, Jesus is depicted as a warrior leading the armies of heaven in a final,
apocalyptic battle against the forces of evil. He tramples his enemies underfoot, an
arrogant assumption of inevitable victory and domination. This Jesus is neither
meek nor mild; he is aggressive, assertive and forceful.
The Jesus of Revelation is also a destroyer, particularly of the wicked and the
corrupt. His anger toward the sinful world culminates in the destruction of Babylon,
a symbol of human depravity. This destruction is thorough and relentless, reflecting
a Jesus who is not just angry, but vengeful and determined in his pursuit of
perceived justice.
In Revelation, Jesus asserts his identity as the Alpha and Omega, the beginning
and the end, underscoring his eternal sovereignty and unmatched power. This self-
identification can be seen as a form of divine arrogance, as it places him beyond all
questioning and above all creation.
Unlike the Jesus of the Gospels, who invites followers, the Jesus of Revelation
demands worship and allegiance. There is a stark dichotomy between those who
follow him and those who do not, and the consequences of refusal are severe. This
insistence on absolute loyalty, combined with the severe penalties for
noncompliance, adds to the image of a Jesus who is both arrogant and
authoritarian. For this Jesus, liberty of conscience is sinful.
Various Christian groups have interpreted and emphasized these two depictions of
Jesus differently. Each interpretation has profound implications for the relationship
between church and state in America, and the weight of this cannot be overstated.
The Jesus of the Sermon on the Mount represents a vision of Christianity that
aligns with the principles of separation of church and state. His teachings
emphasize personal virtue, compassion and a clear distinction between the spiritual
and the temporal.
This Jesus calls for a daily faith lived with compassion and kindness rather than
one that seeks to impose itself through government machinery. His message
supports a secular state where religious belief is a matter of individual conscience,
not coercion.
In contrast, the Jesus of Revelation has been seized upon by those envisioning a
Christian nation that entwines religious authority and governmental power. This
Jesus is a conqueror, a judge, a king who demands allegiance not just in the
spiritual realm, but also in the worldly one.
For those who promote the idea of America as a Christian nation, the Jesus of the
biblical End Times offers a justification for merging church and state, arguing that
actual governance must be rooted in Biblical authority and that secularism is a
threat to the divine order.
The tension between these two images of Jesus is at the heart of the ongoing
debate over the role of religion in American public life.
The key Founders of this nation, sons of the Enlightenment and liberal ideals,
understood the dangers of religious extremism and theocratic rule. They enshrined
the separation of church and state in the Constitution, and, for the first time in
history, equal liberty of conscience for all was protected by law.
Although the Founders held diverse religious beliefs, they would have recognized
Jesus’ teachings from the Sermon on the Mount. They emphasized the importance
of liberty of conscience, a principle closely aligned with their vision for a nation
where freedom of religion meant equal freedom for all to worship — or not worship
— freely while being protected from religious imposition.
Yet, in today’s political climate, we see a resurgence of the Jesus of Revelation,
invoked by those who seek to blur the lines between church and state to impose a
particular religious vision on the entire nation. This is not just a theological debate;
it’s a struggle for the country’s soul.
The choice between these two Jesuses is not merely a matter of faith but a
question of governance. At a time when Christian Nationalism’s angry and arrogant
Jesus of Revelation is pervasive and powerful, will Christians in the United States
have the courage to openly embrace the Jesus who calls his followers to a higher
standard of personal morality and respect for individual conscience? Or will they
succumb to the temptation of a Jesus who justifies the wielding of political power in
the name of religious domination?
In the end, the separation of church and state is not just about keeping religion out
of government; it’s about preserving the integrity of both. The Jesus of the Sermon
on the Mount knew this. The Jesus of Revelation, in the hands of theocrats,
threatens church and state alike. The Founders’ greatest gift was recognizing that
true faith or no faith doesn’t need the sword of government to thrive. Let’s not forget
that.
Eric Lane serves as president of AU’s San Antonio, Texas, Chapter and writes
a Substack newsletter titled “This Ain’t No Culture War”
https://tancwar.substack.com about what he’s learned while living in Texas
about church-state separation.
