I walked into the women’s restroom of Church 2, and there on the counter was a little sign that read, “Close your eyes and say a prayer, because Jesus and Germs are everywhere.” “Straight in the trash,” I grimaced under my breath. How was this sign, that put Jesus on the same level as “germs” in a church restroom?! I was annoyed. I won’t even get into “germ theory,” but the sign was tacky at best and irreverent at worst. And I definitely leaned toward the latter. Of course, for me to say something about it would be pointless. No one cared about something as trivial as a bathroom sign, meant to evoke a giggle and urge people to, hopefully, wash their hands. I understood that, but this flippant attitude towards how we view Jesus doesn’t stop with a bathroom sign. It has permeated our society. An irreverence for someone whom so many claim as their Lord and Savior.

Beyond society, and in the very places we are “meant to” worship the Lord of Heaven and Earth, you can hardly find him. And sometimes, if he’s mentioned at all, it’s as a footnote, to prop up a point being made or, more often these days, Jesus’ name is being used in vain for the sake of political ideology or propaganda. How did we get here? Has it always been this way? Yes. Jesus even warns us himself that many will come in his name, saying that they are the Christ, and will deceive many (Matt. 24:5)

In 1979, James Lasch wrote a book called “The Culture of Narcissism,” and it’s only gone downhill from there. So, I guess we shouldn’t be surprised in the year 2025, when narcissism is a character quality people seem to look for in leaders, that we want to individualize who Jesus is to us. Instead of being image bearers of Him, we want Him to image us. We want our own, personal Jesus (as Depeche Mode so aptly puts it). We don’t necessarily want a relationship with the actual Jesus, so we often settle for a “Jesus” of our own making. Which is an idol.

Ricky Bobby (fictional character from Talladega Nights), prayed to 8 lb. 6 oz. baby Jesus, because that was his favorite version of him. Other characters went on to share their favorite versions of Jesus, including: Christmas Jesus, Party Jesus, Ninja Jesus, and Eagle-winged rock star Jesus.

Here are a few other Jesuses of our own making (not exhaustive):

• Mormon Jesus
• Buddy Jesus
• Jehovah’s Witnesses Jesus
• American Jesus
• Germ Jesus
• Militant Jesus
• Coffee Jesus
• Men who claim to be Jesus
• Little Jesus

Some that aren’t as apparent, but if you know the real one, you should be able to discern:

• Christ is King -people use this term to be incendiary and build influence and platforms.
• Christ consciousness -used by all types of people (and celebrities), new age, new thought, and other such things, to signify a kind of spiritual hive mind.
• Anyone sharing a different gospel while using Jesus’ name; this applies to many who profess to be Christians, specifically some pastors.

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I worked at a bank once, for about a year. One time, I remember getting a $20 bill. It looked right, but it felt different than the others. I asked my manager about it, and it turned out to be a counterfeit. When you work at a bank, they teach you how to spot a counterfeit dollar by knowing the real dollar so well that you can’t be fooled. I was thankful I caught it. Just like there’s counterfeit money, there are many counterfeit Jesuses. But there’s only one true Jesus the Christ. I guess the question you need to ask yourself is if you truly want to know the real Jesus. If that desire is not established within you, you’ll be taken in by any whim of desire you have for a counterfeit Jesus.

So many want a Jesus who only flips tables and uses whips. I’ve heard these verses misused so frequently to excuse people’s own harshness and mistreatment of others. Yes, Jesus was firm and stern with religious leaders who were tying heavy burdens onto people. They were exploiting people for their own gain. They were more worried about money than they were about fellow humans. Those same types of people are still doing the same types of things today. Jesus’ actions were not for the sake of showing his bravado; they were a defense of the weak and helpless.

Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up?

If you’ve established that you do want to know the real Jesus, and not a counterfeit, here’s a good place to start: Jesus humanized the dehumanized. I know that might be a foreign concept in a culture that seeks to dehumanize others and make them lesser, so we can feel justified in our actions towards them (or justified in ignoring them). But Jesus, being God, is not like us.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

How Jesus treated others:

• He had compassion because they were harassed and helpless… sheep without a shepherd (Matt. 9:36)
• He said, “Let the little children come to me.” (Matt. 19:14)
• Jesus honored and respected women. (John 4)
• He healed the sick and cast out demons. (Mark 1:34)
• He fed great crowds because they were hungry. (Matt. 14:13-21)
• He ate with sinners and tax collectors. (Matt. 9:10)
• He did not condemn sinners, but loved and forgave them. (John 8:11)
• He washed the disciples’ feet, and dried them (John 13:5)

Jesus’ Nature:

• He was rich, yet for your sake, He became poor (2 Cor. 8:9)
• He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness (Phil. 2:7)
• He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief (Isa. 53:3)
• The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many (Matt. 20:28)
• For what the law was powerless to do, in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin (Romans 8:3)
• The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in Him all things were created (Col. 1:15)
• But I am among you as one who serves. (Luke 22:27)
• He chose the weak and foolish things of this world to condemn the wise. (1 Cor. 1:27)
• He desires mercy, not sacrifice (Matt. 12:7)

People weren’t drawn to him because of his bravado. He genuinely loved and cared for all people. He was not arrogant or brash. He didn’t come to be served but to serve. He took our heavy burdens and exchanged them for his light, easy yoke. He brought us true peace and asks us to rest in him.

For every counterfeit “Jesus” you can think of, the real Jesus, his love, character, humility, and light, surpass them all. If you want to know the real Jesus, you can. (Luke 11:9-13) He is worth knowing and, more importantly, being known by.

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Hebrews 1:3