The Lutheran Hour

"WWJP?—What Would Jesus Preach?"

#75-20
Presented on The Lutheran Hour on January 27, 2008
Guest Speaker: Rev. Mark Hannemann
Copyright 2025 Lutheran Hour Ministries

Text: Matthew 4:12-25

Grace to you and peace from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come-Christ Jesus, the crucified and risen one.

I am not one to jump on bandwagons, join movements,am or participate in causes. I don’t have any bumper stickers on my car. I don’t wear lapel pins or imprinted bracelets. I vote, but I don’t campaign for political candidates. Over the years I have seen a lot of movements come and go. I am usually more pleased to see them go than come. But there is one movement that doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon.

Do you remember those bracelets that came out in the 1990s? They had four initials on them: W.W.J.D. I am going to guess that there are few people who don’t know what those initials stand for. I remember a few years back when I was coaching competitive high school level baseball in the summers when my boys were still playing. The field umpire called one of our players out at first base when he was clearly safe. I approached the umpire to have a word with him, as coaches like to do on occasion when they believe they have witnessed an injustice. I suggested that he missed the call at first base. He disagreed. We continued our discussion. He looked like he was on the verge of throwing me out of the game. It would be the first time I had ever been thrown out of a game.

I noticed the umpire had a WWJD bracelet on his wrist, so in the heat of the moment I inquired, “What Would Jesus Do?” He replied, “I don’t know what Jesus would do, but I am throwing you out of this game. You’re out of here.” As I walked off the field, I muttered under my breath, “Jesus would not have made that call at first base, and Jesus would not have thrown me out of the game.” The bracelet, along with my inquiry, were not without effect-the umpire, in good Christian fashion, apologized to me after the game.

The W.W.J.D. movement seems to be picking up some momentum, only in different forms. Just before Christmas a movie was released. The title? What Would Jesus Buy? It features Rev. Billy of the Church of Stop Shopping. This preacher’s mission is to save the world from the so-called Shopocalypse, which is purported to be the end of humankind from consumerism, over-consumption, and the fires of eternal debt. They have re-written some familiar Christmas carols and changed the titles, like, O Come All Ye Wasteful, and Give It a Rest, Ye Wealthy Gentlemen. The information on the movie’s website says that $455 billion were spent last Christmas, that Americans are $2.4 trillion in debt, and that 26 million Americans are addicted to shopping. I was going to see the movie, but the publicity information made me feel guilty, so I applied the $8.50 I was going to spend on the movie ticket to my credit card bill instead. I am sure these moviemakers would be pleased with that fiscally responsible decision on my part.

In 2002 physician Don Colbert published his book, What Would Jesus Eat? Just last year author John Caputo released his book, What Would Jesus Deconstuct?, an examination of Postmodernism and its impact on the church. The Evangelical Environmental Network asks, What Would Jesus Drive? They seem to be really down on SUVs. I guess I should be ashamed of myself, because our family has two SUVs – big ones, mind you. But we do recycle.

Look around and you’ll find titles like, What Would Jesus Download?, What Would Jesus Watch?, and What Would Jesus Blog? In debates in the current campaign season presidential candidates have been asked What Would Jesus Do on this or that controversial issue – like the death penalty, for example. While all that is written or said may not reflect the spirit, the character, or the true revelation about Jesus, at least there seems to be more than a passing interest in Jesus and what He may think about this, that, or the other thing; which has the potential of creating some interesting, if not meaningful conversations.

A question I do not hear being asked in our day is, “What Would Jesus Preach?” Individuals and groups are quick to assert how they think Jesus would come out on their pet issue, project, or cause. Even those who obviously hate Jesus will use His words to support a point they are tying to make, pretending to be an expert on the mind of Christ when it suits them. In our time, as in all ages past, going back to the days when folks in Palestine could discuss what they had actually just heard Jesus say with their own ears, people often misquote, misapply, misunderstand, and misuse the words of Christ and the Bible’s teaching about Him, who He is, and what He’s about.

Today, I am going to direct your attention to the shortest sermon in the Bible and we will discover the answer to the question, “What Would Jesus Preach?” This sermon is recorded for us by the Gospel writer Matthew in back-to-back chapters; in fact, chapters three and four. This sermon was preached by the two greatest preachers in history. Who are these preachers? Let’s find out.

In chapter three Matthew writes: In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 3:1-2). There you have it, the shortest sermon ever preached. After Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River, tempted by Satan in the desert, Matthew tells us that, after hearing that John was put in prison, Jesus went back to Galilee, to Capernaum, Peter’s home town. Peter’s house would serve as headquarters for Jesus during his ministry in that region. Then Matthew wrote: From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 4:17).

There’s that same short sermon again. John and Jesus would not have done well as radio or television preachers. You need more than an eight-word sermon to be on radio or television. However, their brevity may play well in local houses of worship where people start looking at their watches if the sermons get a little long. As a preacher, I have witnessed this unrefined behavior.

What Would Jesus Do? There is endless modern-day speculation about that, as we have seen. So I’m going to jump on the bandwagon and pose the question, “What Would Jesus Preach?” I’m just going to put it out there.

I think Jesus would preach the same message today that He preached 2,000 years ago. Consider the timeless quality of this shortest of all sermons. The last time something close to this sermon got some serious public notice was in the 1960s when self-appointed prophets disguised as hippies would don sandwich boards and carry placards in the streets that read, “Repent, the end is near.” That image is one of the caricatures of that era in American history and culture. You won’t, however, find that particular phrase in the Bible. The message Jesus preached was, “Repent, the kingdom of heaven is near.” Let’s take a closer look at this brief, two-part sermon preached by the greatest preachers ever.

Repent. What comes to mind when you hear that word? What image does that word conjure for you? Do you see a pulpit-pounding, finger-pointing preacher letting you have it right between the eyes? Do you see a fiery Old Testament prophet giving the children of Israel a stern word from God? Do you envision a confessional booth? Perhaps you see someone on their knees in prayer before God. Maybe you see a wayward spouse pleading for another chance. Perhaps you see a child coming clean about what he or she has done wrong. Or maybe you see a murderer apologizing to a family for the pain that he has caused them.

Repent. Repentant. Repentance. Penance. Penitent. Penitence. Penitentiary. All these words are related. If I truly repent it means I am truly sorry for what I have done or what I have failed to do. If I am repentant, it means I regret what I have done, I am contrite, I am conscience-stricken, I am remorseful. Not everyone in a penitentiary is penitent, however. Not everyone who steps into a confessional booth is sorry. Not everyone who says, “I’ll never do it again,” never does it again. The spirit may be willing, but our human flesh is weak.

If you want to hear what it sounds like to be penitent, then listen to King David’s confession when Nathan held up the mirror to him after he committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband killed. You can read all about that in 2 Samuel chapters 11 and 12. But Psalm 51 is the place to turn in our Bible right now to see David’s response. I call it the Linebacker Psalm. Do you remember Dick Butkus, number 51 for the Chicago Bears? He was arguably the toughest linebacker ever to play in the NFL. Like old number 51 let quarterbacks and running backs have it, the prophet Nathan tackled David hard with the truth. Psalm 51 is the result of that hard hit. Here is some of what a repentant David said, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are proved right when You speak and justified when You judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:1-5).

That is the kind of expression that comes out of a repentant heart. When Jesus preached repentance, I think this is the kind of response He had in mind. A more brief and succinct rendition of repentance is found in the story Jesus told about the Pharisee and the tax collector. You might recall that the Pharisee didn’t think he had any sins to confess; on the contrary, he was quite pleased with himself and how righteous he thought he was. The tax collector on the other hand, humbled himself and said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13). Have you ever prayed that prayer?

In our hyper-tolerant culture, preaching repentance is not a popular thing to do. But neither was it in the days of Noah, Moses, Isaiah, or Jesus. Preaching repentance cost John the Baptist his head. Jesus’ message of repentance so riled the religious leaders of His day that they figured out a way to have the Romans execute Him. The 17th century English preacher, Matthew Henry, wrote, “Some people do not like to hear much of repentance; but I think it is so necessary that if I should die in the pulpit, I would desire to die preaching repentance, and if out of the pulpit I would desire to die practicing it.” What does it look like to practice repentance?

There was a shoplifter who wrote to a department store and said, “I’ve just become a Christian, and I can’t sleep at night because I feel guilty. So here’s $100.” The thief signs his name, but there is a brief postscript at the bottom of the note. It read, “If I still can’t sleep, I’ll send you the rest.” True repentance is not about compromising and negotiating. Repentance is about coming clean, confessing your sins, making things right, and moving in the opposite direction. It’s an “about face.” To repent means to “do a 180.” The word literally means a complete change of mind, a complete change of heart. Repentance was perhaps best defined by a little girl, who said: “It’s being sorry enough to stop what you’re doing.”

But repentance is only half of the message. The shortest sermon ever preached continues with the words, “…the kingdom of heaven is near.” What do you think that means? If you think you know what the kingdom of heaven is because you have seen the movie, Kingdom of Heaven, starring Orlando Bloom, your understanding may be a bit incomplete. The movie is set in Jerusalem in the Middle Ages during the crusades. Bloom plays the role of Balian, a blacksmith who lost his family. Godfrey of Ibelin, a Crusader briefly home to France from fighting in the East, reveals himself as Balian’s father, and shows him the true meaning of knighthood and takes him on a journey across continents to the Holy City. As Godfrey passes his sword to his son, he also passes on the sacred oath: to protect the helpless, safeguard the peace, and work toward harmony between religions and cultures, so that a kingdom of heaven can flourish on earth. Balian takes the sword and steps into history. Well, at least that’s what the advertisement for the movie claims.

According to the Bible, the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God are one and the same. When John the Baptist proclaimed that the “kingdom of God is near,” he was simply announcing that in Jesus, who he referred to as the Son of God, the kingdom of heaven had now arrived on earth, in person, in a person, in the person of Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah, the Savior of the world. One day when John saw Jesus coming toward him he told the people, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

There is a beloved Christmas hymn written in 1531 by Martin Luther for his young son Hans. Maybe you sang it this past Christmas. It has 15 stanzas. The first five declare the joyful words of the angel proclaiming the wondrous news of Jesus’ birth. The remaining stanzas declare the response of the shepherds and the meaning of the Savior’s birth for all the world. If you want to know what the kingdom of heaven is about, listen to the voice of the angel in this beautiful hymn:

From heav’n above to earth I come
To bear good news to every home;
Glad tidings of great joy I bring,
Whereof I now will say and sing:

To you this night is born a child
Of Mary, chosen virgin mild
This little child of lowly birth
Shall be the joy of all the earth.

This is the Christ, our God Most High,
Who hears your sad and bitter cry;
He will Himself your Savior be
From all your sins to set you free.

In defining His mission Jesus said He came “to seek and to save the lost.” He came for you. He came for me. He came for all people. Some denounce Christianity because they claim it is an exclusivistic religion. Quite the contrary, Christianity is the most inclusive of faiths. It is a “whoever” religion. Here’s what the Bible says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). “Whoever” is not a term of exclusivity, but inclusivity. The Bible teaches that God wants everyone to be “saved and come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). Jesus declared himself to be “the Way, the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6). When He was brought before the Roman governor Pilate, Jesus acknowledged that He was a king but said that His “kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36).

Let’s go back to that Christmas hymn once again. There is one more stanza I want you to hear. It is a verse that speaks to the true nature of the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God. It really is a prayer. Listen:

Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,
Prepare a bed, soft, undelfiled,
A quiet chamber set apart
For You to dwell within my heart.

Once Jesus was asked when the kingdom of God would come. People have been asking that question ever since. In response, Jesus said, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20-21). The kingdom of God is a matter of the heart. It is spiritual. It is internal. What you believe about Jesus does matter. I believe I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I believe Jesus died for me to pay the price for my sins. I believe He rose to life and conquered death and shares that victory with everyone who believes. What Would Jesus Preach? “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” In Jesus, the kingdom of heaven is here. Amen.

LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for January 27, 2008
TOPIC: Worthiness

ANNOUNCER: Now, Pastor Ken Klaus answers questions from listeners. I’m
Mark Eischer. A listener writes, “There are times when I feel I’m not as close to God as other people are, those who are more worthy than I am. Am I not praying enough?”

KLAUS: First, the part about not being as close to God as others are… God, in His Divine love, wants to be close to everybody in this world. He wants to be close to me, to you our listener, the baby in the crib, the golden-ager in the nursing home. God is near to both believer and unbeliever. But unbelief continuously pushes Him away.

ANNOUNCER: I think I understand, so far.

KLAUS: Now the problem comes in that some people, for any number of reasons don’t really believe God is there with them, loving them, reaching out to them, saving them. For them, God may as well not exist.

ANNOUNCER: But certainly that doesn’t mean that God isn’t near to them, or that He isn’t trying to save them.

KLAUS: We may not know God, or recognize Him – but He is still there.

ANNOUNCER: Now I think we’re getting close to what this person’s asking.

KLAUS: Good. We need to make another distinction here. There are some people who know more about God than others do. That makes it seem like God is closer to them or they’re closer to God.

ANNOUNCER: But it isn’t necessarily so?

KLAUS: No, knowledge is a good thing, but knowledge about God isn’t the same thing as faith in God. Jesus says we need to have faith like a little child if we’re going to get into heaven. Jesus nowhere requires that you have to have a PhD in theology in order to get into paradise. Likewise, there are people who are more vocal about expressing or sharing their faith. They may seem to be closer to God.

ANNOUNCER: But that’s really not the situation. As you said, God is close to everyone – and we need look no farther than His Word and Sacraments in order to find Him.

KLAUS: Right. God is close to us… but we may not be close to Him. That’s why I especially like the story of the man who came to Jesus with a problem. His son was possessed by the devil, and he asked Jesus, if it were possible for the Savior to help them out. Jesus replied, “Everything is possible for the person who believes.” Now what I like about this story is what the man said next, “Lord, I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief.” I don’t have to tell you that Jesus healed the boy – and He helped with the man’s unbelief, as well. “Lord, I believe, help me overcome my unbelief.” Our unbelief is what puts distance between us and God.

ANNOUNCER: And it has nothing to do with our worthiness?

KLAUS: Of course not. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. Jesus came to bring light to those in darkness, heal those who were sick. All of those; the lost, those in the dark, those who are spiritually sick, can’t do anything for themselves. Their worthiness is zip, zero, zilch, nada. Jesus brings a gift of forgiveness and salvation to the unworthy.

ANNOUNCER: And like the Bible says, we are saved by grace, not by our works, or anything that we can do.

KLAUS: Absolutely right.

ANNOUNCER: Which takes us to the next part of our listener’s question… that part about whether they are praying enough.

KLAUS: Right. The quality or quantity of an individual’s prayer is not going to increase that person’s worthiness before God. We can’t do anything to make ourselves more worthy.

ANNOUNCER: But you’re not saying we shouldn’t pray, are you?

KLAUS: I hope nobody heard me say that. Prayer is a good thing, a commanded thing, a right thing. But what is even better for this person is that he is open to the Lord’s leading. Do you recall the story of how King David came to write Psalm 51? He had moved away from God. He had committed adultery and murder. God sent the prophet Nathan to call David to repentance. Like we said before, God hadn’t moved… but David had. Well, David did repent; he was forgiven. And then he wrote Psalm 51. The verses that are most important to what we’re saying today are… well, here, Mark, why don’t you read?

ANNOUNCER: OK. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free spirit.”

KLAUS: What David is saying is, “God you are close to me, like You’ve always been. When I sin, bring me back and bring me closer to You. Remake me.

ANNOUNCER: And God did that?

KLAUS: He did. Just as He will, for the sake of Christ, bring our caller closer to Him as well.

ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Pastor Klaus. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.

Music selections for this program:

“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by John Leavitt. Concordia Publishing House/SESAC

“O Jesus, King Most Wonderful” arr. Henry Gerike. From Agnus Dei by the Concordia Seminary Chorus (© 1996 Concordia Seminary Chorus)

“O Christ Our Light” arr. Richard Resch. From With Angels & Archangels by the Kantorei (© 1998 Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne)

“Praise the Almighty” by John Behnke. From For All Seasons, vol. 3 by John Behnke (© 2004 John Behnke) Concordia Publishing House

“Prelude on Lauda Anima” by John Behnke. From For All Seasons, vol. 2 by John Behnke (© 2001 John Behnke) Concordia Publishing House