By Steve Higginbotham
In 1995, Joan Osborne released a song that asked the question, “What if God was one of us?” Every time I heard that song play on the radio, I would think to myself, and frequently answer aloud to the radio, “He was one of us in the person of Jesus” (John 1:14)!
Can I have your imagination for a moment? What if, in God’s great scheme of redemption, the “fullness of time” spoken on in Galatians 4:4, which would denote the arrival of Jesus into the world would have been now? Imagine if Jesus, instead of coming in the first century, came to Earth in the 21st century?
If that were the case, Jesus would very likely have a Facebook page, wouldn’t he? Surely he would utilize a medium that has the potential to reach millions of people instantaneously. I can’t imagine Jesus not taking advantage of the best mediums available. But if Jesus did have a Facebook page, I’m afraid it would look very different from Facebook pages of those who claim to be his followers.
Because God was one of us and we saw his glory, we know some of the things he would and wouldn’t “Like.” He wouldn’t “Like” pictures that depict people immodestly dressed (1 Timothy 2:9-10). He wouldn’t “Like” videos that depict lewd and suggestive behavior (Ephesians 5:3). He wouldn’t “Like” off-color jokes, or references that reinforce racial prejudices (Ephesians 5:4). He wouldn’t “Like” public airing of personal problems (Matthew 18:15), and nor would he “Like” posts that disrespect our civil authorities (Romans 13:1-7), just to name a few.
Back to reality. Jesus didn’t have a Facebook page, but we do! Next time we get ready to “Like” someone’s status, maybe we should slow down just a bit, think twice about what it means to be a follower of Jesus, and ask ourselves, “What Would Jesus Like?” (WWJL).