Discussion Paper

Who Jesus Is

Our answer to the question, "What Would Jesus Drive?," must be grounded in our central Christian beliefs that Jesus Christ is Creator, Savior, Lord, Great Physician, and Prince of Peace.

1. Creator -

   The New Testament clearly proclaims that as the Second Person of the Trinity, Christ created the universe and continues to sustain it. As such, all of creation belongs to Him. He is Creator, Sustainer, and Owner. (Heb. 1:2-3; Col. 1:16-17, 19; Jn. 1:1-4.)

   Therefore, pollution harms His creation.

2. Savior -

   Christ is not a Creator who simply creates the universe and lets it fend for itself. When humanity is in trouble, Christ comes as Savior to save us from our sins (Mt. 1:21; Mk. 10:45; Jn. 1:29; 3:16; Rom. 5:6-11¹).

   Further, God's grace made available to us by the blood of Christ shed on the cross empowers us to live lives of righteousness in accord with His Lordship (Rom. 6:18²).

   If we choose to cause pollution that hurts people, we contribute to the sin that Christ carried for us on the cross.

3. Lord -

   The confession that "Jesus is Lord" is the oldest of Christian confessions. It is used so frequently in the New Testament to refer to Jesus that it has become part of his name (Mt. 14:30; Jn. 6:68; Mk. 16-19; Acts 2:36, 16:31³).

   Just like the disciples in the New Testament, we are called to follow Him and put into practice what he teaches us (Mk. 1:16-20; and Lk. 6:46-49⁴). We are to have the "mind of Christ" including His attitude of humble, sacrificial servanthood (1 Cor. 2:16; Phil 2:5-8).

   One of the simplest, most profound of Jesus' teachings is the Golden Rule: "Do to others as you would have them do to you" (Lk. 6:31; Mt. 7:12).

   When asked to sum up how we are to live our lives, Jesus said: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" and "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Mk. 12:30-31).⁵ These are called the Great Commandments.

   The Golden Rule and the Great Commandments are commands to be proactive in doing what is good, and not simply refrain from doing what is bad. Righteousness is the presence of right relations between ourselves, God, and others. To fail to do the good in these relationships is a sin.

   When we choose to cause pollution that hurts people, we violate the Golden Rule and the Great Commandments. Our contribution to pollution runs counter to Jesus' Lordship in our lives.

4. Great Physician -

   Christians understand Jesus Christ to be the Great Physician of both body and soul. Bodily healing constituted an astonishing amount of Jesus' ministry (Mt. 4:23 & 9:35). Just as grace is freely given to all, the Gospels attest that Jesus healed whoever came to him, including many considered unclean and outside the bounds of his community such as the Roman centurion's servant (Mt. 8:5-13).  His healing compassion extends to the powerless and most vulnerable - precisely those most hurt by pollution today.

   The New Testament teaches that Christ is the source of the abundant life, including physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. This is what Jesus came to bring (Jn. 10:10b). In creating and sustaining all things, purifying us from our sins, holding all things together, and reconciling all things, Christ makes physical and spiritual health possible.  He is the author, and with the Second Coming he will be the perfector, of our health (Jn. 1:1-4; Mt. 8:16b-17; 1 Peter 2:24).⁶

   As pollution harms people by impacting their health, it works against the work of the Great Physician.

5. Prince of Peace -

   Handel's Messiah reminds us of what Christians believe Isaiah proclaims concerning Jesus: He is the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6). The peace that Jesus Christ brings is shalom, a holistic well-being based upon the presence of justice and the reconciliation of humanity and the rest of creation with God. Indeed, understanding Jesus as the Prince of Peace brings together all we have discussed concerning Jesus thus far. Creator and Savior are united because God loves the world and in Christ does not count our sins against us (Jn. 3:16; 2 Cor. 5:19;). As such the Creator and Savior reconciles (or makes peace between) us and God; indeed he reconciles "all things" (the entire universe) to God (Col. 1:15-20). The biblical understanding of peace (shalom) requires Jesus to be the Great Physician not just of the soul, but the body as well. Finally, the wellspring for Christ's Peace is the love of God. In following Jesus and acknowledging Him as our Lord we are called to be like our Father in heaven and love even our enemies. In so doing we will become children of God (Mt. 5:44-45; Lk. 6:35-36). Peace is the presence of right relations or righteousness with everyone and everything. It is loving neighbor as self - even if that neighbor is an enemy. All of this is made possible only by the love of God in Christ, through whom we have the grace that makes possible reconciliation.

   Pollution resulting in ill health and/or harm to the rest of creation is counter to Christ's reconciliation of all things. Dependence on foreign oil from unstable regions heightens the potential for armed conflict. Both work against the Prince of Peace.

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