Why Jesus Never Became a Superstar
John Legend joined an ensemble of other musicians to performed many of the hit songs from the musical, “Jesus Christ Superstar.” As I indulged in a bit of nostalgia, I had to wonder what the play was really saying about Jesus and about ourselves. I must confess I have a fondness for the play because it was a favorite family tradition of our to watch it on Easter. I always enjoyed the raw and expressive emotions of Jesus. Too often, Jesus comes off more like Spock than the emotional and embodied creature that He was.
I would also be remiss in saying that this telling of the gospel narrative has its flaws. Mainly, it suffers from what I call the “Paradise Lost effect.” In Milton’s “Paradise Lost” Satan is given such compelling descriptions that he becomes the de facto central tragic hero. Judas is the central figure of this gospel telling and the only one in Legend’s version that has a clear resurrection (i.e. costume change). Jesus is not clearly risen (though some of the lighting could provide hints). The reason Judas literally upstages Jesus in His own play is found within the central question of the play and title track:
Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ,
Who are you? What have you sacrificed?
Jesus Christ, Superstar,
Do you think you’re what they say you are?
The haunting question of the play is simply, did Jesus have to die? Judas is portrayed as a victim and Jesus is portrayed as a crazed and suicidal man, a “misguided fool.” Modern sensibilities slip into this ancient story. Judas asks,
Why’d you choose such a backward time in such a strange land?
If you’d come today you could have reached a whole nation.
Israel in 4 BC had no mass communication….
Did you mean to die like that? Was that a mistake, or
Did you know your messy death would be a record breaker?
Here’s the modern rub with the Jesus story. It bids us come and die to find that we might have new life. It demands sacrifice and suffering. The gospel is, at its core, a paradox and mystery. Judas betrays himself (pun intended) with those lines above. Judas has placed his hope in modern industrialism, in “mass communication.” I fear many churches more closely resemble Judas’ model for church growth than Jesus’. Judas wanted a comfortable church where no one was upset and all the regional and political powers are appeased. Jesus bids us to take up our cross and follow Him. Judas’ primary concerns were money and power. Jesus’ primary teachings were love and humble service. Judas hates when “heaven is on our mind,” but Jesus invites us to join Him in His Kingdom for eternity. In short, we find control in Judas and a messy unleashing of the Kingdom of Heaven in Jesus.
My fear is that there’s a Judas Iscariot inside of each of us. No, not simply a traitor. More than that, more insidious than that. I fear that there are many days when I live out my life based on Judas’ values and not Jesus’.
Most modern depictions of Jesus tell us more about ourselves than Jesus Himself. Yet, I wonder if we could learn a little about ourselves and become more sensitive to when we pattern and shape God back down in our own image.
I thank God daily that He remains both the Lion and the Lamb. I thank God daily that He is an all-consuming fire that I cannot ever fathom, quantify or fully encapsulate. I thank God that He never allows my agenda to shape His perfect will for humanity. I thank God that He’s bigger than my culture and sensibilities. I thank God that He sent His Son to not only die on a cross, but to crucify my worldly desires so that I might find true freedom and life. Amen.
