Jesus’s Message Was More Important than Jesus Himself

Growing up in a small town in West Virginia, I was surrounded by “Pauline” Christians who seemed more concerned with worshipping Jesus than actually following his teachings.

It always struck me as odd: here was this revolutionary figure who preached a radical message of love and justice, and yet so many of his supposed followers seemed more interested in arguing about the details of his divinity than in feeding the hungry or clothing the naked.

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As I’ve grown in my faith journey and delved deeper into the historical context of Jesus’ life and teachings, I’ve become more and more convinced that it’s the message, not the messenger, that truly matters. And I believe Jesus himself would agree.

It’s about the message, not the messenger.

Think about it. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus consistently points people away from himself and towards his teachings. When a rich young man calls him “Good Teacher,” Jesus responds, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone” (Mark 10:18). He’s not interested in accolades or worship — he wants people to focus on what he’s saying, not who he is.

Not to mention, this emphasis on message over messenger is deeply rooted in the Jewish tradition from which Jesus emerged. In the Hebrew Bible, we see prophets who were often reluctant messengers, insisting that God choose someone else. Moses, Jeremiah, Jonah — these weren’t people seeking glory or worship. They were vessels for a message that was far more important than they were.

Now, I can already hear conservative Christians objecting. “But Andrew, doesn’t the Bible tell us to believe in Jesus for salvation? Isn’t he the Way, the Truth, and the Life?”

That question misses the point. Yes, Jesus uses that language about himself, but we have to understand it in context. He’s not saying, “Worship me as a deity and you’ll go to heaven.” He’s saying, “The way I’m living, the truth I’m speaking, the life I’m demonstrating — that’s what leads to true salvation, to a life aligned with God’s love and justice.”

When Jesus says, “I am the way,” he’s not setting himself up as an object of worship. He’s saying, “This is the way to live. This is the path. Follow it.”

I’m reminded of a story about the Buddha. A follower once asked him, “Are you a god?” The Buddha replied, “No.” “An angel?” “No.” “A saint?” “No.” “Then what are you?” The Buddha answered, “I am awake.”

That’s the essence of what Jesus was saying too. “I’m awake to the reality of God’s love and justice. I’m living it out. And you can too.”

Jesus came to start a movement, not a fan club.

This understanding — that the message is more important than the messenger — has profound implications for how we live out our faith.

First, it means we need to focus more on what Jesus taught than on arguing about the details of who he was. The endless debates about the nature of the Trinity or the mechanics of the virgin birth? They’re distractions from what really matters — loving God and loving our neighbors.

Second, it means we need to be willing to receive truth wherever we find it, not just from officially sanctioned religious sources. If the message is what matters, then we should be open to wisdom and insight from other faiths, from science, from philosophy — anywhere that aligns with the core message of love and justice that Jesus preached.

The truth is Jesus didn’t come to start a fan club — he came to start a movement. A movement based on love, justice, and radical inclusion.

Now, does this mean the messenger doesn’t matter at all? Of course not. The character and actions of the person delivering a message can certainly impact how that message is received. If someone preaches love but acts with hatred, we’re right to be skeptical of their message.

But ultimately, truth is truth regardless of who speaks it. Love is love regardless of who demonstrates it. Justice is justice regardless of who fights for it.

As we navigate our lives and try to discern truth in a complex world, let’s keep our focus where it belongs — on the message, not the messenger. Let’s ask ourselves not “Do you believe in Jesus?” but “What did Jesus teach, and how can we live it out?”

Because at the end of the day, that’s what really matters. Not worshipping a long-dead Jewish carpenter, but embodying the love and justice he preached. Not arguing about theological minutiae, but feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and working to create the Kingdom of God here and now.

The message is what transforms lives and changes the world. And that message — of radical love, inclusion, and justice — is as urgent and relevant today as it was 2000 years ago. It’s up to us to live it out.

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