Jesus Was A Celebrity? (Fame And Christianity)

In our age of celebrity, the pull toward fame can feel overwhelming. The famous seem to have it all, and we sometimes find ourselves coveting what they have (or appear to have). When we evaluate whether a desire is right or wrong, we have to look at our motivation.

We are going to look at Jesus being up there with a huge following and how it relates to the normal “Christian Fame”.

Jesus gives us a great example in John 6. He had just fed over 5,000 people, healed the sick, and performed other miracles.

The people were thrilled. They believed He was the One who would finally deliver them from the oppression of Roman rule. Jesus’ fame was at its peak, and the crowds were ready to crown Him king. But verse 15 says, “Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.”

Imagine the situation. Jesus had the opportunity to be catapulted to fame and fortune. A certain logic says that, if Jesus were famous, powerful, and wealthy, then people would take more notice of His message. If He were king, He could glorify God even more.

That makes sense from an earthly perspective, but Jesus said “no” to the coronation. It wasn’t God’s plan, so Jesus chose the harder way. Jesus’ goal in everything He did was to seek the will of His Father and to do it (John 4:34;8:29;Luke 22:42). He said in John 8:50, “I am not seeking glory for myself.” Since Jesus is our model, that must be our goal, too.

Some people have a worldwide platform with which to glorify God. Others serve Him in seeming obscurity. Both are equal in importance in God’s kingdom (Matthew 5:19;25:14–15).

A desire for fame is not wrong in itself, if we want it for the right reasons. Most of us wouldn’t have the proper motivation. If we are honest, our desire for fame is to glorify ourselves (James 4:3;1 Timothy 6:9).

But God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8–9). He chooses the humble to accomplish things of eternal value. He chooses simple truths to confuse those who think they are wise (1 Corinthians 1:27–28). He does it all so that “no flesh should glory in his presence” (1 Corinthians 1:29). That should be our heart’s cry to Him: “Lord, let my flesh never glory in Your presence.”

God wants the very best for each of His children. When we seek His fame over ours, we can trust that He will direct us into the path He has chosen for us (Psalm 37:4;Proverbs 3:5–6). His path, unlike the world’s, includes rewards that last for all eternity (Matthew 6:4;Luke 6:35;Ephesians 6:8;Proverbs 19:17).