The Jesus of Judas

But people didn’t want this kind of Jesus. They didn’t want to acknowledge their sin and need for a Savior. They wanted physical remedies.

And that’s what people want today. They want a political savior.

My conservative friends think that if we just could elect the right combination of charisma, smarts, and rigid conservative policies, then we'd be able to eradicate abortion, crime, and the deficit.

The liberals feel that if we just put poor people in the right environment, if we just had the most carefully crafted government proposal, then we'd solve poverty and injustice and racism.

Conservatives think that if the U.S. would just stay strong on the offensive, we could eliminate terrorism, just like we eliminated fascism and communism and every other horrible -ism.

Liberals think that if we just get everyone together, play some really funky New Age music, and contemplate peace, then we'd actually have peace.

I’ve got news. Both sides are wrong. Both sides are projecting their hopes and dreams upon movements of man.

Jesus is the only solution. The Gospel is what changes people's hearts and minds. And my Bible tells me that this world will continue in sin until Jesus, the Prince of Ppeace, comes again to reign as King. This utopia we long for will be satisfied in Heaven.

Let's Live Like Christians

I don't expect the secular world to understand this. In fact, we’re told in 1 Corinthians 2:14 that those who don't know the Lord can't “discern” the things of God.

But as Christians, we should know better. That’s why we should stop putting our hopes and dreams in the political process.

Does that mean we shouldn’t be engaged? Of course not. God has given us a stewardship, as Americans, of selecting our leaders. This is a rare opportunity to make our voice heard.

But we should never let our political activism replace our first call — to share the gospel with the world. Furthermore, we should be grounded in the reality that this world is fallen and that Jesus Christ is the only solution. We should not fret, but be hopeful, because we have "read the last page of the book, and we win."

• That means the Bible should guide our lives, not Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, or the Drudge Report. 
• That means we should be more passionate about sharing our faith than sharing our political opinions. 
• That means we should be concerned about the poor — but concerned mostly about their spiritual destiny.

So here is a reality check. Are you living as if Easter is more important than the first Tuesday in November?

Daniel Darling is the author of Teen People of the Bible. Visit him at danieldarling.com.