Jesus Confronted Sin—What that Means for Us

Our modern world likes to think that Jesus was non-confrontational because they don't like anyone questioning their behavior. 

But Jesus was definitely confrontational. And even though He confronted people perfectly, it didn't make Him popular.

Most of us are aware of the way Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and religious leaders about their self-righteous attitudes, legalism, and lack of compassion (e.g., Matthew 23). But He confronted sin in many other situations as well:

1. Greedy people—the money changers (Matthew 21:12-13) 

Jesus righteously overturned their tables.  

2. People sincerely seeking Him—Nicodemus (John 3:1-21) 

Jesus confronted Nicodemus about being a religious leader but missing the point of the gospel (verse 10).  

3. Insincere followers—the crowds in John 6 (John 6:1-27) 

Jesus told these people that they weren’t really interested in His teaching but simply wanted the food He could provide (verse 26). 

4. People living in sin—the Samaritan woman (John 4:5-30) 

Jesus intentionally asked about her husband to confront her regarding her immoral lifestyle.  

5. Unbelieving family members—His brothers (John 7:1-7) 

Jesus told his brothers that they were worldly. 

We're not Jesus, but we have a responsibility as His followers to speak up about sin (Ephesians 5:11; 2 Corinthians 10:5; Colossians 4:6) and confront fellow believers (Matthew 18:15; Galatians 6:1; James 5:19-20).

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What about the woman caught in adultery? Did Jesus confront her? This devotion in the Fake Jesus series answers that question: The Woman Caught in Adultery.  I also found this article interesting: Jesus, the Master of Confrontation.   

If you own Wisdom for Life, I encourage you to read or reread Day 48 for further insights regarding this subject. If you haven't purchased Wisdom for Life, check out the sales on Lifeway, Amazon, and CBD.

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