WAS JESUS WOKE?
Editor’s Note: This letter is in response to a coumn from Jodie Sinclair in last week’s issue. It has been edited to under 1,000 words.
Let me begin by answering Ms. Sinclair’s question directly: No, Jesus was not woke. One must be asleep to be awakened, and Christ neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121:4). One must be ignorant of truth to be awakened to it, and Christ is truth itself (John 14:6). He does not need to be given awareness of truth, for he is truth. Truth is not subjective—your truth or my truth—it is objective. If it is not universally true, it is not truth.
As a Christian, I believe in the inerrancy of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. Though there may be hundreds of translations, the authority of God’s Word remains. I believe all Scripture is inspired by the Holy Spirit and affirm the Trinity of Father, Son, and Spirit. I believe John 1:1-5, that Jesus is the Word and the Light from the beginning. Because of this, we cannot ignore the parts of Scripture that make us uncomfortable, appear unpopular, or don’t fit modern sensibilities. We cannot pit the Old Testament against the New or limit the New Testament to the red letters alone. As J. Vernon McGee said: “Before I open the Bible, I begin with, He is right and I am wrong.”
This means my politics is driven by faith, not the other way around. I vote based on policy, not personality. If a candidate’s platform aligns with my faith, they have my vote. I know Donald Trump has said harsh things and committed sins. But if the standard for voting were a sinless candidate, no Christian could ever vote again. Christ said sin begins in the heart before a word is spoken (Matthew 5:28). My worship is not for any politician but for Christ, who alone sets the standard.
Ms. Sinclair points to a YouTube video she admits is AI-generated, supposedly showing Representative Jasmine Crockett defeating Mike Huckabee in a theological debate. The video dismisses the Bible beyond the Gospels yet selectively quotes Old Testament verses. It is nonsense. The one who spoke in the Old Testament is the same who spoke in the New. Issues of sexuality, gender, marriage, abortion, immigration, and justice are addressed in the Torah and reinforced throughout Scripture. To say Jesus did not address them because they aren’t repeated in the red letters is false—his words and authority extend across the whole canon. John himself reminds us not every word of Christ was recorded (John 21:25).
Those who label Jesus as “woke” ignore his own claims. He said, “I came not to bring peace but a sword” (Matthew 10:34). He overturned tables in the temple, rebuked leaders and crowds seeking spectacle, and told those forgiven to “Go and sin no more” (John 5:14). The woman at the well was not encouraged back to sin. To paint Christ as a passive figure preaching tolerance of all lifestyles until heaven opens for everyone is to reject his teaching.
Some also argue Christ promoted a government safety net. But where in Scripture did Jesus demand Rome increase taxes for charity? He never endorsed state-forced redistribution. Instead, he commanded his people to give through the Temple and, later, the Church to care for their communities. Paul reminds us: “If a man will not work, neither shall he eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Even the poor were expected to glean fields, as Ruth did. Work was given in Eden and remains good for man. When government removes work’s necessity, it harms both individual and society.
It is ironic that critics condemn Christians for “legislating morality” yet invoke the Church’s morality to justify government welfare. They dismiss the Bible as myth, then quote it selectively to take from others. But America’s prosperity is tied to biblical principles: charity joined with responsibility, equality before God, and recognition that rights come from Him, not government. Early Puritans modeled unity and morality, building strength through shared culture rather than division. The First Amendment protected the Church from government intrusion, not the other way around.
So what went wrong? Why are our communities unraveling? Because we have taken our eyes off God. We no longer anchor our lives, families, and politics in His Word. We call evil good and good evil. We seek government to solve what only repentance and faith can heal. If America is to recover, it will not be by rewriting Scripture to fit cultural trends or by labeling Christ as “woke.” It will be by humbling ourselves, returning to God’s truth, and remembering that He is right and we are wrong.
Christopher “Preacher” Dion Rusted Knight Ministries Bandera Texas
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