Why You Should Be Terrified of Jesus Christ…and a Few Reasons You are Not

When someone hears the name, “Jesus Christ” he cannot help but do theology. It is rightly said, “People either love Jesus or they hate Him (Jn 7:7; 15:23–24; Rom 1:30; 2 Cor 5:14; 1 Jn 4:19).”

When was the last time you heard someone exclaim, “I am terrified of Jesus Christ!” Going too fast on a motorcycle…yes, terror. Being too near the edge of a high cliff…indeed, terror. Pick your worst phobia, and then imagine yourself in the midst…terror.

Jesus Christ is terrifying…or, at least, He should be. Why? He is the righteous judge of every person (Gen 18:25; Acts 10:42; 17:31; 2 Cor 5:10; 2 Tim 4:1; 1 Pet 4:5; Rev 20:11), and every person is far more guilty than they know (Rom 3:10–12, 23; Rom 1:18). The Bible tells us not to fear men; but rather, every soul should fear God, who casts men, body and soul, into the eternal fires of hell (Mt 25:41, 46; Lk 16:23–24; Jude 7; Rev 20:14–15).

Here are some reasons you are not shaking in your shoes, having just read the previous paragraph:

1. You do not believe in Jesus Christ, let alone that He has the power and authority to judge you with such severity and longevity.

2. You do not believe the Bible’s revelation of reality. If the Bible is right in its view of God, man, and the world, then man is in big trouble.

3. You do not believe you are an enemy of the God of the Bible, who you do not believe in, anyway.

4. You do not believe you have sinned against the God of heaven and earth.

5. You do not believe you are totally unacceptable before the holy throne of God’s judgment, requiring just punishment.

6. You secretly believe God is a tyrannical despot worthy of zero homage.

7. You have learned about Jesus Christ from people who claim to represent Him; and they have told you God loves everyone, everywhere, and at every point in history.

8. You have believed them, judging Jesus on numerous points to be either irrelevant or impossible to validate as a genuine threat.

9. Those same people have empowered you to judge Jesus, for better or worse, by giving you the choice to reject His salvation of sinners.

10. You have reasoned that if God is love, and you have been told that He loves you, then you have nothing to fear.

11. When someone else comes and tells you that you should be terrified of Jesus Christ, your reply is, “That’s not my Jesus.”

12. Even in the midst of a conflict of views brought by people who claim to know Him, you refuse to seriously search the Scriptures yourself.

13. You deny the biblical revelation of two groups of people in the world: one group who is the object of God’s wrath (Rom 1:18; 9:22), and the other group being the object of His mercy (Rom 9:23).

14. You deny you have the wrong Jesus, and that the consequence of that error is severe beyond comprehension.

In conclusion, you are deceived about Jesus Christ, if you do not fear Him, today. You are deceived about yourself being deceived, if you cannot acknowledge the terror of the Lord Jesus Christ. You are deceived about the world and the world to come, if you dismiss the truth about the God-Man you have taken for granted up to this point.

God removes the terror of Himself, for those who lived in terror of His just judgment. By causing His enemies to be born again (Jn 3:1–8; 1 Pet 1:3), God has reconciled what has separated ungodly people from Himself (Rom 5:10; 2 Cor 5:18–20; 1 Pet 3:18). He has shown them His mercy, His love, and granted them forgiveness (Mt 26:28; Rom 5:5; Eph 1:7). Jesus Christ came into the world to save His people from their sins and from the righteous wrath of God directed against them (Mt 1:21; Rom 3:25; Heb 2:17; 1 Jn 2:2; 4:10). In this, His believing people rejoice, but if you do not embrace this truth, then my only advice for you is, “Be afraid…very afraid…even terrified.”

David Norczyk

Spokane Valley, Washington

March 11, 2022