The Concept Of Jesus
by Eric Engelmann
All content © 2025 Static Force, LLC
THE QUESTION
I was texting with a listener who sent me a question about the episode "I Believe Jesus Drinks This Water." The first Scripture referenced in that episode is Isaiah 51. Here's the first verse:
“Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
That's enough Scripture to introduce the question I recently received. Here it is:
"Can a person drink of said water without having to accept or embrace the concept of Jesus?'
SHORT ANSWER
I think the questioner knows what I think. I don't think there are going to be many hurt feelings. The short answer is No.
BEING ASHAMED
Let me jump to the subject of being ashamed of Jesus. Here is something Jesus said about being ashamed:
37 What can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
-- Mark 8:37-38
It sounds like it's good for my soul not to be ashamed of Jesus and his words.
LABELS
So now let's look at the last part of the question again? "... without having to accept or embrace the concept of Jesus?" sounds like Jesus is being labeled as a concept.
To illustrate, let's take Is 55:1 and see if there's anything else there that could be labeled as a concept.
Here is the first verse again:
“Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!"
It doesn't say,
“Come, all you who have the concept of thirst,
come to the concept of water;"
The words "concept of" make the thing labeled less real. The words "concept of thirst" make thirst less real. I think people might want to have a thirst in their souls for something more than labels. If I'm really thirsty, coming to the "concept of water" won't help me much.
Now back to the "concept of Jesus". My name is Eric. When people call me on the phone, they don't say, "Hello, is this the concept of Eric?"
The label "concept of" makes Eric less real.
OK, so for now I'm done having fun with the words "Concept of Jesus". Saying the "concept of Jesus" is showing shame at the idea of the real Jesus.
Let's listen to the rest of the first verse down to the end of verse 3:
:Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and you will delight in the richest of fare.
3 Give ear and come to me;
listen, that you may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David."
INTERPRETING THE HISTORY
Here's what I think a short history of these verses are.
Who spoke the words of Isaiah 55 to the prophet? I believe that Jesus is "from everlasting". I believe the words were dictated to the prophet by Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus before He was born dictated, "Come, all you who are thirsty."
After He was born He said things like, "whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” (Ref John 4:14)
SO BACK TO THE QUESTION
"Can a person drink of said water without having to accept or embrace the concept of Jesus?"
He can try if he wants to delude himself. If he wants to act like He's doing the Creator a favor by granting that the Creator might exist as a concept somewhere sometime. By asking the question he deprives himself of the chance for intimacy with the Most High even though the invitation in just three verses says, "come", "listen", "give ear", "delight", and "live".
HERE'S A BETTER QUESTION
I think asking this question might get the questioner somewhere with the Most High:
"Creator, may I please have a drink of living spiritual water? Is this available for me in Jesus' Name? Thank you in advance."
IN THE FUTURE
May we live less in our own shame and more in the love of the Most High.
In the Future
People will trust Jesus and drink the Holy Spirit and His Father's words and then pass the invitation on to others!
All content © 2025 Static Force, LLC
