Jesus in the Courtroom

A missing key to being a faithful citizen

Wonderful Counselor. Mighty God. Everlasting Father. Prince of Peace. The Bible’s names for Jesus give us wonderful insights into His character, nature, and roles. Do we need yet another title for Jesus? We do if we want to understand Him better and know how He is working in the world.   

The legal aspects of Jesus’ ministry have long been obscured or misunderstood, particularly his interactions with and attitude toward the law and lawyers. Jesus’ desire in his day and ours is to use law to secure the rights of people to hear the gospel and set humanity free. In other words, to be the best citizens we can be, we need to follow in the footsteps of the greatest citizen who ever lived.

Jesus in the Courtroom covers topics like:

• Why we should care about the law
• Strategic involvement with the law
• How God has used the law to expand His kingdom
• What can happen when we partner with law professionals
• How citizenship is part of discipleship
• Christian citizenship in matters like adoption, custody, abortion, minimum wage, foster care, and schools.

We are citizens of two kingdoms, but many of us duck and run when it comes to civil life. For anyone who cares about their community—parents, teachers, pastors, anyone—engagement with our legal system can play a huge role in the health of our communities and in cultivating a context where the gospel can flourish.

Jesus in the Courtroom will not only help us understand why we have failed to appreciate fully the legal aspect of Jesus’ life, but also to more fully understand and cooperate with his legal ministry to us and through us. If we are going to be faithful “citizen disciples” in this challenging new world, we need to look anew at how Jesus taught, thought, and interacted with the legal establishment of his day.