Introduction: The Hidden Christ
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor.” These were the first public words Jesus spoke as he stepped into his ministry. This was not a call to piety, hierarchy, or respectability. This was a political proclamation that threatened to overthrow the empire with the fulfillment of prophecy.
Jesus continued:
…He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
(Luke 4:18–19 KJV)
The Jesus of the American mainstream bears little resemblance to this revolutionary figure who stood in the synagogue at Nazareth and proclaimed his mission to Liberate the oppressed. This disconnect has never been more dangerous than it is today.
In this era of mounting fear, political extremism, and the rise of “Christian” nationalism, we must confront a vile reality: the weaponization of a sanitized, imperialist “Jesus” has provided religious cover for fascist ideologies that the historical Jesus would have vehemently opposed. This distortion is possible only because too many Bible-illiterate Christians have no idea who the real Jesus is—or have chosen to reject him in favor of a more familiar deity who upholds their need for greed.
Today’s Pharisees are those more concerned with the legislation of a fetus than they are with the survival of that fetus once it enters the world.
The Anti-Imperialist Mission Statement
Luke 4:18–19 records Jesus reading from Isaiah: a prophecy not about heaven, but about here. Not about later, but now. He speaks of good news to the poor—not just the spiritually poor, but those made poor by empire, through debt and systemic oppression. He promises freedom to captives—not only those in chains but those locked in cycles of exploitation and violence. Sight for the blind. Liberation for the bruised. The acceptable year of the Lord—the Jubilee year outlined in Leviticus 25, a radical commandment to forgive debts, return land, and free the enslaved.
As Ched Myers writes in Binding the Strong Man, “Luke presents Jesus as the Jubilee prophet whose mission is to restore right relationships and dismantle the structures that enslave.” The Greek term for “poor” (ptōchos) is not merely describing economic status but a social condition created by oppression. Liberation theologian and biblical scholar Elsa Tamez explains: “The term ptōchos does not romanticize the poor—it points to a concrete class oppressed by unjust policies and needing urgent redress.”
This is not the Jesus who protects empire, war, or Wall Street. This is not the Jesus held up by colonizers, slaveholders, or exploitative CEOs. Not the Jesus invoked to justify border cruelty, economic inequality, or military adventurism. This is the Jesus they won’t teach in most churches. The one who centers the margins. Who disrupts the systems. Who leads not from the throne, but from the heart.
And if this is who Jesus said he was—then this is who God is.
The Empire’s Jesus vs. The Liberating Jesus
The radical Jesus who identified with the downtrodden has been transformed into a chaplain of empire, a sanctifier of wealth, a divine endorsement of the status quo.
Warren Carter in The Roman Empire and the New Testament argues that “The ‘poor’ are not merely economically disadvantaged—they are the victims of exploitative systems that reflect and uphold imperial values.” When Jesus proclaimed Liberation to these victims, he was directly challenging those systems.
The Jesus who announced Liberation also expressed his disdain for the values that uphold today’s “Christian” nationalism. The one who said, “Blessed are the poor… Woe to you who are rich” (Luke 6:20, 24) cannot be honestly invoked to justify economic policies that crush the vulnerable. The one who touched lepers (Mark 1:40-42), healed the sick without charge (Luke 8:43-48), and identified himself with the hungry and imprisoned would condemn systems that deny dignity and care to the marginalized.
I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was a stranger, and you took me in. I was in prison, and you visited me… Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for me.
(Matthew 25:35–40 KJV)
“God helps those who help themselves” is not in the Bible. Of course, the scriptures encourage us to “pick up our bed and walk”, but they consistently remind us that we need God, and can call on Him even in our smallest challenges. The fascist “Christians” would have you thinking you must do it all on your own. This distortion of scripture serves the same purpose as their distortion of Jesus himself—maintaining systems of isolation and abandonment rather than collective care.
As theologian James Cone wrote: “Jesus is not a proposition to be proved, but a presence to be experienced by those who struggle for justice.” For Cone and other Liberation theologians, Jesus’ cross is not just a personal atonement mechanism—it’s a lynching tree, a symbol of solidarity with the oppressed.
The Fascist “Christ”
The Jesus of the fascist class wraps the cross in the flag while sanctifying military might. He also:
- Blesses nationalism and xenophobia, while the real Jesus transcended tribal boundaries (Galatians 3:28)
- Sanctifies wealth accumulation, while the real Jesus promised hell for the greedy (Luke 16:19-31)
- Justifies state violence, while the real Jesus promised judgment for oppressive rulers (Luke 1:51-53, Matthew 23:13-36)
- Centers the powerful, while the real Jesus centered the powerless (Mark 10:42-45, Luke 14:12-14)
This counterfeit “Christ” must exist in order for the empire to keep you subjugated and asleep. He’s familiar. As long as they can keep you thinking about His condemnation of your sins more than their systemic sin, they can continue to enslave you.
Those who invoke Jesus to justify oppression are not just politically dangerous—they are guilty of profound theological distortion. Their “Jesus” doesn’t challenge power structures, wealth inequities, or social hierarchies. He affirms rather than disrupts. He comforts the privileged rather than calling them to radical transformation, replacing Liberation with control, solidarity with dominance.
As Joerg Rieger observes in No Rising Tide, “The Gospel is good news to the poor precisely because it challenges the systems that create and maintain poverty.” The Jesus of “Christian” nationalism has abandoned this core mission.
Reclaiming Jesus in the Age of Fear and Fascism
As humans seeking a way forward for a world in crisis, we look for comfort in that Higher power beyond our understanding. The pneuma* that comforts us when we are at the end of ourselves.
But how do we find comfort in a Jesus who is weaponized to justify oppression? The answer lies in reclaiming the authentic Christ of scripture and embodying his Liberating presence in our world.
Reclaiming Jesus as the Liberator that he was is not just theory and theology, not just political cleansing. It’s literally the way to peace on earth again, for those who believe. Peace within you, peace within me, peace within the least of us.
As the tech broligarchy destroys lives near and far, using AI to kill more rapidly…as “Christian” nationalists sanctify these actions with either their silence or outspoken complicity, it is up to true believers to wage spiritual warfare against these systems of death. This is precisely the kind of battle Paul described:
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”
Ephesians 6:10–17 (KJV)
This spiritual battle requires us to reclaim scripture itself from those who have twisted it. In defense of the helpless, it is absolutely imperative that anyone who believes in the Jesus of Luke 4:18 is loud about Him, that we “cease to do evil” and “relieve the oppressed” (Isaiah 1:16-17 KJV). Rather than being overpowered by “every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God”, we are meant to “overcome evil with good” (2 Corinthians 10:5 & Romans 12:21, KJV)
The Jesus who brings good news to the poor is the authentic Christ. The one who touches lepers, who dines with outcasts, who confronts corrupt leaders—this is the real messiah. His way–building beloved community–is far more powerful than the strategies of divide and conquer that the empire employs.
The Biblical Jesus doesn’t offer the false security of walls and weapons, but the true safety of justice and solidarity. By exposing the lie that the far-right has weaponized to justify the lusts of their wicked hearts, we can begin to dismantle false “Christ”-backed fascism to make way for the New, Liberated World: the world in which there will be no poor. Not because the broligarchs have killed them all, but because His Kingdom has indeed come, His will is indeed done, on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).
*pneuma: Greek word for “spirit” or “breath,” referring to the divine presence.
Sources:
- Luke 4:18–19 (cf. Isaiah 61)
- Matthew 25:35–40
- Luke 6:20, 24
- James Cone, The Cross and the Lynching Tree
- Howard Thurman, Jesus and the Disinherited
- Ched Myers, Binding the Strong Man
- Warren Carter, The Roman Empire and the New Testament
- Joerg Rieger, No Rising Tide
- Elsa Tamez, Bible of the Oppressed
Featured Art by Beardy Ranks. The visionary behind Beardy Ranks Art is celebrated for his evocative, spiritually-charged works that center Black identity and sacred imagery. With a five-star-rated Etsy shop titled Urban Art From The Heart, his paintings blend realism with divine symbolism to reimagine traditional iconography through a deeply inclusive lens. This particular piece, featuring a majestic Black Christ figure draped in royal blue and gold embroidery, radiates serenity and power, inviting viewers into a meditative reflection on holiness, presence, and cultural reclamation. Known for his meticulous detail and luminous palettes, Beardy Ranks offers not just art, but portals—visual testaments to Black divinity, compassion, and eternal beauty.
