2000 years ago, Jesus Christ was a "smash hit" on his own merits. He didn't need a booking agent, corporate sponsorship, or the approval of men to prove His divinity. I'm sure that it hurts God to see the ways we have cheapened His name through the mass marketing of His son (bumper stickers, magnets, toothpaste, ----fill in the blank). - Ian
All he needed was PR A million box of business cards Careful image consultation Securing reputation A clever market plan He didn't understand That's all it really takes He could have played for higher stakes Now Somehow We've gone wrong Chorus: This Jesus thing, it's a smash hit It's packaged right All stocks have split, it's a smash hit It's gone worldwide Join His name to any cause Drop His name to get applause They never get enough Nothing here to be ashamed of Those ever loyal fans They wanna get their hands On His newest merchandising Ignoring overpricing Now Oh Wow We've gone wrong Repeat chorus It has no explanation It smells like exploitation Repeat chorus
Overview: Jesus t-shirts, Jesus toothbrushes, Jesus magnets----it seems like a lot of people are completely misrepresenting the name of Jesus and using it as a means of getting rich. The idea appears to be, as long as you put the name "Jesus" on it, people will buy it. For whatever reason, we have (literally) bought into this messed up philosophy. Two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ came to earth and established His credibility as God on His own merits. Rather than flaunting His divinity to the masses, He came as a servant, humbly showing us the way of salvation. Whether through His many miracles, His teachings, or His death and resurrection, people followed Jesus because they had faith and believed that He was the Messiah. What He offered them was a simple but eternal gift, not a sales pitch or a gimmick.
Song: Play the song "Smash Hit" by All Star United
Discussion Questions: -What do you think the song is saying?
-What would have happened if Jesus lived His life on earth the way that the song describes?
Would things be different today?
Scripture: Philippians 2:9-11; John 2:13-22
Discussion Questions:
-In what ways do we exploit the name of Jesus?
-Why did Jesus drive out the money changers?
-Why is "Jesus" the name above all names?
Activity: Jesus is called by many different names throughout Scripture. How many different names can you find? How many different names can you find for God in Scripture?
Conclusion: The Bible tells us that God have Jesus the name that is above all names, and that at the sound of Jesus' name, every knee would bow and tongue profess Him to be Lord. Jesus' name is not one to be used or taken lightly.
