Several years ago, a grad school class prompted me to investigate what students in my own ministry believed about Jesus. Knowing that I’d spent the previous three and one-half years teaching my teens about Jesus, I was confident their answers would reflect a strong belief in Him.

They didn’t.

Instead, I discovered massive confusion regarding who Jesus is, what He taught, and why He lived. There was a huge gap between what I thought my students believed about Jesus and what they actually knew and believed about Jesus.

This, of course, left me devastated.

I began wondering if I were just a bad youth worker or if this gap existed in other places, as well. To find out, I conducted a much larger, year-long research project. I surveyed 369 high school students from 16 states. I also visited four representative congregations, where I observed ministry programs to see how (or if) Jesus were being taught; interviewed senior pastors and youth workers to learn their personal beliefs about Jesus; and conducted focus groups for high school students and their parents in order to see what each believed about Jesus.¹ I did so all in an effort to discover teens’ answers to the quintessential question of our faith, the one Jesus asks Peter in Matthew 16:15: “Who do you say I am?”

What I found is that similar to the teens in my own youth ministry, the teens I surveyed and interviewed lacked a solid understanding of who Jesus is, what He taught and why He died. Instead of believing in the real, orthodox Jesus found in Scripture, teens believe in several incomplete archetypes of Jesus. (Note: As with any classification, these archetypes are not all-encompassing. Each one generally portrays only one facet of Jesus’ character. Although the archetypes may at times seem fanciful, none are fiction. All contain at least some attributes of Jesus found in Scripture.)

Superhero Jesus
More teens’ descriptions of Jesus fall into this category than any other. Young people describe Superhero Jesus in the same way as Spider-Man: Amazing. Like all superheroes, Superhero Jesus is otherworldly, having been sent to our world to save it from destruction. He is a courageous fighter who benefits humankind by destroying His nemesis, Satan, and in the process frees the world from darkness. Superhero Jesus has supernatural powers, including superhuman strength and invisibility, which bring Him fame and notoriety. Though Superhero Jesus is willing to sacrifice Himself to redeem the world, death cannot defeat Him. Ultimately, He emerges victorious.

Mr. Rogers Jesus
Mr. Rogers Jesus is the second largest archetype I found in my research. This Jesus is a kind teacher and role model who showcases the good behavior He desires from His followers. Such behavior includes acceptance, devotion, generosity, honesty, love, truthfulness, selflessness and respect. He’s someone incredibly kind who constantly does good. He’s one-dimensional, never struggling with anger or any complex emotions.

Godlike Jesus
The third largest archetype of Jesus is Godlike Jesus. Godlike Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and is capable of performing miracles. He’s a higher power described by various god-language, including the personification of God, the Son of God, the Son of Man, and the Spirit of God—all phrases that churched teens readily are able to incorporate in their vocabulary but that few (if any) actually understand. He is godlike, but not necessarily God Himself.

Spiritual Guru Jesus
The next largest archetype present in my research is Spiritual Guru Jesus. Spiritual Guru Jesus is not God Himself, but someone who has a special relationship with God and therefore is able to serve as a bridge between God and us. Spiritual Guru Jesus believes in God and has the ability and authority to forgive sins in much the same way pastors in various traditions do. Similar to pastors, Spiritual Guru Jesus’ job is to spread God’s Word.

Joe Jesus
Another archetype found in my research is Joe Jesus. This Jesus is the guy next door; He’s an everyman. In fact, it’s this archetype that most directly deals with Jesus’ humanness. Joe Jesus is a physical man who was an Israeli resident and the son of Mary. He’s realistic, relatable and a friend.

Youth describe Him as the average Joe and a normal person. In the words of one teen, “He’s everyone. You can’t really distinguish who He is. In every person’s eyes, He can look different.”

Orthodox Jesus
Although the archetypes of Jesus found in my research all contain attributes of the Jesus found in Scripture, none accurately represent the entire Orthodox Jesus.

Orthodox Jesus is not only godlike, but God Himself. According to Jesus, “The Father and I are One” (John 10:30). At the same time, Orthodox Jesus is fully human. He was born of a woman (Gal. 4:4). Luke 8:23 tells us He slept. During His time on earth, He experienced the full range of human emotions, as evidenced in stories throughout the gospels. He flipped over temple tables in anger (Matt. 21:12), and He wept (John 11:35).

During the three years of His public ministry, Jesus performed many miracles and—as God Himself—He had the authority to forgive sins (Matt. 9:6). He also taught, according to Matthew 7:29, as “One who had authority.” Furthermore, He called and equipped His followers to participate in God’s kingdom work here and now.

Eventually, he died a physical death, after which He rose from the dead. Through that death and resurrection, He conquered death and Satan. He is now the foundation on whom Christianity is based. Through Him and only Him we receive the gift of eternal life (Rom. 6:23).

How to Build a Solid Foundation
Because none of the archetypes of Jesus found in my research represent the entire Orthodox Jesus, eventually these incomplete versions of Jesus will fail teens. When that happens, the entirety of their faith will fall “with a great crash,” like the house of the “foolish man who built his house on sand” (Matt. 7:26). To prevent this, as youth workers, we need to help teens build solid foundations to their faith by teaching them about the real, complex, orthodox Jesus found in Scripture.

•Talk About Jesus: To do this, stop talking about God, and start talking about Jesus—every single time you meet. I realize this seems to be Youth Ministry 101. However, during my research, I asked youth workers, “How often do you talk about Jesus?” They’d say, “All the time.” The problem is that when I observed their ministries, I’d hear them begin by talking about Jesus only to end by talking about God. Jesus-talk would devolve into generic God-talk. Why?

The first reason is because it’s far easier to talk about God than Jesus. God is a general phrase that can mean different things to different people, but Jesus is specific Person who at times can be offensive.

Though easier, the truth is that God-talk simply does not impact the Christian faith formation of young people in the same way Jesus-talk does. For teens to have ownership of their Christian faith, they must know and understand Jesus—the One on whom faith is built.

•Replace WWJD? with WDJD?: If you were around in the ’90s, you likely were part of the WWJD? phenomenon. Chances are you had a T-shirt, bumper sticker and/or bracelet sporting this acronym.

Based on my research, I’d argue this phrase has done more harm than good. Rather than teach teens the actual Jesus story, for too long this phrase has been used to justify speculation about what Jesus might do in a given situation.

It’s high time for WWJD? to be replaced with a new acronym, WDJD? (What did Jesus do?) In other words, stop speculating and go back to the basics. Teach the story of Jesus: who He was, what He did, and why He’s important. Together with the teens in your ministry, read the gospels. Pay careful attention to those stories that combat the Mr. Rogers Jesus and show His complex emotions. Explore the stories in which Jesus does not behave as we expect.

Consider Jesus’ interaction with the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15:21-28. Too often, we jump to the end of this story when Jesus commends her for her faith without first reconciling that Jesus with the One who, moments earlier, was going to send her away because He came only to the lost sheep of Israel. When we fail to reconcile these two images of Jesus, teens compartmentalize them, which further reinforces the incomplete Jesus archetypes they’ve already formed.

Together with those in your ministry, wrestle with Scripture where Jesus does what we do not expect. Doing so helps students develop a more complete picture of the orthodox Jesus, enabling them to encounter the real Jesus, not just the One they’ve created for themselves.

•Teach Jesus’ humanity and His divinity: As you investigate Scripture, carefully teach Jesus’ humanity and divinity. In my research, I asked pastors and youth workers which they emphasized more. Repeatedly, I was told, “Jesus’ humanity” because it’s what makes Jesus relatable. The problem with that is, as Joe Jesus shows, in the process of making Jesus relatable, we’ve turned Him into one of us. As a result, teens know Jesus as their friend. What they don’t know is that Jesus is God. As a result, teens are willing to go to Jesus with their problems in the same way they vent to their friends about their problems. What they’re unwilling to do is trust Him to make a difference in those problems.

To combat this, be intentional about exploring stories that show Jesus’ divinity such as those in which He performs miracles. Wrestle with how Jesus’ miracles authenticate His divinity by discussing the source of Jesus’ power. Talk about how, in contrast to superheroes who derive their power from someone or something else, Jesus’ power comes from the fact that He is fully God.

Additionally, teach Jesus’ sinlessness in terms of Hebrews 4:14-15: Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.

Then explore other New Testament passages that support the idea of
Jesus’ sinlessness, such as:
• He “had no sin” (2 Cor. 5:11-21).
• He “committed no sin” (1 Pet. 2:21-25).
• In Him “is no sin” (1 John 3:4-6).

Once you’ve done this, teach the gospel stories that cause young people to call into question the belief that Jesus was sinless, namely the story of Jesus cleansing the temple. Because teens are sometimes more familiar with the Ten Commandments than with the Jesus story, build on that familiarity. When Jesus cleanses the temple, we don’t see Him breaking any of the Ten Commandments. We do, however, see Him upholding several of them. So go through the Ten Commandments one by one and ask teens to identify which commandment Jesus broke when He overturned the tables in the temple. Then challenge them to consider which of the commandments Jesus’ actions actually upheld. Once you’ve done that, debate whether Jesus’ actions in this story are an act of defiance or obedience.

•Dissect Abstract Language: Finally, as you explore the gospels, dissect abstract language. Whenever you hear teens repeat commonly used Christian phrases such as “Son of God,” stop and ask what they mean by them. For example, teens I spoke with understood “Son of God” to mean “less than God”; to show a hierarchical relationship between Jesus and God the Father. Walk alongside your group as you investigate stories that specifically refer to Jesus as God’s Son such as Jesus’ baptism in Matthew 3:13-17. Rather than ignoring such phrases in the text or assuming teens interpret them the same was you do, ask:

• What do you think it means for Jesus to be God’s Son?
• If Jesus is God’s Son, is He still fully God?
• Does the fact that Jesus is God’s Son mean He’s somehow less than God?

Help teens understand that rather than showing Jesus to be half-and-half, such titles actually showcase Jesus’ divinity, as well as being fully God and fully human.

Don’t Replace One Archetype for Another
Unless we’re careful, I fear we’ll replace one incomplete or false archetype of Jesus for another. That’s not what I want for my teens, and I’m guessing it’s not what you want either. Instead, I want to help our young people build solid foundations to their faith built on Jesus so that when the rains come crashing down around them, they will not fall.

By taking the aforementioned approach to helping teens come to know and understand the real, multidimensional, orthodox Jesus found in Scripture, I hope that when asked, “Who do you say Jesus is?” teens will be able to answer confidently, “He is the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Adapted from The Jesus Gap by Jen Bradbury (The Youth Cartel, 2014)

¹ Due to my ministry context, I conducted my research in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. That said, a growing body of youth ministry research (including The National Study of Youth and Religion, The College Transition Project [Sticky Faith], and Mike Nappa’s The Jesus Survey) suggests my findings may well apply to other denominations, as well.

Jen Bradbury is a veteran youth worker, who holds an M.A. in Youth Ministry Leadership from Huntington University. She’s the author of The Jesus Gap (The Youth Cartel), and her writing has appeared in YouthWorker Journal, Immerse and The Christian Century. Jen blogs regularly at YMJen.com. When not doing ministry, she and her husband, Doug, can be found hiking, backpacking and traveling.