Jesus Wasn’t a Nationalist (and That Shouldn’t Be Controversial)
Jesus didn’t preach nationalism; He preached the kingdom of God. This reflection explores why that difference matters, and what it means for Christians in a world obsessed with power and borders.
It shouldn’t be controversial to say that Jesus of Nazareth was not a nationalist. He didn’t preach a gospel of borders or bloodlines, nor did He rally people around flags or armies. What He did do was proclaim a kingdom, not of this world, but breaking into this world. His was a message rooted in love, mercy, and radical belonging, not supremacy or exclusion.
And yet, somehow, declaring that truth today has become politically charged.
Let’s be clear: Jesus was a Jew, born under Roman occupation, in a specific time and place. He taught in synagogues, spoke Aramaic, and fulfilled the law and the prophets. He loved His people. But He did not reduce the kingdom of God to the restoration of a political nation. When crowds tried to make Him king, He withdrew (John 6:15). When Pilate asked Him about His authority, Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not from this world” (John 18:36).
This is not a minor point. It is a core feature of the gospel.
A Kingdom Not of This World
The Pauline letters make this unmistakably clear. Paul, a devout Jew himself, reframes the idea of closeness around faith, not ethnicity or nationality. “There is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). National boundaries, class divisions, and gender hierarchies lose their spiritual power in Christ’s new creation.
This doesn’t mean identity ceases to matter. It means those identities are no longer barriers to communion.
Paul also tells us, “Our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). For the early Christian, many of whom lived under Roman occupation or were scattered throughout the empire, this wasn’t just metaphor. It was a redefinition of loyalty. Their primary allegiance was not to Caesar or country but to Christ crucified and risen. They were building a new community that transcended national lines and earthly claims to power.
Jesus and the Nations
In Johannine theology, the universality of Jesus’ mission is unmistakable. “For God so loved the world…” (John 3:16). Not Israel alone. Not Rome. Not any particular ethnic group. The entire cosmos.
In John’s Gospel, Jesus is identified by the Baptist as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). When Greeks come seeking Him, Jesus recognizes the moment as a turning point: “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” (John 12:23). His death and resurrection will gather “all the scattered children of God” (John 11:52), not just the sons and daughters of Abraham.
The great commission in Matthew echoes this: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). The word used is ethne: peoples, tribes, Gentiles. The mission is not to make one nation holy above the rest. It is to bring every person into the shared, reconciled life of the Body of Christ.
The Problem With Christian Nationalism
So when Christians today fuse faith with nationalist ideology, whether in America, Russia, Hungary, or anywhere else, they’re not simply making a political choice. They are distorting the gospel.
Christian nationalism is not a neutral civic preference. It elevates one nation’s identity as God-ordained and demands religious conformity as proof of loyalty. It enshrines cultural Christianity over living discipleship. It uses the cross as a cudgel rather than a sign of self-giving love.
And most dangerously, it declares “we” as chosen and “they” as enemies. But Jesus tells us to love our enemies, pray for them, and bless those who persecute us. There is no room for xenophobia in the heart of a Christ-follower.
A Church for All Peoples
The Acts of the Apostles gives us the image of Pentecost, flames of fire resting on every head, and the gospel proclaimed in every tongue. It is the anti-Babel moment, where diversity is not erased but redeemed.
The Church is at its best when it remembers that it is catholic, not in the denominational sense, but in the true meaning of the word: universal, for all. Any attempt to nationalize the gospel shrinks it into something Christ never intended.
We belong to a kingdom without borders, one that welcomes the poor and the powerful alike, one that lives by the Beatitudes, not battle cries.
So Why Is This Controversial?
Maybe it’s because nationalism offers the illusion of control. It tells us who to fear and who to follow. It gives us symbols and slogans we can weaponize. The kingdom of God, by contrast, requires surrender. It asks us to forgive, to serve, to suffer for what is right, to bear witness rather than dominate.
In the end, the scandal of Jesus wasn’t that He was too patriotic. It was that He loved people who weren’t supposed to be included. Samaritans, Romans, sinners, women, tax collectors. He gave them dignity, healed their wounds, and told them they belonged.
He is still doing that today. The question is: will we join Him, or will we try to replace Him with an idol dressed in red, white, and blue?
If this reflection speaks to you, share it. The gospel doesn’t belong to one party, one country, or one tribe. It belongs to the world.
Beautifully written and insightful!