Rock stars and Jesus are often placed on opposite ends of the ideological spectrum. Rock stars are all about sex, drugs & rock 'n' roll, while Jesus ... well ... wasn't. However, I've noted some interesting similarities in rock stars that might make their lives resemble Christ's more than many church-goers. Before you start crying apostasy, allow me to explain.
1. Rock stars hung out with a rowdy crowd. So did Jesus. He hung out with prostitutes and tax collectors (Matthew 21:32) — the seedy elements of society 2,000 years ago. If it were today, you might think his name was Vince Neil. The people he chose as his disciples didn't even have any special religious training; instead, he chose ordinary folks. Think of how many of your favorite bands came from humble upbringings (the Beatles, for instance, were from the working-class city of Liverpool; Kurt Cobain was known to be homeless at several points in his life).
2. Rock stars broke all the rules. So did Jesus. If there's a taboo out there, there's a chance a rock star tackled it. Jesus also took on some pretty taboo subjects. He performed miracles on the sabbath (Mark 3:2), which was strictly forbidden, since it was considered a form of work. He also came to the rescue of a woman caught in the act of adultery, just as a group of men were about to stone her (John 8:1-11), as was the penalty for adultery. In Matthew 15:2, the Pharisees complain that the disciples ignored their hand-washing ceremonies.
3. Rock stars offend religious leaders. Jesus was far more offensive to them. Marilyn Manson can rip up a Bible on stage, but Jesus put his very life on the line with spiritual leaders. He called them "sons of vipers" (Matthew 23:33); I'm guessing this wasn't a term of endearment. In fact, before long, Jesus' relationship with the Pharisees and Sadusees was so acrimonious that they discussed killing him several times (and, as we know, actually "succeeded").
4. People freak out when rock stars show up. They did the same in Jesus' day. One woman was so crazy about Jesus that she knew that just touching his robe would heal her (Matthew 9:20). In fact, we know that thousands showed up to hear him speak (Matthew 14:13, Mark 8:1). People were cutting holes in the roofs of houses just to get near him (Luke 5:18-19). If that wasn't enough, a woman literally wiped Jesus' feet with her hair as she dumped priceless perfume on him (John 12:3). We've seen some hero worship when it comes to rock stars, but I'm sure this takes the prize.
5. Rock stars are known for alcohol consumption. Jesus knew a thing about wine, too. Here in the Southeast, consuming alcohol is frowned upon. The funny thing is for his first miracle, Jesus brought the booze (John 4:46). When the wedding ceremony ran out of wine, they complained to Jesus about it. Rather than launch into an anti-alcohol rant, Jesus turned ordinary water into the best wine they ever tasted.
Of course, Jesus had a different motivation — his father's will. We're told to stay away from debauchery and submit ourselves to Jesus. It's sad, however, that the paradigm exists that we have to be perfect before Christ will accept us. Jesus died so we could be reunited with God while we were still sinners. So you don't have to worry about looking and talking like Ned Flanders before God will care about you. And while Jesus hung out with tax collectors and sinners, they were never the same after.
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