Would Jesus be a Gamer?
It’s 9:00 in the evening. Jesus and his twelve closest friends walk through the door of their hostel fatigued and drenched from the rain, yet content. They feel happy to have spread the word of God to so many people today but their minds still stray to the pain, sick, and evil that they have witnessed. They talk quietly among themselves as they make their way down the long corridor that leads to the rec room. They breathe a simultaneous sigh of relief as they round the corner and realize there are only a few other residents in the room; they sit down comfortably along the large sectional sofa that faces the entertainment center.
Jesus picks up the remote and begins flicking through the channels: a news station highlights war and famine in third world countries; a drama makes light of the main characters’ adulterous affairs; a comedy finds it necessary to curse and make vulgar suggestions in every line of dialogue in order to provoke laughs. With a grimace, He sets it back down. Was there no way for He and His friends to enjoy a laid back evening together without being bombarded with all the issues that they had dealt with all day? Just as the group prepares to separate for the night – some may read, others may play cards, and still others may head downstairs to the small gym – Jesus spots a video game console tucked beside the television.
“Wait,” He begins with a grin as the others slowly start to saunter away. “I have an idea”.
If Jesus had lived in our times instead of his own, just how unlikely is the above situation? Is it at all possible? Would Jesus be a gamer? I’d like to think he would.
Jesus is the Son of God, but He is also human. And as a human, he would have needed downtime just like the rest of us – maybe even more. As we see something that breaks our hearts, it must have been even more heartbreaking for Him because His love is so much stronger than ours. As we feel exhausted or overwhelmed with our daily lives, He must have felt even more pressure knowing that the fate of our souls lay in His hands. He would have had ways to unwind, relax, and enjoy Himself like any other human. Do we really expect that His entire life was spent only doing His work, with never a single second to spare? We shouldn’t! The Bible tells us that Jesus grew to manhood like any other boy would have. He would have enjoyed fun and games as much as any other person.
If video games had been available to Him, why wouldn’t He play them? I’m not saying that He would have been obsessed with them – running to His dark basement every chance He could get to escape reality and jump into the virtual world, as Mary sighed and wished He would go outside and get a little more fresh air – but if He had grown up in our time, they would have been a common (and FUN!) way to relax and play with friends. Jesus wasn’t a typical, old school prophet; He was a radical leader. He wasn’t just “with” the times, He was ahead of them. Not only would He have enjoyed the new video game media, He would have used it to His advantage.
Obviously Jesus wouldn’t have played just any game; He would have some serious standards. Games that promote and endorse evil or immorality would certainly have been out of the question, but He would still have other options. From the classics like Super Mario Bros. to contemporary Good vs. Evil battles, He would have had plenty to play. And think of how amazing He would have been! One minute He could be gracefully out-dancing His peers on DDR, and the next they would be staring in awe as He walked across the lake in Wii Golf to complete a shortcut that earned him a double birdie.
When it came to war or MMORPGs, He would be unmatched; His wisdom and patience beyond that of any other human would just be the beginning. Who would dare challenge the clan who has a Leader so incredibly powerful, and so incredibly devoted that He would die for any one of His comrades? I’d say after the tenth time of losing to said clan – who refuse to brag even after they defeat you more easily than you ever thought possible, and who has a Leader that only offers mercy and a chance to join them instead – you’d be thinking Who is this Jesus? And how does He have such serious pwnage?
I could go on about my theories on how Jesus would game, but the bottom line is that He would game. He would game because He’s human, and humans generally enjoy gaming downtime. He would game to be part of such an important and powerful media in order to reach others. But most of all He would game because He’s fun, and He likes to have fun with His children.
But since Jesus doesn’t game, we should remember that we are His ambassadors in that virtual world. We represent Him every time we turn on our consoles and others are there to witness. So let’s pwn with class and make Him proud while we play 
This commentary was originally written September 16, 2008 by Aoife.
That was really great. Did you write this Drew?
Btw, I’m going to post it on my blog too.
What the hell?
This is Jesus we are talking about… he wouldn’t play games like World of Warcraft.. the biggest mistake of this article is that no where do you mention that Jesus did not promote violence and himself would not partake in violence.
He might have been human, but he was also sinless… if Jesus played games he would play the typical sports games, and puzzle titles. I would expect Nintendo-esque titles to be more along the lines of what he would play.
Terrible article in all honesty.
Cool article I never thought of that. I dont think Jesus would be Sniping people in COD4 but i think he would have been playing in some form. It would be a good way to reach the young lost souls all over the country. thanks for posting it gives me something to think about today!
An amusing outlook, and one that makes me think. I have to wonder what games he would play and if that should be representative of the games I allow myself to play. Unfortunately we’ll never actually know, and we’ll just have to keep using our own convictions as our guide lines
Never thought of this. He would be one of those gamers that played Viva Pinata or the Lego Series. Good article. I dug it!
Nice article Aoife. I really have no opinion, can’t tell you if he’d be a gamer or not. If he were, it would definitely be on the Wii though with Mario.
Great article Drew! I’ve thought about this before and have come to the same conclusion. I know he’d definitely play some guitar praise!
Brother great story. I enjoyed it. Jesus wants us to enjoy life not just get stressed all the time.
Kind of odd don’t you think!!!
I have to agree with Cruiz Dwyer, I don’t think Jesus would have been playing games. Gamblers would like think he would be gambling,I would hope he was playing MTG being a trading card gamer, heavy metalists would hope he was head banging throwing his fists in the air. It seems that we would hope that Jesus would somehow say what we are doing is right but I believe we sin when we play these games and look past what is wrong with them. I think that if God of War was a title produced by Sony he could not support Sony, and I could show examples for each platform, but as much as we’d hope I think Jesus had one thing on his mind and that was to seek and save the lost and teach his people.
“I believe we sin when we play these games and look past what is wrong with them.”
Are saying that playing videogames at all is a sin? What do you mean by that statement?
Well I hope He would have been a gamer, I’d give Him a good review on xbox live.
I think the guys that think He wouldn’t play games are missing a vital point…in the days that He lived in the flesh they didn’t have a fraction of the things we have for entertainment. Furthermore there is plenty of evidence that shows that Christ hung out with people who most conservative “christians” would shun today…and He did so specifically to reach them with love and truth. Did he play ball in the yard? Did he play anything? Why not? He was human right? So the point he(drew?) was making is that in THIS day and age, is it really a stretch to think that He would do things that we do? Would He not play games, not only to relax and unwind, but to reach the lost who also play games? I bet He would. I get flack from some conservative “christians” for playing in a rock band….and the fact that I do so, not just for fun, but for the MISSION, evades them. Same here. Christ might play games…and He might do so because He would want to reach the many lost kids who spend all of their time gaming…because if that’s all they do, how else would He reach them? If you see someone drowning, would you not jump in after them? I could give you a thousand reasons why I agree with the author…but ultimately I think the “church” has been conditioned to see Christ as some magical, inhuman being…and the reality is that He was human, just like us, only better.
Jesus probably would have been a gamer. I mean, why not?
I honestly can’t think of one reason why he would shun the video game industry and it’s creations.
Besides, like the article points out, everyone needs downtime.
P.S. Aoife is not a guy.
This article is serious pwnage.
=P
awsome thang to think about and im not sure if he wud of been but i rly dont c any reson y he wudnt and i do c resons y he wud. lol i think jesus shud of made games. we need christian games, not just clean games but games about jesus, about the one and only god, and about christianity. wut if u cud play as jesus or one of his disciples and play through wut they went through, or maybe some christian music games for consoles, or a church tycoon. i want a game that teaches ppl about jesus and the bible and how to liv for god. gaming isnt evil and is just a form of entertainment and christians shud get more involeved in it and demand more games that fit them, for instance, instead of being a gangster y not a preacher, instead of being a monster or deamon or robot y not a angel? WE CHRISTIAN GAMERS SHUD STAND UP! AND TURN GAMING INTO SOMTHING FOR GOD!
I highly doubt that Jesus would get His relaxation from gaming. The one thing missing from this nice thought of an article is scripture. I would like to see the scripture that says we are to divulge in worldly things for relaxation and entertainment. On the contrary, scripture says to seek first the kingdom of God (Mat 6:33). Yes, I know that is speaking of providing the basics for us, but don’t you think that Jesus would be putting His bible in front of Him instead of a controller? Instead of walking into the rec room to watch TV or play video games, don’t you think He would be reading the Word to draw closer to God or praying? Yeshua lived the perfect life that God wants all of us to live. He lived in a corrupt world just like we do and yet He remained separate from it.
The truth is that we don’t know exactly what Jesus was doing while growing up into being a man. Scripture just doesn’t tell us. I know one thing that he must have been doing though and that is studying the scriptures. His knowledge of the scriptures was unfounded and beyond anyone else. He took the Law and turned it into the spiritual being it is now. He gave us life instead of death Rom 7:5 KJV – For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
Rom 7:6 KJV – But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not [in] the oldness of the letter.
Just to wrap it up, I believe that Jesus would have done things to draw closer to our Heavenly Father rather than waste time with entertainment. Bible study and Prayer not video games and TV.
I see what your saying – and agree to some extent. I would think Jesus, as a boy, played games with others – I dont know what the games were of that day (I know, here comes the age jokes), but I can imagine that activities as such are a huge part of developing and growing into the adult that He was and that we do. I cant say for sure he would play video games – but I can imagine him socializing and growing in fellowship in some child-aged activity…kickball? Marbles? Tag? Sure why not? That wouldnt make him any lesser of our Savior – if anything, it would have re-affirmed the lessons of fellowship. I could imagine “Hey, wanna play marbles? BTW – I am the Savior and King of the world, you should hang with me!” Well, maybe not in exact wording, but you get the jest of my point. Video games are not all violent and gore…I have played several Indie games actually themed for Bible lessons – and while they are not to the same caliber as Halos and CoDs…they are very positive and a great opportunities for people to jump on a game console and learn while playing.
I don’t believe that Jesus would have been a gamer. You have to remember that Jesus made every minute of his life here on earth count….which meant when he wasn’t healing, preaching, or mentoring his disciples…he was praying.
I’m not saying that gaming isn’t something that we all use to spend quality time with each other but I believe that Jesus being perfect in every way used his prayer life as an example to us all.
It’s nice to see an article that makes us think about Jesus and his relationship to our passion of playing video games. I think every person likes to think the Lord would enjoy the things he does, I could not see God looking at our love of playing video games and saying, “what a waste of time.”
From what I’ve read in the Bible, God’s first publicly recorded miracle of changing water into wine took place at a party, a wedding celebration. Some of the comments above I think err to the side of making Jesus out to be boring, which is unfathomable. Jesus had friends, and best friends. His relationship to them had to have some sort of play intertwined.
i’m so agree with vulture! besides, ALL video games are what?! alternate realities.. which means: no Jesus Christ in it, even if you create a player named as Him, it is total blasphemy because we cannot use His holy name in vain like that! i’m so sick when hearing other people mentioning something like MMORPG and his character’s name is Jesus Christ! and self proclaimed christian! o.O duh..!
and speaking of alternate reality, the god is the video game programmer or the company. they make the rules. it is alternate, virtual reality folks! it lures away the beauty of nature which God Himself created, which we can sense, can touch, can smell, can admire in REAL LIFE!!! do we glorify God when we play games like.. the sims? world of warcraft? tetris? no. it is useless, it is IDOLATRY! robbing real values of real life. please read this Bible scripture:
::: Proverbs 12:11 :::
Those who work their land will have abundant food,
but those who chase FANTASIES have no sense.
so, decide for yourselves. video games.. and other worldly entertainments such as gambling or movies like amazing spiderman, the avengers, etc etc.. do those worldly fantasies glorify God? no. God is our Treasure! not games! finding games as a way of entertainment and pleasures more than God? IDOLATRY! BLASPHEMY!! look at this Bible scripture:
::: Psalm 135:15-18 :::
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by human hands.
They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see.
They have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths.
Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.
apply modern world principle to that verse, then what you get? those video games and movies which are
made by human hands, those sickening fantasies.. go on and find pleasure in them and you will be like them:
anti-social, lack of sense, spiritually blind. i urge you to repent and ask Him for forgiveness of creating such a blasphemous blog.. Bible reality check: there’s no such thing as christian gaming.
-God bless
to cainkiller:
you said “Christ might play games…and He might do so because He would want to reach the many lost kids who spend all of their time gaming…because if that’s all they do, how else would He reach them? If you see someone drowning, would you not jump in after them?”
well, you need to learn how to discern things.. reaching someone drowning, you MUST jump in after them in order to save them. BUT! video games are like drugs, we DON’T reach them who are addicted to it by PLAYING video games! same like we cannot help others who are addicted to drugs by becoming ourselves DROWNING in drugs! how can you reach people when you yourself love the same thing they love?! blasphemy.. all you will do are making them into a worse addicted gamer than ever. just think for a second! even just by playing it, you are contributing to their willingness to play that game even more.. so, learn to discern things better please. God Jesus Christ WILL NOT COOPERATE doing wordly sinful things to lure people in Him, instead He doing the opposite.
-God bless
Let me first say Jesus doesn’t care if you play video games. He cares about why you play them the condtion of your heart. You see I am a recovering video game addicate and over the years I have obsessed with right and wrong, which I know now was my flesh and showed that my heart was not right. I have tried to do thing out of my own strength but always failed because I had not aided in him which is my strength. I have come to the understanding that God has had me read Romans for years because I needed to understand that I am dead to the letter of the law and alive by grace in Christ Jesus. What part of the letter of the law am I dead to? All of it because a house divided will fall. I am either saved by Grace or the Law and thank God I am saved by Grace in Christ Jesus. I use to think that repentance meant to say i am sorry to God for my sin then avoid the thing that caused me to sin. So I would turn from my sin to myself, which never worked. I would fall right back into again. I know understand that repentance is to turn from are sins and abide in Christ to over come it through his strength and Grace and Mercy we find victory. Even before we ask we are already foregiven in Christ Jesus. An example of that is the prodigal son who had prepared a speech for his father about what he would say when he return home. But what happen? The father ran to the son and said my son was dead and is alive again he was lost and now is found. The Son was already forgiven. Jesus paid the price for every sin we will every commit on the cross. Is there a place for Confession? Yes!! Confession means acknowledging the foolishness of disobedience to the Father and then praising him that we are already forgiven and accepted by him. Now here is a personal example: For years I have strugled with a video game addiciton. I have tryied many times to stop playing video games because I know it effected my relationship with Christ. You see I have been asking God to make me more Christ like. I realize that nothing in your life should come before you and your relationship with Jesus. He doesn’t want to be the first of many. He wants to be the only. He wants all your heart, which I realize isn’t possible with out an intimate relationship with him. He is the vine and we are the branch’s we can do nothing apart from him. I know now gaming wasn’t the problem but condition of my heart. Gaming was just what he choose to use to reveal this to me. He is given me what I have been praying for. What did my flesh want to do but abide in my own strength and get rid of my video game machine (I have tried this many times before). Which now seems foolish because this is what I have been asking for. I could limit my time playing but realize that wouldn’t work because my focus would be on abiding in myself. Which is just like the letter of the law. I could never keep it because it relied on my own strength and even if I could keep it. My heart still wouldn’t be right. On the outside I would look clean but on the inside I would still be broken. I know that I must abide in Christ. Again I tell video games was never the problem but me and my relationship with Jesus. I was playing for my flesh and not for fellowship which I now know the difference. The only way to over come that is not in rules but intimacy with Jesus. Rules never fixed anything though you may appear clean on the out side and Christians will praise you for the changes in your life you will still be empty and dead on the inside. Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Labor and Heavy Laden is what I was trying. To use my own strength by setting rules to have a relationship with Jesus. But what I am finding out is when you take his yoke upon you, and learn of him; he is meek and lowly in heart: and I can find rest for my soul, which is intimacy. It is not by running away from everything or sticking your head in the sand but abiding in his strength we are made victorious and whole. The more intimate we become with him the more we will reflect his glory.
I don’t think Jesus would’ve been much of a gamer. I think he would’ve played games if someone just wanted to show him something in a game and he would be like “oh, that’s cool.” But that’s it. I don’t think He would feel an attraction or gain interest in gaming at all. He might have used game creation as an example/parable to explain how creation itself works and came to be, but that’s as far as I see it going.
All He did before He started His ministry was carpentry (job) and seek the mind of the Father. He was COMPLETELY DETACHED from the world and whatever pleasures it offered. If there were movies, books, sports and all sorts of entertaining hobbies in those days, I’m sure He wouldn’t pay attention for very long.
So yeah, I’m a gamer and a Christian but I’m learning to detach as well since eventually, I’m leaving my consoles, handhelds and PC here to burn and rot in exchange for a heaven without limits where worrying about gaming environments will be the least of my worries
. That said, don’t feel condemned because of that 
! That’s my goal with everything I do, not just video games 
.
Jesus might well have been showng us if He were here just how to play a “real life” game for racking up serious treasures in Heaven via what I call “God Game”. Here’s links to the God tools for making a personalized point-based system for prepping more works for Rewards Day. Hence, “God Game”
https://pinterest.com/omega40/ and this link https://pinterest.com/omega40/god-game/