Is Black Jesus the real Jesus?

I first came across a picture of this comedy show while searching for images of Jesus in the media today. I glossed over it at first, since it looked related to propaganda, but then I went back again and noticed that it was actually a promo picture for a T.V. show. So I searched YouTube for a preview to see what it was all about and I found a four-minute video clip, which started with a recap from a previous episode of the show. Immediately, I realized what this was all about. The show is essentially a parody of what Jesus would be like if He lived in an African American community in today's society.

Initially, I was shocked and slightly concerned about the portrayal of Jesus that this show presents. In the clip that I watched, the character playing Jesus was part of a marijuana grow-op that was top secret, and although the neighbors in the community had caught on to the scheme and called the authorities, Jesus was able to deter them somehow. As the new episode started, it appeared that the character of Jesus was using Scripture to encourage this behavior, while including a message of love (which was represented by the marijuana) in his conversations with the other characters in the show. I was initially upset that this is the image of Jesus floating around on the media, and that some people watching this show, who might have very little knowledge about Jesus, would start to think that He would condone breaking the law for one's own gain. Soon afterwards, I recalled a class presentation about how to address media portrayals of Jesus, specifically the ones that are clearly parodies and are not historically accurate or have little to no biblical likeness in them. In the class presentation, we were advised not to get caught up in trying to correct a humorous depiction of Jesus because this rarely convinces someone to come to Christ. Rather, we are to address the images that might negatively affect the character of Christ and may actually mislead people in their depictions of Him.

With that advice in mind, I would likely only comment about the Black Jesus comedy show if a non-believer asked me about it. In that situation, I would ask them what their opinion of the show was, and then let them know that the true character of Jesus is found only in the Bible, where many of His sayings and teachings are written. I would also make sure to let the person know that although watching the show may be humorous, they should not be misled into thinking that this Black Jesus resembles the Person of Jesus Christ in the Bible. My hope is that people will be able to use their judgment to understand what is true about Jesus and what isn't.