THE PHILOSOPHY OF JESUS

Hey there!

How are you doing today? How’s December shaping up for you? How are tour Christmas preparations coming along? It is my prayer that your celebration of Christmas does not exclude Jesus. 

It’s Guest Feature Thursday🥳🥳! If you’ve been a gist partner for the last 2 years, you’ve seen me mention “my friend Israel” a few times; well, my friend Israel has finally come to gist with us on the blog. I won’t tell you what I call him but officially, he is Audu Israel Manga, one of the greatest persons you’ll come in contact with. His gist for us today… just read am by yourself, be like I go give am the blog for the next year to run am, when una read finish una sef go know why. 

So, without further ado, welcome to today’s gist. 

Hello there gist partner. 

Through history, humanity has searched for meaning through philosophies, religions, and ethical systems. From the meditations of Buddha to the logic of the Stoics, from the ideals of Confucius to the pursuits of modern humanism, every civilisation has attempted to answer the same fundamental questions: What is truth? What is the good life? How should a person live?

And in the midst of these attempts stands Jesus of Nazareth: a figure who did not merely contribute another philosophical idea but embodied a complete way of life. Jesus did not come to establish a religion in the sense of rigid systems and ceremonial obligations. He came to introduce a transformative pattern of existence; a philosophy, a way of being human that reconciles what is earthly with the divine.

Today's gist explores two interwoven dimensions of the philosophy of Jesus:

1. the relationship between His teachings and the world’s philosophies; and 
2. the practical question of “What Would Jesus Do?” in the complexities of modern life.

Jesus and the Philosophies of the World

Many global philosophies contain fragments of truth. They hold pieces of insight that resonate across cultures and time. Interestingly, these fragments often find their completion in the life and teachings of Jesus.

Buddhism and the Question of Desire

Buddhism teaches that the root of human suffering is desire. The proposed solution? Detach. Empty yourself. Kill desire, and you kill suffering.

Now, that sounds deep and there’s truth in it. Desire can break a man.

But Jesus doesn’t approach desire the way Buddha does. He doesn’t say “destroy desire.” He says “reorder it.” That’s why Jesus says: “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23)

Notice something: Jesus calls for self-denial, not self-annihilation. He doesn’t say, “You must cease to want”, He says, “You must want the right things.”

Where Buddhism seeks to empty the heart, Jesus seeks to fill it with God. Buddha says: “Detach so you stop suffering”, Jesus says: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4) One empties desire; the other redeems it.

Stoicism and the Mastery of Circumstance

Stoicism emphasises emotional control, resilience, and inner strength. In many ways, Jesus’ life reflects this composure. He slept during a storm (Mark 4:38), answered hostility with silence (John 8:6), and forgave His executioners (Luke 23:34). Yet, Jesus goes further than Stoicism’s self-sufficiency. While the Stoic declares:“Be strong”, Jesus,  through the teachings of Paul, says: “My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) Jesus’ philosophy is not about suppressing emotion but transforming it through dependence on God. Stoicism says: “Do not fear.” Jesus says: “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you… not as the world gives.” (John 14:27)

A Stoic endures hardship with grit. A Christian endures hardship with grace. Stoicism cultivates serenity by controlling the self. Jesus grants serenity by surrendering the self.

Libertarianism

This is the idea that a person should be absolutely free to do whatever they want, as long as they’re not harming anyone. It sounds sweet. It sounds simple. And honestly, it matches a part of Scripture that celebrates liberty. Jesus came to set men free; Paul talked about the liberty we have in Christ; the early church taught responsibility and choice. Libertarianism feels like it is nodding along with all these. 

But the problem begins when freedom becomes a god. 

Because at the root of libertarian thinking is this one belief: “I belong to myself.” No authority. No lordship. No interference. My life. My rules. My choices. And this is where it crashes headlong with Jesus’ philosophy. In the Kingdom, freedom is real but self-ownership is not. Jesus didn’t just save you; He bought you with a price. You are free yet you are not your own. Where libertarianism puts the individual on the throne, the gospel puts Christ there; where libertarianism says do whatever you want, Jesus says, deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me.

And here’s the gist:

Libertarian freedom is freedom to do what feels right. Kingdom freedom is freedom to do what actually is right. Libertarianism celebrates autonomy, Jesus celebrates obedience shaped by love.

Jesus doesn’t crush your freedom; He redirects it, purifies it, and turns it into something bigger than you. In the libertarian world, the highest goal is choice. In Christ’s world, the highest goal is love a love that willingly surrenders its rights, a love that serves, a love that says, “Not my will, but Yours.”

So when you look closely, you realise something: Libertarianism is a freedom that leads inward towards self while Jesus gives a freedom that leads upward towards God and outward towards people.

In every case, the philosophies of the world are like mirrors dimly reflecting truth, while Jesus is truth in full personhood.

The WWJD Philosophy

Now you see modern life ehn, it throws things at us that Bible times never had to deal with. Nobody in the first century was navigating WhatsApp blue ticks, social media shade, mental burnout, workplace politics, or “should I leave this person on read or reply tomorrow?”

Yet here we are, trying to figure out “What would Jesus do?” in moments the Scripture doesn't directly spell out. Jesus alluded to this fact when he said to his disciples, “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now...” (John 16: 12). Or in John, where the writer recorded “There are also many other things that Jesus did; if every one of them were written down, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written."

And honestly? Jesus didn’t give us a step by step manual. Sadly he didn’t write, “In case of Instagram drama, turn to page 54.”😅 Instead, He gave us something better: 

A heart posture.

A way of thinking.

A way of responding.

A way of being.

He gave us a template for living so that no matter the century, and no matter the situation, His Spirit guides the flow.

First thing about Jesus' way? Love over ego. Jesus always chose compassion over clapping back. Reconciliation over pride. He said it clearly: “By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” (John 13:35) Meaning: whether it’s online arguments, misunderstandings, or hurtful comments, Jesus’ vibe is grace, not ego battles.

But don’t get it twisted oh! Love didn’t make Him soft. Jesus stood for truth, even when it wasn’t convenient. He didn’t bend stories, sugarcoat dishonesty, or pretend everything was sweet when it wasn’t. “Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17)

So in our world, this looks like: correcting a friend without feeling superior, admitting when we’re wrong, speaking up against injustice without hatred. Truth with tenderness — that’s the Jesus style.

Another big part of His philosophy was peace over pressure. When life got intense, Jesus didn’t rush. 

He stepped away.

He prayed.

He breathed.

Luke tells us, He often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Imagine that: Jesus, with all the pressure on Him, still took time to unplug; meaning it’s okay to breathe before you answer.

It’s okay to rest before you decide.

Peace first, clarity next.

Then there’s this one I personally love: people over systems.

Jesus was never more loyal to rules than He was to people; He healed on the Sabbath, He stepped in for the woman everyone wanted to stone, He touched the leper nobody dared to touch; if Jesus entered a 21st-century office today, you already know He’d care more about humans than policies. Compassion over convenience. People first, titles later.

And beneath everything He did was one powerful lens: eternity over trend.

Jesus didn’t chase applause.

Didn’t bow to pressure.

Didn’t get carried away by what was “in vogue.” He said: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth…” (Matthew 6:19). What He meant:

Live for what lasts.

Not for likes.

Not for clout.

Not for noise.

Because all the philosophies of the world? They hold fragments, little pieces, of truth here and there.

But Jesus?

Jesus is the full picture.

His way is love without naïveté, truth without harshness, peace without avoidance, and purpose without distraction.

Not a religion of rules, but a rhythm of life that outlives every other idea.

That’s the gist, my friend.

Following Jesus is not memorising instructions it’s learning His heartbeat and walking in His flow. 

Wow!! I wish there were more adequate words to say than “thank you”, but please my love, manage am so; thank you! Thank you so much for blessing us with your words. May your waters run deeper, may your oil flow fresh. God bless you! 

And thank you dear gist partner for staying with us till this point, I know you have learned a lot from today’s gist. Israel’s birthday is on Sunday, please say a prayer of blessing for him. 

But if you’re here and you haven’t received Jesus into your heart consciously, your first course of action is to receive Jesus into your heart and become His child, there are privileges that you can only enjoy when you’ve submitted your life to God. You don’t have to wait or delay; today you can receive Jesus into your heart: simply come to Him in sincerity, confess your sins to Him, tell Him that you believe in His power to save you, ask Him into your heart and pledge to live life going forward with Him fully involved and according to His terms. 

TUNES AND THOUGHTS: our song recommendation for this week, courtesy of our guest, is ‘Jireh’ by Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music. This song is a reminder that God is enough! It is an acknowledgment that Jehovah Jireh indeed provides what we need, it is a call to renewed contentment, that Jesus will truly be enough for us. I pray that your heart is blessed as you listen.

Audiomack: https://audiomack.com/victor-jones-6/song/16838726?share-user-id=140072136 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/1goiRWxiG3GTlODrdDZ7NR?si=AFOnjlwDTDmIWyrQAoHqlg 

YouTube Music: https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=m_ffLNBu5_o&si=1Jx9Nz1VvxZ67qx1 

Well, that is that about that as far as that is concerned, see you next week!

Love,

Achenyo. 

PS. There was a ghastly accident in Jos yesterday, and students lost their lives; please pray for God’s comfort for their families.