Why the "Jesus" of "Fight of Gods" is not the Jesus of the Bible

I was more than slightly amused when I saw the trailer of a video game titled "Fight of Gods" on YouTube, my attention having been drawn to it by a recent report on Channel NewsAsia ("Malaysia blocks 'Fight of Gods' video game for threatening religious, racial harmony" (9 September 2017)).

 

Published by PQube Games, the game is described as follows on the Steam store:

Your prayers have been answered! For the first time ever, gods, holy spirits and mythological characters from around the globe and throughout history will clash in an explosive 2D fighter where the entire world is at stake!

The characters in the video game include Moses, Zeus, Odin, Jesus and Buddha, engaging in one-on-one fights much like the Street Fighter series of games.

 

As can be seen from the trailer of the game, the "Jesus" character makes his entry by breaking free and coming down from the cross, and using the chunks of wood still nailed/strapped to his hands as weapons or shields in the fight. The trailer tells us that he is the "Son of God", and that "He's back, and he's cross." (pun certainly intended)

 

"Jesus" breaks free of the cross

(From the trailer of "Fight of Gods")

 

Communication and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak reportedly said that the game degraded religions and religious leaders and posed a huge threat to racial unity and harmony. Steam was initially blocked from access after being given a 24-hour ultimatum to disable downloads of the game by users in Malaysia. But after Steam disabled downloads this morning (9 September 2017), the block on the website was lifted.

 

All that aside, it is quite evident that the "Jesus" of "Fight of Gods" is not the Jesus of the Bible.

 

Firstly, Jesus did not (and would not) come down from the cross. The Gospel of Matthew records how Jesus was taunted at His crucifixion:

Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!"  

In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.'"  

(Matthew 27:39-43) 

Despite the fact that Jesus could have easily called for "more than twelve legions of angels" to his aid (Matthew 26:53) and despite the taunts and the challenges to His identity, Jesus submitted to the Father's will to die a cruel death on the cross, so as to save the world.

 

Sam Allberry puts it well in his book, Lifted: Experiencing the Resurrection Life:

And yet there is a double irony at work here. For it transpires that he won't save himself because he is the Saviour. His crucifixion was to be the means by which he did save others. Had he chosen to save himself, he would have been no Saviour to anybody else.

 

Secondly, Jesus does not advance His kingdom through violence, but through the preaching of the Word. From the very beginning of His ministry, Jesus' message was "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." (Matthew 4:17) Before Pilate, He said, "My kingdom if not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews..." (John 18:36) Thus, when Peter sought to prevent Jesus' arrest by the Jews, Jesus rebuked him that "all who draw the sword will die by the sword." (Matthew 26:42)

 

Thirdly, when Jesus comes back, He will not be coming on a cross, but on a cloud (Acts 1:11). Paul writes about the second coming in 1 Thessalonians 4:16:

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

And the Book of Revelation shows us instead a picture of Jesus riding on a white horse, with justice to judge and make war (Revelation 19:11).

 

A final point to make is about the premise of the "Fight of Gods" game itself. The game is premised on the false idea that all these are gods who occupy the same universe and are in a battle against one another, and that Jesus is simply one of these gods. On this, the Bible is unequivocal that "there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men..." (1 Timothy 2:5)

 

Though there is a spiritual battle "against the forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12), Jesus had already disarmed, made a public spectacle and triumphed over the principalities and powers by the cross (Colossians 2:15). And when Jesus encountered demons and evil spirits, even a legion of demons found themselves begging Jesus for mercy (Mark 5:1-20).

 

Thus, the "Jesus" of "Fight of Gods" is not Jesus Christ at all. Such a "Jesus" who forsakes the cross and lives by the sword can save no one (perhaps not even himself), but will instead perish by the sword.

 

The real Jesus Christ was crucified, died and was buried, and rose again to life to reconcile all things to Himself, triumphing over the dominion of darkness, saving us from sin and the grave, and the world is much better for it.