Jesus in the Courtroom: How Believers Can Engage the Legal System for the Good of His World

Have you ever thought of Jesus as a lawyer?

It may sound odd, but at times in His ministry, Jesus wore his lawyer hat. When he defended the adulterous woman, when he argued from Scripture that the disciples were fine to pick grain on the Sabbath, and in other instances, Jesus insightfully applied to uphold justice and promote goodwill.

The legal aspects of Jesus’ ministry have long been obscured or misunderstood, particularly his interactions with and attitude toward the law and lawyers. Jesus’ desire in his day and ours is to use the law to secure the rights of people to hear the gospel and to set humanity free. In other words, to be the best citizens we can be, we need to follow in the footsteps of the greatest citizen who ever lived.

Jesus in the Courtroom covers topics like:

• Why we should care about the law
• Strategic involvement with the law
• How God has used the law to expand His kingdom
• What can happen when we partner with legal professionals
• How citizenship is part of discipleship
• Christian citizenship in matters like adoption, abortion, minimum wage, foster care, and schools

We are citizens of two kingdoms, but many of us duck and run when it comes to civil life. For anyone who cares about their community--parents, teachers, pastors, you name it--engagement with our legal system can play a huge role in the health of our communities and in cultivating a context where the gospel can flourish.

Jesus in the Courtroom will help us understand not only why we have failed to appreciate the legal aspect of Jesus’ life, but also to understand and cooperate with his legal ministry to us and through us. If we are going to be faithful ＂citizen disciples＂ in this challenging new world, we need to look anew at how Jesus taught, thought, and interacted with the legal establishment of his day.

JOHN MAUCK, an attorney for 30 years, is a founding partner at Mauck & Baker, LLC in Chicago. He is an Allied Attorney with Alliance Defending Freedom and was a board member of Christian Legal Society. John received his B.A. from Yale and his Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago. He and his wife of 40 years have four adult children and are active church members. John also wrote Paul on Trial: The Book of Acts as a Defense of Christianity, which was a finalist for the Evangelical Book of the Year.