Episode 505: Jesus Freak

The Jesus Movement was a counterculture Christian youth revolution that emerged in the United States during the late 1960s and early 1970s. This change in the American religious landscape corresponded with a period of social upheaval in the youth culture of these two decades, which was a time of protest, uncertainty, and rebellion against societal norms. In their pursuit of happiness and a cultural utopia, many of these young people came to faith in Jesus Christ, giving birth to the Jesus Movement, also known as the “Jesus revolution” and the “Jesus People Movement.” Because so many of these converts had been drug addicts and street people, they were often called “Jesus freaks.” 

One could draw a parallel between Christian and Jesus freak. If obsession with Jesus is indeed the core meaning of Jesus freak, then, yes, a Jesus freak is precisely what a Christian should strive to be. Matthew 16:24, “Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’”

Additional scriptures referenced include Acts 11:25-26; Acts 1:15; Acts 9:13; Acts 5:14; Acts 6:3; Acts 5:32; Acts 9:2; Acts 24:5; Matthew 16:24; and Matthew 14:10.