A recently released global survey from the Barna Group showed some encouraging statistics on what teenagers think about Jesus. The survey is a collaboration from several Christian organizations, including World Vision, Christ in Youth, Biblica and others. Barna interviewed over 24,500 teens from the ages of 13 to 17 from 26 different countries. The study is part of Barna’s “Open Generation,” a three-part journal divided into “How Teens Around the World Relate to Jesus,” “How Teens Around the World View the Bible,” and “How Teens Around the World Can Make an Impact.” In looking at views on Jesus, 46% of respondents stated that “He offers hope to people” and 43% stated that “He cares about people.” In looking at negative traits of Jesus, only 10% stated that “He is known for things He is against” and only 7% stated “He is judgmental.” 20% responded “none of the above” to negative traits.

The survey also found that 90% of self-identified committed Christians were either “very” or “somewhat” motivated to continue learning about Jesus Christ while 88% of nominal Christians and 78% of all others were as well. A teen’s Bible engagement also impacted the way he or she viewed Jesus. The study divided respondents into three groups: “Bible engaged” (teens who believe the Bible is God’s inspired Word), “Bible open” (teens who held a neutral view of Scripture but read it more than 3 or 4 times a year), and “Bible unengaged” (teens that did not fall into either of the other two categories.) Of the Bible engaged, 84% said the Bible teaches about “Living a meaningful life” and “Understanding my purpose in life.” 80% stated it taught about “Living wisely in today’s society.” Only 38% of Bible open respondents stated the Bible teaches about “Living a meaningful life” with only 36% agreeing it gave purpose and 34% agreeing it gave wisdom. Bible unengaged were even lower with 25%, 23%, and 22% agreeing respectively.

Barn also identified “justice-motivated teens,” noting that, “Justice-motivated teens are motivated by the Bible not only to do good work, but to grow in their faith and relationship to Jesus. Far more than their Christian peers, justice-motivated Christian teens say the Bible motivates them to stand up against the wrongdoings of others (66% vs. 36%), promote fairness and justice (73% vs. 42%), make a positive impact on others’ lives (73% vs. 42%) and take care of people who need help (75% vs. 44%).”

The most concerning statistic comes with comparing teens who identify with being Christian and what percent of those teens have made a commitment to Christ. According to the study, 52% of respondents identified as Christian, yet only 22% stated they had made a personal commitment to Christ. Barna stated that the statistic is in line with previous research and also noted the importance of pushing for that commitment to Jesus, stating, “Though personal commitment to follow Jesus may not be the norm among today’s teens, general curiosity about Jesus is high. Among Christian teens, the desire to learn about Jesus is widespread and only deepens as they grow in their relationship to him. Nearly all Christian teens with a personal commitment to follow Jesus want to grow in their knowledge of him throughout their lives.”