Is this teaching biblical?
Jesse Duplantis used this statement to justify requesting $54 million from followers for a Dassault Falcon 7X private jet. He reimagines Jesus as a wealthy executive who would embrace luxury travel. But Scripture shows a Messiah who 'had nowhere to lay His head,' rode into Jerusalem on a borrowed donkey as a sign of humility, and 'emptied Himself' of divine privilege. Duplantis creates a false Christ in his own image — a prosperity Jesus who validates his greed.
What did Jesse Duplantis say?
"I really believe that if Jesus was physically on the earth today, he wouldn't be riding a donkey. He'd be in an airplane flying all over the world."
Speaker: Jesse Duplantis
Source: Interview requesting $54 million jet, 2018
What does Scripture actually teach?
Matthew 8:20
"And Jesus said to him, 'Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.'"
— NKJV
Jesus HIMSELF described His earthly life as one of material simplicity — 'nowhere to lay His head.' He did not own property, did not amass wealth, did not live in luxury. Duplantis lives in a 35,000 sq ft mansion and owns multiple jets while claiming to follow this homeless Messiah. The contrast is damning.
Matthew 21:5
"Tell the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.'"
— NKJV
Jesus's triumphal entry was on a BORROWED donkey — fulfilling Zechariah's prophecy of a humble king. This was not due to lack of options but intentional humility. Duplantis mocks this by saying Jesus 'wouldn't be riding a donkey today.' The donkey was a deliberate statement about the nature of Christ's kingdom — not material but spiritual.
Philippians 2:5-8
"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross."
— NKJV
Jesus 'made Himself of no reputation' and took 'the form of a bondservant.' He HUMBLED Himself. Duplantis's Jesus would be flying private jets and living in mansions — the opposite of self-emptying humility. Paul commands: 'Let this MIND be in you.' The prosperity mindset is antithetical to the mind of Christ.
2 Corinthians 8:9
"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich."
— NKJV
Christ became POOR for our sakes. The riches we receive are spiritual — 'rich in faith,' 'rich toward God.' Duplantis inverts this: he uses Jesus to become materially rich while his followers become poorer by funding his jets. He reverses the gospel pattern — Christ impoverished Himself; Duplantis enriches himself.
1 Timothy 6:9-10
"But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil."
— NKJV
Those who 'desire to be rich' fall into temptation, snares, and 'destruction and perdition.' A $54 million jet is the epitome of desiring to be rich. Duplantis claims this desire is from God; Paul says it leads to destruction. Someone is wrong — and it is not Paul.
Related False Teachings
"Jesus had a nice house! You don't think Jesus had a nice house? You think he was homeless? ... Jesus..."
— John Avanzini | Prosperity Gospel
"I've never had the Lord say, 'I want you to have this, but you can't have it till you get the money...."
— Jesse Duplantis | Prosperity Gospel
"I went to heaven and I saw Jesus. He showed me around. I met Abraham, I met Paul... I was there for ..."
— Jesse Duplantis | False Revelation