Which Jesus do you believe?

Recently I re-discovered a book, The Jesus I Never Knew, originally published by Philip Yancey in 1995. Yancey writes about how we re-make Jesus into our own image which steals His majesty and diminishes our faith!  “The more I studied Jesus, the more difficult it become to pigeonhole him. He said little about the Roman occupation, the main topic of conversation among his countrymen, and yet he took up a whip to drive profiteers from the Temple. He urged obedience to the Mosaic Law while gaining a reputation as a lawbreaker. … two words one could never think of applying to Jesus of the Gospels: boring and predictable.”

Who is Jesus to you? That question is rolling around in my head today. If he is a benign hippie of ancient history who said some interesting things about peace and love, I may be interested in him, but not compelled to submit to him. If he is only a great moral teacher who redefined what personhood means, I may study him and conclude his ideals are impractical or unworkable in my time. But, if he is God come down to man, if in him we learn who God is and what God expects, then we push him to the margins of our lives to our own peril!  Some suggest that we have outgrown Jesus, that he is irrelevant to the 21^st century, to America of 2011.  That is because they do not know Who He is. They know only the caricature that even many Christian individuals and churches make Him to be.   

Here’s a word from the Word. “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."  (Colossians 1:15-20, NIV)   Now, go back and read it again, out loud.

He is Source, Creator, and Sustainer!  As Yancey observes Jesus is no Mr. Rogers in a cardigan sweater, nice to kids, soft-spoken, and forgettable. He is Majesty and Servant in an improbable, but God-ordained, plan to save the world. (And me!)   When we start to see Him as He is, rather than who we might imagine Him to be, our prayers find a secure foundation, our faith is deepened.  Jesus in not easy to understand.  His words are not simplistic. When he preached even scholars of the Law scratched their heads as they tried to grasp His radical message of the Kingdom of God.  John reports that "Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?” But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?" (John 10:20-21, NIV)  And yet, when His words were met with faith, a willingness to accept them, found themselves in the Light. “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live." (John 5:24-25, NIV)

So, which Jesus will you believe in and follow? The Jesus of your imagination, who emerges from childhood songs and romantic presentations on film, or the real Jesus of the Gospels? 

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The Real Jesus

Jesus on the radio Jesus on a late night show

Jesus in a dream looking all serene

Jesus on a steeple Jesus in the Gallup poll

Jesus has His very own brand of rock and roll

Watched Him on the silver screen

Bought the action figurine

But Jesus is the only name that makes you flinch

Oh can anybody show me the real Jesus

Oh let Your love unveil the mystery

Of the real Jesus

Jesus started something new

Jesus coined a phrase or two

Jesus split the line at the turning point of time

Jesus sparked a controversy

Jesus known for His mercy gave a man his sight

Jesus isn't white

Jesus loves the children holds the lambs

Jesus prays a lot

Jesus has distinguishing marks on His hands

If anybody walks behind the Good Shepherd

If anybody holds the hands that heal lepers

And if you recognize the eyes that see forever

Please, Jesus, Jesus

Oh can anybody show me Jesus

Oh let Your love unveil the glory the real Jesus

Oh can anybody show me the real Jesus

Oh let Your love unveil the glory

Of the real Jesus the real Jesus

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