We learn about who Jesus is by reading the Gospels and Revelation. In the reading of the Bible we find that the Jesus who is portrayed in Hollywood and by pictures and icons and in churches is not necessarily the Jesus to whom we should be following.
Jesus is not presented in the Gospels as conventional, safe, respectable or refined.
Jesus is presented as a homeless, propertyless, constant traveling, socially marginal, a friend of outcasts, averse to material possessions, without fear for his own safety, a thorn in the side of the Establishment, a scourge of the rich and powerful, a guy constantly speaks the truth no matter who He is talking to or the context in which He is in and who doesn't walk past injustice. (from Frost & Hirsch)
If I walked around a church today doing and saying some of things that Jesus did I would be labelled as a guy who has no respect for anybody and who has a major attitude problem and should be kicked out of the church. Speaking of which I think the Pharisees actually did that?
Jesus is not the chiseled chinned with a nicely trimmed beard and beautiful straight shinny hair white guy. Jesus is a warrior type of guy who is out to do the work of the Father and he brings a sword with Him (Matthew 10:34-39):
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."
It costs a lot and Jesus demands a lot in order to follow Him. Jesus did not bring peace but a sword, because Jesus is in a war and not a light fluffy one where he rides on clouds and throws marshmallows around. This war is violent, furious and it is life or death.
Jesus is not the meek and the mild guy sitting in the park waiting to swing on the swings with you and then skip hand in hand along into the sunset. He is the Lord of lords and the King of kings the one who will return like that who we read of in Revelation (19:11-16):
"Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords."
We should inform our Christology out of Revelations well as what we read in the Gospels. This is the Jesus who we follow.
Man! We have a lot to learn about who Jesus is and the people we need to become as we imitate Him.
