Perhaps you see Him as an ethereal, out-of-touch figure from a Renaissance painting; one so close to heaven, laser lights might zap you at any moment you get too close. Or maybe you see Him as your old youth group buddy, whom you might make reference to in such terms as “Jesus is my homeboy,” or better yet, “Jesus is my boyfriend”? Even still, maybe you see Jesus as the well-groomed Designer Jesus from the suburbs; the one who wants all the children in Sunday School to grow up as middle-class Americans with PhD’s in something to save the world.
Tonight’s message from FOCUS speaker, Alan Hirsch, was a sobering reminder of how we often construct our view of Jesus in light of our own cultural values and human desires. Unknowingly, we view Jesus as we would like Him to look for us, or rather, as we would like to look ourselves.
In many ways, it is natural to think of Jesus like ourselves, but if we make Jesus into our own image, what have we done? Who will save us? Who will inspire us?
The truth is, we need a God who is big enough to be who He is.
As the Church, if we’re going to emulate that God, who likened Himself to us in the person of Christ, we must have a full understanding of who Jesus is. And we can only find Him in the Gospel.
Imitating the Jesus of the Gospel is the only way we will show the world the compelling nature of Jesus-and the redeeming nature of God.
By Erin Findley
Tags: Baptist General Convention of Texas, BGCT, Christianity, College, FOCUS
October 4, 2008 at 1:47 pm |
John
Read “The Shack” and you will get a very good idea who Jesus was and is. I think we all under estimate the longing of God to become our intimate friend and to fellowship with us, His creation
October 4, 2008 at 6:37 pm |
Very well said.
June 30, 2009 at 1:51 pm |
It is time for us to stop toiling in our notions of Christ and to begin again to dive within the pages which truly speak of Christ…and believe.