Let’s Accept the Biblical Picture of Jesus  

Last weekend both our daughters posted pictures of their families going out to cut down or purchase their live Christmas trees for the season. I was struck by a particular picture of one of my sons-in-law and grandsons standing by the evergreen of their choice. While the boys were decked out in festive Christmas shirts, their dad was standing there wearing a sleeveless shirt and shorts. Granted, the weather was relatively mild, and that wasn’t unusual attire for my warm-natured son-in-law, even in the dead of winter. But the reality just didn’t seem to fit with the picture we typically have in our minds of people picking out their Christmas tree. We usually envision someone dressed up in a Christmas sweater or heavy coat while sporting a sock cap or one of those woodsman hats with floppy earflaps. There was nothing wrong with my son-in-law’s appearance – it just wasn’t in line with some people’s traditional expectations.

 Maybe that helps us better relate to the Jews who had certain expectations about their coming Messiah. I am not excusing their rejection of Jesus, but sometimes I wonder if we would have done any better under the circumstances. Their traditional image of a Messiah included crowns and thrones, swords and white horses. They pictured a king and military commander. Was it any wonder that they failed to recognize or accept reality when Jesus arrived on the scene? Certain aspects of His image just didn’t seem to fit – no palace, no sword, no riotous rebellion – instead there was the manger, the humble service, and the cross. Instead of military authority, there was spiritual authority. Instead of human power, there was divine power. Instead of setting up a political kingdom, He focused on a spiritual kingdom. They let their traditional expectations get in the way of accepting the real Messiah for who He was.

Let’s be careful that we don’t do the same today. God has expressed Himself and His will most clearly through His Son. Jesus is “the express image of His person” (Hebrews 1:3). God has preserved a reliable divinely-inspired record of who Jesus is, what He is like, what He taught, and what He did during His days in the flesh on this earth. We’ve been given a picture of the Savior. Let’s not ignore it, reject it, or attempt to rewrite it if certain aspects don’t line up with what we prefer Christ to look like.

There are some today who refuse to accept the Jesus who exposed sin, warned of an eternal hell, and died as the sacrifice for our sins. They want to see Jesus as simply a kindhearted Teddy Bear who doesn’t condemn anybody for anything, who advocates for socialism, and who would likely be driving an electric vehicle. On the other hand, others picture Him as the angry Judge eager to rain down fire and brimstone on evildoers, wearing His MAGA hat while draped in the American flag, and who would likely be driving a pick-up truck with a rifle in the gun rack.

Too many of us allow our views of politics, social issues, and personal preferences shape our view of Jesus. Instead, we need to get back to what the Bible says about Him. Let’s allow the reality of who Jesus truly is shape the way we look at those political and social issues. Let’s be willing to change our views and opinions based on the real picture of Jesus, not reshape Him to fit what we think He ought to be.

The Jews failed to recognize their Messiah when He came. Let’s not miss Him today through our own misguided perceptions about what we think He ought to look like. Get back to the Bible and see Jesus for who He really is.