Restoring the Image: Let's let Jesus define himself...

It's been interesting as I find myself in different contexts how our picture of Jesus looks an awful lot like us. Someone once said (it's been attributed to many people) "God created humanity in His own image and then we returned the favor." So true. I mean, Jesus would certainly hold my political views, like the music I like, and even like the people I like, wouldn't He?

Since I've been in the Army its amazing to me how many guys think the primary thing Jesus did in the Gospels was cleansing the temple with a whip and overturning the tables of the moneychangers. So, he's a tough guy, because, I'm a tough guy, and I like a tough-guy Jesus. Besides, he was a carpenter, and all the carpenters I know look like body-builders because of the work they do - especially the Jewish ones...I think...

There are others who think Jesus was soft-spoken and only taught about love and didn't like to talk about hell (when he actually referenced hell quite a bit). So, he's loving, because I like a loving Jesus.

There are others that think the only thing Jesus did was heal people so everyone should be healed. Mainly this is because we like a healing Jesus, because, I need to be healed.

Still others view Him as a softy who cried a lot because the Gospels actually have him crying a couple times (John 11:35, and Luke 19:41). I like a softy Jesus because I'm a softy (these people generally thought of as complete pansies by the tough guy Jesus crowd).

Possibly others see Him as a top-notch scholar who stumped the Pharisees and was sitting among the teachers discussing things when he was only twelve, because, I'm a teacher so Jesus was mostly a teacher.

Of course we could go on and on, but my point is simple - we need to be careful of "pigeon-holing" Jesus, especially when we're making Him look a lot like us.

The truth is that he was all of these things I just mentioned. The application, I think, is not that 'Hey, there's a Jesus for everyone, so just pick which one is most like you!', but instead, it's that Jesus was human just like we are. When He needed to be tough, He was tough. When He needed to be loving, He was loving. When He needed to talk about hell, He talked about hell. He healed. He cried. He taught.

I actually think the more complete view is a more powerful view of the God-man.

So, how about a guy check - what's your typical view of Jesus? Does it need to be changed a little? Let's let Jesus define Himself...