July 31, 2013

WILL THE REAL JESUS PLEASE STAND UP!



…Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!” Revelations 5:12

On my recent trip to South America, I was again reminded of the glory and unexplainable nature of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The book of Daniel (7:14) describes the Son of God after His ascension to heaven.  It declares that, “And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”  As I reflected on this imagery, I was saddened by the realization that too many in the Christian church, including myself, create a Jesus that looks little like the one described here.  

It reminds me of a television game show from the 1950’s, To Tell the Truth.  The show featured a panel of four celebrities attempting to correctly identify a described contestant who had an unusual occupation or experience. The central character was accompanied by two impostors who pretended to be the central character. The celebrity panelists questioned the three contestants; the impostors did not have to be truthful but the central character was ’to tell the truth.’ After questioning, the panel attempted to identify which of the three was the central character. 

It is my opinion that too often many are guilty of creating an ‘impostor Jesus’ who is more fragile and trivial then the Jesus of the Bible but who is more appealing because he is a Jesus much like us.  Others are guilty of being unable to distinguish between the ‘impostor Jesus’ and the central character of all creation.  

Christians let us take another look at the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and again be awestruck and overcome by Him!



(Daniel 7:13-14 / John 1:1-3 / Col. 1:16-17 / Rev. 1:7 / Rev 5:8-14 / Psalms 90:1-2)