Jesus....Away from the Stained Glass

Most of our ideology of and even our mental imagery of Jesus, the Messiah, comes from renderings of artist. They usually paint or draw or place into stained glass Christ as some soft, halo wearing, long-haired softy that looks anything but a person who could relate to me or you. Add to that the written attacks on Jesus by infidels who have portrayed Him as a homosexual and other devious and damnable things.

Having traveled many places in the world, I have seen the portrayal of Jesus around the world. Even in the places they attempt to show Jesus with reverence, to me, they miss it badly. Now I have not seen Jesus and I am sure my opinion of HIm is shaped by the various inputs I have had into my imagery.

However, consider that Jesus grew up in the home of boys. His dad was a carpenter. Carpenters work hard. Their hands are often rough from handling the wood and working with tools necessary for plying their trade. Jesus was comfortable among some of the toughest guys in the land. He called fishermen to accompany Him in reaching the world. Jesus was a real man...sun tanned, calloused hands, able to look the meanest soldiers in the face with blood dripping from His own.

Let me tell you about some of the folks I relate to as well. I have some friends that are cattlemen, ranchers, and generally rough people. One old fellow in particular comes to mind. He drives an old truck, raises goats, cattle and even a donkey or two. He is uneducated and can be spotted wearing an dilapidated old cowboy hat. His hands are gnarled from years of hard work and...He is a Christian. This man loves the Lord deeply. But guess what? He does not relate to the paintings in Cistine Chapel. He has no comprehension of a soft Saviour. In the words of this friend when talking about the Lord he says, painfully, "They whooped Him!" Not whipped...whooped. Recently he was speaking of Jesus and the kind of man He was. I think he captured it better than the elite artists of the world when he said of the Christ, "He's a Hoss!"

I love it! It is the kind of Christ I relate to. When we see Jesus again, rest assured He will not be a soft pushover, but He will return as King of Kings and men...all men will fear and tremble at His appearance.

Jesus is Still the Only Way

At the risk of sounding a bit 'preachy' on a blog, I want to go on record as saying, "Jesus is the only way for man's eternal salvation."  That seems so very simple and that is the point...it 'is' simple and man has complicated it. In honesty, I get very upset at man-made religions...especially those who detract from Jesus' and His salvific sacrifice on the behalf of lost humanity.

No more profound words ever came from the lips of the Savior of the World than when He said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me."  It is my understanding that, contained in this solitary verse, is the plan of God for every man.  In order to get into relationship, both now and in eternity with God, one must come through Jesus.  So what does that mean?

In short, Jesus became the ultimate, permanent sacrifice for the sin of man.  Everything we could not do within ourselves, Jesus did for us.  He was perfect and therefore was accepted as the ultimate sacrifice for all time.  Jesus was tempted in every facet of life and yet He was sinless.  He is the only man ever to live who has had not sin!

God laid upon the man, Jesus, the punishment or wrath that sin demands.  The wages of sin is death.  Because Christ died He paid the debt.  Because He rose again, He became the first fruits of all who trust in Him, giving hope of life eternal for all mankind.  Without Him, all our good deeds would be fruitless.  We cannot do a solitary thing to merit salvation.  Our good works are fruits of salvation and not a requisite for it.

Jesus said, "I am the door to the sheepfold."  There is no other way to get in.  I believe that Christ, while in the grave, preached to spirits in the prison of death. (Eph 4:7-10, 1 Pet 3:19)  This was, in my judgement, the Old Testament saints who will be saved and ultimately cleansed through Jesus' blood.  Further, those who overcome in the Tribulation will do so by washing their robes white in the blood of the Lamb (Christ).  All men throughout time will have to enter through the life, death and burial of Jesus Christ.  Salvation is by faith.  It was for the thief on the cross, the Ethiopian Eunuch, the Philippian Jailor and all who come to God.  There is joy in heaven when a sinner repents!

For those who are lost in sin; for those who are twisted up in religions of various kinds;  for those bound by legalistic ideas;  for all men every where, let me remind you that one day every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.  Instead of waiting to be forced to do that in eternity, why not bow today and confess Jesus as Lord of your life.  Ask Him to forgive you and He will...immediately.  Be baptized in His name 'because' He has forgiven you and receive the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide you.  

Men are seeking to find other ways to salvation.  Check out Oprah's message, denying that Jesus is the only way.  I wonder how many will be lost because of her?  Be careful not to buy into these evil seductions of the last days.

Keep Jesus as the focus of your life.  Follow Him...obey Him....imitate Him...and most of all give Him your life.  In the end that is all that really matters.

Be blessed on this beautiful day.

Pastor T  

PS.  Following are some great references for personal study.  John 3:16, Acts 2:38, Acts 4:12, Acts 5:29-32, Acts 8:37, Acts 10:43, Acts 13:38-39, 48, Acts 16:30-31, Rom 3:21-25, Rom 10:9-10, 1 John 4:15, 1 John 5:1