I’m amazed that in four gospels made up of 89 chapters that recount the life of Jesus, not one of the writers gives a physical description of the Messiah – the deliverer for whom Israel had waited since Moses. They also omit a myriad of details that I think would be incredibly interesting. The gospel writers give us a brief introduction to the birth of Jesus, a snapshot of Jesus at about age 12, and then nothing until he begins a three-year ministry at the age of 30. The writers knew Mary, the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. They spent every day of three years with the Son of God but chose (or the Holy Spirit chose) not to fill in the blanks of his years in Nazareth. Neither did they tell us whether he was tall, short, or average. Whether he was thin, stocky, or even pudgy. They never mentioned the color of his eyes, the texture of his hair, or whether he had a dark or light complexion. We don’t know if his nose was large or unusually small or if he had a deep voice or a high, nasal tone.
What physical appearance does your imagination project when you think of Jesus? Does he laugh through the day or is he mostly serious? Does he ever whistle or sing a song or is he always taking care of business? Does he get excited when someone is healed, angry when an injustice is done, or is he always cool and calm – unruffled by events around him? Is he gentle and domestic or is he strong and aggressive? Does he make requests or issue orders in clipped sentences? Some of these things may not matter so much but if we are to become like Jesus then our view of him in many things does matter. I wonder if we need to stop from time to time and see if our personal vision of Jesus needs adjustment.
Most of us probably assume that our view of Jesus is the biblical view. But since many of us disagree about other biblical doctrines we probably disagree about what Jesus was really like as he walked in the flesh. If we see Jesus as the gentle Mr. Rogers then we too may become very gentle and almost passive toward life and be overwhelmed in the face of any situation that requires an aggressive response. If we believe that Jesus watched the world around him with the detachment of a distant and objective observer then we too may watch the triumphs and tragedies of lives around us with detachment and avoid emotional investment in others or in a cause as we take a cerebral, passionless approach to our faith.
If we see him like ourselves, then we may feel that Jesus would see no need for change in us and, therefore, not experience much transformation at all as his disciple. If we see him as a white American then we may find ourselves standing against Israel forgetting that Jesus came as a Jew. If we see Jesus as a social revolutionary with long hair and an unkempt beard then we might lead the way in civil disobedience for some cause we believe offends heaven. If we believe Jesus spent his time pointing out the failings of sinners then we may well do the same or if we see him as so accepting that he never mentions the sin in a persons life then we may be tolerant and accepting of everyone and everything – in the name of Jesus.
How do you see Jesus? Do you see him as predictable and definable and model your Christian walk after that view? Why didn’t the writers of the gospels or Peter when he wrote his letters give us more detail? One reason may be that Jesus simply cannot be typecast. He has never been one-dimensional. At times he seems to ignore the sins of those around him while at other times he warns and rebukes men for their sin. At times he seems passive and gentle and at other times he is turning over tables in the temple or rebuking his own followers. He is both the Lamb of God and the Lion of Judah. He is not only the Prince of Peace but also the one who brought a sword of division to the earth – the fragrance of life to some and the aroma of death to those who reject him.
In a sense, Jesus has many layers and one view of him does not do him justice. In many ways he seems unpredictable and surprising but I believe it is because he did not set his own agenda. Jesus clearly tells us that he only did what the Father directed him to do and only said what the Father directed him to say. That is probably the one thing that defines the man Jesus more than anything else and that set him apart from all other men. Jesus was truly Spirit-led and since the Father’s ways are beyond our ways and his thoughts are higher than our thoughts, we should expect those who are Spirit-led to be somewhat unpredictable and multi-dimensional as well.
If we are never surprised by what we find ourselves doing or saying then we are probably not being responsive to the Spirit and if we are not being led by the Spirit then we may not be as much like Jesus as we think we are. Hearing the Spirit and being responsive to him is what sets certain people apart in the kingdom of God. I want to hear the Spirit not just in the quiet of an early morning devotional but also in the chaotic craziness of the mall at Christmas time or in rush hour traffic. I want to hear him in the heat of spiritual battle and in the complexities of a family crisis. That is the consistency that I find most in Jesus and the one I want to grow in during 2015 – hearing, doing, and saying only what I receive from Jesus. Perhaps, you will join me!
