PERSONAL FIND WHAT YOU’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR.

“… I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:8-11)  “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17:3)

God’s gift to us is Jesus; eternal life is far more about a Person – Jesus – than it is a place. If eternal life is about coming to know Jesus fully and if Paul suggests knowing Jesus to be of the highest value, then it should motivate us to “know” Jesus. How do you get to know another person? If you really want to get to know another person, then you’ve got to sit down and talk to that person. Let me urge you to access two tools to get to know Jesus better over the next two months: find some time each week to just be in His presence. immerse yourself in the story of Jesus … make your way through the four gospels.

Over the next two months, we’ll be taking some significant time to get to know the Jesus presented to us in Scripture. We’ll be taking an in depth look at one who was both fully human and fully God, but we’ll be paying close attention to Christ’s humanity, to His character and personality. Today, I’d like for us to examine historically the various depictions of Christ’s image and in doing so, encounter the danger inherent in this process.

The first 400 years of Christ’s Instagram account are fairly barren because: Christians were far too busy just trying to extend Christ’s influence while staying alive to spend all too much time doodling about Jesus. Christianity emerged out of Judaism and the edict forbidding “graven images” was strictly adhered to. “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship ; them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God…” (Exodus 20:4-5) For the early Church, images of foreign gods and idols were strictly prohibited, while those that urged one to worship God and Jesus Christ, were seen as helpful in worship.

1st through 6th century depictions of Jesus To a person within the Roman Empire within the first 400 years of Christianity, this Jesus would have seemed very familiar, and very apropos to their place in time.

6th through 13th century depictions of Jesus Stern, omnipotent, judging by the Scripture, blessing humankind 13th century (Venice) 14th century (Macedonia)

Renaissance (14th through 17th century) depictions of Jesus

Reconstruction using 1st century Galilean skull Modern depictions of Jesus Reconstruction using 1st century Galilean skull

“[It is] a reminder of our tendency to sinfully appropriate [Jesus] in the service of our cultural values". (Charles D. Hackett) The danger in a “personal Jesus” is that we often develop a “personalized Jesus”; we make Jesus “like us”. In each time and place, there is a danger in making Christ reflective of our character, needs, desires or values.

Ethnic Jesus

The problem is that the image bearing is operating the wrong way; we are to bear Christ’s image in our world. In all things, we must be careful that it is we who are conformed to Christ’s image, not the other way around. Romans 8:29 shows us that our ultimate goal is that we be conformed – that we expressly imitate – the image of Jesus - “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” (Romans 8:29) Our character ought to resemble the character of Christ. This is what is meant by the term discipleship; in following in His footsteps, we become increasingly more Christlike.

Throughout this series, let’s: allow Jesus to be Jesus. set aside our own preconceived notions of Jesus and not allow them to colour our encounter with Jesus. allow Jesus to reveal Himself to us in a tremendously personal way, showing us who He truly is in all of His humanity and deity. In the end, however Christ looked, the underlying essence of who He was is of the most importance – He is God incarnate, deity infused in humanity, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.