Your Jesus?

And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”  Matthew 21:10

The people of Jerusalem did not know who it was riding into their city that April morning.

Do you?  You say, “Yes!  Sure!”  I think most of us believe we have Him figured out, but I fear our Jesus is too much one of our making or that of g’ma, church, culture or friend.

Too often we are like those who lived around Jesus.  They had pre-conceived ideas about Jesus that kept them from recognizing Him even when He lived among them. They were blinded by their own ideas about what He should do and be.

They were looking for a David-like.  And what was David like?  David was a very respected king, a psalmist/singer/poet-nationally renowned (II Samuel 23:1), a gentle shepherd, a lowly boy from Judah (seven choices before he was chosen), a conqueror, a visionary, a uniter (400, then 600 ruffians into a feared force), and one who feared God.

On that Palm Sunday when Jesus rode into Jerusalem the crowds were waving little Israel flags and wearing MIGA hats (Make Israel Great Again). They were looking for a new President, a uniter, one to restore the glory, a political ruler – a political savior.

But Jesus didn’t do it right – didn’t meet expectations – failed to meet demands.  He was not what they planned nor wanted.  After all, He was baptized – and by John!  He overturned temple doings, He harvested and healed on the Sabbath, and neither He nor His disciples fasted!

And then those “tweets” about the Pharisees, the leaders and the swamp!  He used words like “hypocrites”, “blind guides”, “fools” and “whitewashed tombs – dead men” (Matthew 23:13, 16, 17, 27).

He destroyed the economy of the Gadarenes by scaring their 2,000 pigs into the sea.  He rebuked cities and went everywhere telling people to repent.  The audacity!  Furthermore, some of His friends were publicans and sinners!  Some of His people were even cohorts with the Romans.  He even ate with, stayed with (Zacc), and called tax collectors to His side.

And He was at times just too passive.  When Herod killed worshipers and mixed their blood with that of their offering, He did not condemn the evil (Luke 13).  A business was negligent on a construction site and eighteen died and again He only told those around Him that they needed to repent!

And then He presented Himself as One to rescue the country by riding on a donkey – not a horse or mule (King David’s choice).  And he lived in Galilee of the Gentiles rather than move to Jerusalem.  He insisted on being on the “other side of the tracks” and not join the Harvard, Davos, or CFR movers.

Jesus was not what was anticipated or even wanted!  Ultimately the crucified Him!

And your Jesus??

God:  I Timothy 3:16, And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory.

Creator and Sustainer:  Colossians 1:15-17, He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

The only way – ONLY way: Acts 4:10-12, Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’  Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”