MY JESUS! The bravest man who STILL lives!

Is this a picture of the bravest man who ever lived?

Is this how we see Him?  The 'gentle' man, humble, soft, perhaps even weak. 


Last Sunday Pastor Scott preached on Peter's denial of Christ.  He titled his sermon, Three Strikes but not Out, read what he says here if you missed it.    That sermon along with his previous sermon got me thinking.  What was it REALLY like that night, when Jesus was betrayed into the hands of sinful men.  This is the time of year, Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, that I really focus on what it must have been like for my Savior to face death.


As a kid, and even into adulthood, I pictured Jesus like we see Him above.  This gentle man, meek and mild.  Sure I knew He was whipped, beaten, mocked, and hung on a cross.  But NEVER really thought about what that must have been like.  We were taught growing up not to focus on His death, but rather His RESURRECTION.  Which is good, but I think when we do that, kind of eliminate the Crucifixion and the events that lead up to it, we miss something, something VERY vital in our walk.


God used Mel Gibson's  movie, The Passion of Christ to change my perception, and perhaps that of many others, of what Jesus went through on His journey to the Cross.  While I have not seen The Passion of Christ in its entirety,  I have seen clips of some of the more graphic scenes.  The scene of Jesus in the garden praying is very powerful. That along with the account in Matthew, gives a a pretty clear picture of the agony He was facing.

Another thing that has changed my view of my Savior is this song by Todd Agnew, tilted MY JESUS.  Here are just several verses form the song.  Click the link to listen to it.  Click here for the rest of the lyrics.

Pretty blue eyes and curly brown hair and a clear complexion
Is how you see Him as He dies for Your sins
But the Word says He was battered and scarred
Or did you miss that part
Sometimes I doubt we'd recognize Him

Do we really think the Romans and the Jews killed Him because he was such a sweet and nice guy?  I know it was God's plan that He should suffer and die, carrying the weight of my sin, and every sin ever in history.  But what was the motivation of those who hung Him on the Cross? He was killed because He stood up and called those in authority out.  Sure he was meek, humble and mild, when the situation warranted that.   But He was also brave, confident, passionate and dangerous. 

How did the Jesus of the Bible became the Jesus of American culture?

Jesus is a true picture of a true man. He is called the SECOND Adam for a reason. The first Adam was the emasculated man, he FAILED to stand up and be the man he was created to be.  Jesus not only stands up and sets the example of the man God created us to be, He pays dearly for it, with His life.  Jesus stands at the door and knocks.  Are we ready to give up our lives for Him?  Will we literally 'die' for Him? Some of us may be required to do that.  But ALL of us who claim His name, should at the very least die to self, our false self and LIVE for Him.

Look at how Jesus is pictured in the book of Revelation, He is not only the Lamb led to slaughter, He is later the one doing the slaughtering.

Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. And the one sitting on the horse was named Faithful and True. For he judges fairly and then goes to war. 12 His eyes were bright like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him, and only he knew what it meant. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven, dressed in pure white linen, followed him on white horses. 15 From his mouth came a sharp sword, and with it he struck down the nations. He ruled them with an iron rod, and he trod the winepress of the fierce wrath of almighty God. 16 On his robe and thigh was written this title: King of kings and Lord of lords -  Revelation 19:11-16

This is MY JESUS!  The bravest man who STILL lives!  He faced not only the worst possible death, a death on a cross, but He faced the agony of separation from God.  That was MY punishment, it is what I deserved.  Thank you Jesus for being a REAL  man.  Thank you for being my friend and laying down your life.  May I look to you for what it means to be a REAL man.  A man who sacrifices his life for that of others. That takes real courage.