Prophet, Priest and King; Lord, God and Friend, This is My Jesus!

Prophet, Priest and King;

Lord, God and Friend, This is My Jesus!

I believe my Jesus would have physically looked like this: a strong, tall, powerful man, who exuded a very large presence. He would have had big rough hands from years in his dad's carpentry shop. Jesus was of Jewish and Middle Eastern origins, and he would most likely have had dark olive skin and long, dark, curly hair. His eyes would have been his most unique features; deep-set, large, and dark. They would look as though they could penetrate you, but without judgement. You would feel as if you could get lost in them, and they would be softened by the joy in seeing people come to a better understanding of His Father, God. However, there would also be a deep pain in His eyes for the lost, and those who just did not understand all He has in store for them. Laugh lines would have surrounded His eyes, being to me, a man who would have laughed a lot.

Now, what was the business of Jesus? What did He do on a day to day basis? I believe that his primary business would have been of people. He cared for people first and foremost, above rules and regulations, customs and traditions. He would have been considered by some a sage or wise man, by some a heretic, or worse a lunatic. He would have been a preacher, a teacher, and a healer of body, mind, soul, and spirit. He would have been very friendly and someone people would have wanted to spend time around; an outgoing person. He would have been gentle most of the time, but capable of fierce anger you would not want to be on the receiving end of. He would have always spoken with serious undertones.

His followers were probably a very eclectic mob; from priests to prostitutes, fishermen to farmers, and tax collectors to Taylor's. Everybody who heard about him would have been interested in Him; some for honest interest's sake, some for political plotting, and some in fear of the rocking the status quo.

Looking at Jesus theologically, I believe this: Jesus is the Word made flesh. He is both fully God and fully man. He is also prophet, priest and king. He is my Lord and my Saviour. He was born of a virgin, being conceived by the Holy Spirit. He was crucified, He died, and He was buried, but He has risen from the dead and did appear to over five hundred people at the time of the resurrection. He then ascended into heaven, and sat, and will forevermore sit at God's right hand. He is preparing a place in heaven for others and myself, but will come again to judge humankind. He is the alpha and the omega, the first and the last. He is the fulfilment of Hebrew Scriptures looking forward to the messiah; the anointed one, though he came as a suffering Christ and not the warrior. The day of the warrior will come, though.

On a personal level, I see Christ Jesus as my King, my Lord, and my friend. I believe that he cares for me, and is intimately involved in every area of my life. He provides guidance and leads me in following His will for my life. He has a plan for my life, and works at guiding and leading me to that plan. He wants to use me in this world, and is strengthening me day by day so that I may follow that will.

From this description, you might say, and I do say, that I possess a very conservative view of Jesus. I could almost go so far as to say that I keep a pre-modernist view of Jesus. I am not ashamed of this fact. I have a profound love and respect for Jesus and have a personal relationship with Him. I have a faith relationship with Jesus, and belong to a community of believers. That is part of a greater community that is "the body of Christ".

There are others who would agree with some of my view of Christ, some who would agree with most or all of my views, and others who would think I am a flake or a heretic. What they think about my views, and of me, is of little concern to me, for the most part.

A number of factors and combinations of factors have shaped my view of Jesus. To some extent my image of Jesus was formed through my education in the Catholic School system. The Nuns and Priests that witnessed of Christ's love and power, were 'Christ with flesh on' to me during my formative years. There have also been fellow followers of Christ Jesus that have shown me unconditional love and support, and who have upheld me. These people have been spiritual parents, friends, and family, and closer than blood can ever be. People who have discipled me, nourished me, challenged me, rebuked me, and corrected me; always with the goal of building me up in Jesus.

My objective in taking this course is to have fun, to learn, and to study Jesus from an academic perspective. It is also to have the opportunity to study at Tom's feet again and have him open up my eyes and broaden my perspective. I also hope to be challenged and strengthened through this course.

In conclusion I could like to state that the words of the Sunday school hymn sums up my relationship with Jesus. Imagine if you can this next paragraph being drawn in large print crayola crayon:

"Jesus loves me,
This I Know,
For The Bible tells me so
Little ones to him belong
They are weak, but he is strong.
…"

The following is a painting I did of the trinity.


(First Written for RS206 Jesus Life and Legacy Spring 2000.)
You can see more of my artwork here.