Revelation 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
I am blessed by God to be the son of a pastor so that from a very young age I was always a part of Church services. The truths taught there led me to accept the Lord as my Savior, and accept a call to missions.
At the same time there are certain things in Church that annoy me
Near the top of this list is what I like to call “storybook Jesus.”
By this I mean the picture of Jesus that we see of Jesus in storybooks or literature for children.
- He is almost always white
- WIth long brown hair
- Blue eyes
- And either holding a lamb, or welcoming a child
I do understand this picture of Jesus is necessary while teaching children. However, the idea of storybook Jesus continues outside of that young age.
Notice for instance the following picture of Jesus on the cross
I do give them credit for making him Jewish with short dark hair. But it seems as if He is having a nice leisurely chat on the cross!
The greatest danger of storybook Jesus is people believe that’s all He will ever be
- A gentle shepherd who seeks out the wandering sheep
- A loving Savior who told people not to “judge anyone”
- A friend who accepted everyone
what the idea of storybook Jesus doesn’t grasp is Jesus did come as a loving Savior, but he isn’t returning as one.
He is returning as a righteous judge
- Whose return won’t be met by rejoicing but wailing (Revelation 1:7)
- Whose Glory led John the apostle to faint (Revelation 1:12-17)
- Who all of the unsaved will hide from (Revelation 6:15-17)
- Who will kill so many people at Armageddon the blood will rise five-feet, and travel for 180 miles (Revelation 14:14-20, Revelation 19:11-16)
- And Who will cast Satan (Revelation 20:10) and all unsaved into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15)
Yes there is a place for the storybook Jesus who died on the cross for our sins, but we must make sure people know He will return as King Jesus
Johnhwilburn.org 