We've been studying racism in Bible school. Last night we talked about judging after the "outward appearance". It's been great. That discussion got me thinking... What is Jesus' "outward appearance" now? We've already seen what "color" He may be, but I mean, what is His VISAGE now? In all the portraits we see of Him, He usually looks so sad and distraught. But what does He really look like now?
He is so often portrayed as a Man begging for followers. He is often depicted as dreadfully sad and He cannot be made happy until some day in the distant future. Because we often judge after the outward appearance, we are very easily duped into living second-class Christian lives; lives of defeat and sorrowful anticipation - our faces vividly painted to mimic the assumed fears and sorrows of our Lord. But is this an accurate depiction of Jesus? I do not think so..
We see Him as He may look with OUR current knowledge and understanding. But, He has TOTAL knowledge and understanding, from the beginning all the way to the very end (Rev 1:8)! If He knows the end of the story, why should He appear so sad? He should not.
John gives us an accurate depiction of His visage now:
Revelation 1:13-14, 16 "...One like unto the Son of Man... his eyes were as a flame of fire... and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword..."
This sounds to me like a declaration, not a mere proposition. As A.W. Tozer has said, "the invitational element of the Christian message has been pressed far out of proportion in the total Scriptural scene. Christ with His lantern, His apologetic stance and His weak pleading face has taken the place of the true Son of Man whom John saw - His eyes as a flame of fire, His feet like burnished brass and His voice as the sound of many waters."
He continues to say...
"Only the Spirit can reveal the Lord as He REALLY is, and He does not paint in oils! He manifests Christ to the human spirit, not to our physical eyes."
I don't know about you, but when I pray, I don't see a sad, seemingly defeated, weak man with pools of blood streaming down His face. I see a victorious Conqueror, even of death, hell and the grave! Let's peer into the resurrected eyes that look "as a flame of fire", not into eyes dripping with the tears of sorrow and apparent defeat! Let's mimic His current visage! He now possesses the victorious visage of glory!
Don't be afraid of what's coming upon the earth... Jesus sure isn't - His visage proves it!
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