The Real Jesus

Those who met him wondered who he was...
Those who followed him showed doubt, confusion and fear...
The government and religious leaders of his day were angry and ignorant as they asked this man "Who are you?"
…….Two centuries later doubt, confusion, fear, anger and ignorance still stirs people's hearts and the question remains: "Who is Jesus?"

One of my favorite Christian groups, Downhere has a song called Real Jesus:

Jesus on the radio, Jesus on a late night show, Jesus in a dream, looking all serene

Jesus on a steeple, Jesus in the Gallup poll, Jesus has His very own brand of rock and roll

Watched Him on the silver screen, Bought the action figurine

But Jesus is the only name that makes you flinch

Jesus started something new, Jesus coined a phrase or two, Jesus split the line at the turning point of time.

Jesus sparked a controversy, Jesus, known for His mercy, gave a man his sight, Jesus isn't white

Jesus loves the children, holds the lambs, Jesus prays a lot, Jesus has distinguishing marks on His hands.

The chorus cries out:

Oh, can anybody show me the real Jesus?
Oh, let Your love unveil the mystery of the real Jesus

Religion, church, denominational influence..all have filtered Jesus for me over the years. My goal over the next few weeks with our church is to discover the Real Jesus...What did the people of His time think of Him? What did Jesus have to say about who He was Himself? What do we do with the doubt we face in our search for the Real Jesus? His dying words speak volumes of His character and how about the times when we miss the Real Jesus altogether?

There is a story about a 1st grade Sunday school class where a little girl was not paying attention to the teacher but instead was scribbling away on a piece of paper...the teacher saw the little girl drawing something and asked her: What are you drawing?" The little girl responded, "I am drawing a picture of God." The teacher chuckled and said: "But no one knows what God looks like." The little girl looked up with enthusiasm and said: "They will when I am done!"

What is the picture in your head when you think of Jesus? This Easter let's attempt the discovery of a lifetime...The Real Jesus!