Who is Jesus, Really?

Who is Jesus, really? This may seem like an odd question to ask, but I think it is an important one. Many of us have spent our entire lives in the church and have read the gospels and the rest of the New Testament multiple times. As we have engaged the story of Jesus, we have probably developed some ideas and images of who he is. Many of these images are accurate and important. For example, we often describe Jesus as loving those on the outskirts of society: the lepers, the sinners, the 

Pastor McLane Stone

tax collectors, and the Samaritans (to name a few). However, many of our images and ideas can be misleading. Jesus is often depicted as a stoic man who never shows emotion. When you begin carefully reading scripture, you realize that this image is far from the truth. As the Gospel of Luke shows us, Jesus experiences joy, suffering, hope, uncertainty, anxiety, and many other emotions just like us. As the early Christian church consistently declared, Jesus is fully human. He is like us in every way (except for sin).

As we approach Easter Sunday, I think it is important to think carefully about the images we have in our minds about the events of Holy Week. Perhaps we imagine Jesus as some cosmic superhero standing before the Roman authorities and laughing in the face of his opponents. Indeed, there are some who describe him in this way. Sometimes it is easier to imagine Jesus as an untouchable hero than it is to see him suffering on the cross. However, I find it best to pause when we are presented with this depiction and ask the question, “Who is Jesus, really?”

Who is Jesus, really? He really is the God of the universe dying on a cross for you and me. He really is the Son of God sent to reconcile us with our loving Father. He really is the one who takes our sins upon himself and experiences death in our place.

A few years ago, I asked a group of high school students to perform a short drama of Luke 15:11-32, The Prodigal Son, during our Sunday night programming. The students did a wonderful job depicting this incredible story of a father’s love and grace towards his wayward son. Following the presentation, we discussed the significance of this story for our understanding of God. When asked, “What does this story tell us about God’s love for us?”, one of the students raised her hand and said, “It tells us that his love has no memory.” I was not expecting this answer, and when she gave it, I was floored.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been thinking a lot about her words: his love has no memory. It is difficult for me to imagine a God who welcomes me home from my wayward journeying and places his ring upon my finger. The image I often hold to is the image of an angry judge ready to punish and rebuke me for my disobedience. And yet, the God revealed in Jesus Christ is the one who welcomes us home with open arms, a God who freely loves us in the face of our brokenness. In other words, God has no memory. The Lord does not keep account of our sins. He does not remember our iniquities (Heb. 8:12). When he looks at each of us, he sees his Son, and we are welcomed to his table as heirs of the Kingdom.

As we journey together through Holy Week, my prayer is that each of us will remember that God’s love for us is declared in no uncertain terms from the cross on Golgotha: in Jesus Christ, God has made each of us a recipient of his unending love, a love that does not remember our sins. It has no memory. It is the love of a Father who celebrates our return to him and welcomes us back into his home. Who is Jesus, really? He is our loving Savior!
 
Let us celebrate his love together as we gather at the empty tomb.
 
In grace and gratitude,
Pastor McLane