Jesus isn't hanging on a cross. Jesus is seated on a throne.
Just thought I'd share a thought from yesterday's message titled God is Incomparable. If I were to ask you to think of Jesus, what image comes to mind? I have a couple images that immediately pop into my mind. One is a painting of Jesus with a lamb draped around His neck. Another is a painting of Revelation 3:20 with Jesus standing outside a door poised to knock. Those images come to mind because my grandparents had them hanging in their home when I was a young child.
For most people, I'm guessing the dominant image is Jesus hanging on a cross. And there is no question that the cross is the crux of our faith. That is where the love of God was painted in blood red. And it is a sacred image. But having said that let me say this. Jesus isn't hanging on a cross. Jesus is seated on a throne. And one of the reasons we walk in weakness is because we cannot imagine the authority of Christ and the authority that is ours in Christ. We cannot imagine because we don't have a mental image. I think Ephesians 1 is the solution to that problem. Paul paints an amazing portrait of Jesus on the throne.
He is seated at the right hand of God in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet.
Just thought I'd share a thought from yesterday's message titled God is Incomparable. If I were to ask you to think of Jesus, what image comes to mind? I have a couple images that immediately pop into my mind. One is a painting of Jesus with a lamb draped around His neck. Another is a painting of Revelation 3:20 with Jesus standing outside a door poised to knock. Those images come to mind because my grandparents had them hanging in their home when I was a young child.
For most people, I'm guessing the dominant image is Jesus hanging on a cross. And there is no question that the cross is the crux of our faith. That is where the love of God was painted in blood red. And it is a sacred image. But having said that let me say this. Jesus isn't hanging on a cross. Jesus is seated on a throne. And one of the reasons we walk in weakness is because we cannot imagine the authority of Christ and the authority that is ours in Christ. We cannot imagine because we don't have a mental image. I think Ephesians 1 is the solution to that problem. Paul paints an amazing portrait of Jesus on the throne.
He is seated at the right hand of God in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet.
8 Comments:
Could not agree more, Mark. Someone made the statement to me yesterday that we wear crosses around our neck as a symbol of our faith. But we should really wear a throne around our neck because that is where our authority is now...that is where our King resides--On the throne! How timely that you should say the same thing. I believe God is moving us into a new revelation of Himself--He is not helpless on the cross; He is ruling from the throne.
Thanks for the glorious image and powerful reminder.
Desertcat
I don't know if you could hear it, but after you said that at Ebz on Sat. night, there was a clap of thunder. It was so perfect.
He is Risen! \0/
I just found my Ascension Sunday text. Thanks!
This quote is why I believe it's essential to know WHY we wear a cross around our neck. It is about Christ the Victorious One:
Thus, Christ dies on the cross not as a victim to satisfy God's anger, wrath or justice; He dies rather as Victor, as the Incarnate Son of God to destroy sin and death and release the whole creation from "the bondage to corruption" (Rom. 8:21). In other words, Christ died on the cross not to save us from God's wrath but to release us from the bondage to corruption and make us "partakers of divine nature" by grace. This is God's makrothymia [Greek for long-suffering or patience]. It is not His wrath or offended justice that is behind the Cross but His long-suffering love, His makrothymia.
I don't picture Christ on a throne or on a cross. When I think of Jesus I picture a guy sitting on some steps, almost hunched over, talking with his hands and loving on everyone around him. I picture people huddled so close to him that he can't move his feet. I see compassion in the way his eyes look right through people, into their very core.
But then again, maybe as someone who is struggling to believe, this is just an image I have made up in order to find a reason to believe Christ is more than a king on a throne, but was someone sent to be the manifestation of love.
I am impressed that you can see how the cross diminishes Christ’s current position in the heavens. He is in fact reigning as king, not continually suffering on the stake. The importance of the ransom sacrifice and how that was accomplished should never be forgotten or disparaged in any capacity. However, your point brings something else into play. That of portraying Jesus as a helpless baby in a manger on his birthday, is this not minimizing his current glory? Would Noah, Moses or King David be represented in this way? As Babies? It seems to me it portrays Jesus in a light that Satan would like us to see him as weak and vulnerable. Jesus did not tell his followers to celebrate his birthday, the exact date of which is not given in the Bible, as human birthday celebrations were pagan. However, he did enjoin upon his faithful congregation of spiritual Israelites a celebration. This was the “Lord’s evening meal” that he instituted in Jerusalem that Passover night. He “took a loaf and, after giving thanks, he broke it and said: ‘This means my body which is in your behalf. Keep doing this in remembrance of me.’ He did likewise respecting the cup also, after he had the evening meal, saying: ‘This cup means the new covenant by virtue of my blood. Keep doing this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’” And the apostle Paul comments on this, saying: “For as often as you eat this loaf and drink this cup, you keep proclaiming the death of the Lord, until he arrives.” (1 Cor. 11:23-26) In this way Jesus told us to celebrate his death, not his birth.
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