Do You Follow A Caricature Jesus?

Romans 9:33  God warned them of this in the Scriptures when he said, “I am placing a stone in Jerusalem that makes people stumble, a rock that makes them fall. But anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”

My wife and I had a caricature made of us. It was hideous! I’m not handsome to begin with, but this picture made look like Shrek on a bad day! It took the characteristics of my face and blew them out of proportion. My wife looked great, though.

A lot of people think they know Jesus, but in reality, they know a caricature of him. Let me list five from a message by James MacDonald:

Jesus is my buddy. While it is true that Jesus calls believers his “friends,” He is not just a pal. If we saw Him as He really is, we would fall flat on our faces. When John saw Jesus in Revelation 1:17 he says: “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead.”

Jesus is my good luck charm. People who have this image of Jesus think that just because they have Him around their neck or carry Him in their purse that they’ll be protected.  Jesus is not lucky, He is Lord.

Jesus is my religious artifact. Some people believe Jesus lives at church and they go there to kiss a picture or bow before a statue.

Jesus is my meal ticket. In this picture, Jesus wants to give me His “favor” and will make me healthy and wealthy. Many people today believe that Jesus is the key that unlocks the door to every longing in the sinful heart. Remember this: Jesus doesn’t work for you; you work for Him.

Jesus is my social conscience. In this caricature of Christ, Jesus is an example for us as we seek to be involved in horizontal goodness. Since Jesus was a nice man and a good teacher, I should be nice to others. Jesus is an example but He’s so much more.

What we need is a true picture of Jesus, with nothing avoided and nothing exaggerated. We must be careful to not overemphasize one aspect of Christ’s character at the exclusion of the totality of His being. A lot of people stumble over the true Jesus. His commands upset them, his standards call out their lifestyles. Our verse today is a command to follow the true Jesus, not a carnival caricature.

Today’s Readings: Proverbs 7-9; Romans 9

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