Your Jesus Is Too Small

On that day you will know 

that I [am] in My Father, 

and you [are] in Me, 

and I in you.

–John 14:20 NASB

The albino rocker Larry Norman wrote a song about the identity and meaning of Jesus Christ called “The Outlaw.” In the song he considered different speculations about who Jesus was:

Some say he was an outlaw, that he roamed across the land

With a band of unschooled ruffians and few old fishermen

. . . 

Some say he was a poet, that he'd stand upon the hill

That his voice could calm an angry crowd and make the waves stand still

. . . 

Some say he was a sorcerer, a man of mystery

He could walk upon the water, he could make a blind man see

That he conjured wine at weddings and did tricks with fish and bread

That he talked of being born again and raised people from the dead

. . . 

Some say a politician who spoke of being free

He was followed by the masses on the shores of Galilee

He spoke out against corruption, and he bowed to no decree

And they feared his strength and power, so they nailed him to a tree

–Larry Norman, The Outlaw, 1972

When you hear “Jesus” or “Jesus Christ,” what image does it conjure in your mind? The sandaled young rabbi stirring up dust clouds on the trails of Galilee? The dying man covered in blood being tortured by Roman soldiers on the cross? The white-robed angelic figure standing outside a limestone tomb?

If you’re like a lot of people, it may bring to mind the ironic hypocrisy of mainstream Christianity. Jesus, the merchandise being sold by toupe-sporting televangelists. Jesus, the reason children come to church where a sex offender has unknowingly become a Sunday School teacher. Jesus, the scion of the kind of politics you hate. Jesus, the excuse for the greed and dominance of Western nations. Jesus, the white savior.

If you remember only one thing this from this essay, I hope it is this: the Jesus being preached to you is almost certainly a greatly reduced, distorted mess bearing little resemblance to the Lord of Creation, the Eternal Son of the Father, the One Who Came from Heaven to take us up into himself. He has been—from eternity past—at the forefront of the Father’s plan to heal all creation and all creatures, making a New Reality free from all death and evil, a communion with Father and Son and Spirit and creatures that will never end.

As C. Baxter Kruger says:

This Jesus is the fountain of all life, the mediator of all existence, the center of the whole cosmos, “the light of the world” (John 8:12), and the sole reason for the continued existence of creation. He is the “Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end (Revelation 22:13). . . . In this Incarnate Son the life of the triune God and of creation and of all humanity are not separated, but bound together in relationship, indeed in union. Jesus is himself the one in whom these relationships originate and are sustained. He is the union.

–The Mediation of Jesus Christ, C. Baxter Kruger

As Paul says:

He is the image of the invisible God, 

the firstborn of all creation: 

for by Him all things were created, 

[both] in the heavens and on earth, 

visible and invisible, 

whether thrones, or dominions, 

or rulers, or authorities–

all things have been created through Him 

and for Him. 

He is before all things, 

and in Him all things hold together.

–Colossians 1:15-17 NASB

The thing is—and I can say this with reasonable confidence—the way ALL OF US imagine Jesus is too small.

There are so many problems with the small Jesus:

• Many see him simply as a holy man, a teacher of ethics. Most who see him this way think his ethic is too radical and unachievable, but they tend to admire him anyway.

• Very few understand that his words and work in the land of Israel in the first century were primarily focused on that generation and its problems. He hinted and spoke mysteriously about bigger things, but don’t be fooled into limiting his role to prophet or even Messiah.

• It is commonly and erroneously believed that God created everything, then sadly watched his creatures rebel against him, and appointed his Son Jesus to save the situation. The truth is, Jesus is God in a triune relationship with the Father and Spirit. Furthermore, Jesus created all things and sustains them. God was not surprised by rebellion. It was always in his plan. He chose all of us before time to be included in redemption and glorification.

• People commonly think of God as the frightening deity behind the back of Jesus and Jesus as the beloved Savior who holds back the angry God from pulverizing us. The truth is, if you see Jesus, you see God. If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus.

• People commonly think that Jesus is a person in whom we must believe in order to be pardoned from our sins. In reality, Jesus is God (and as God, he is a person) who gifts us faith that we could never produce on our own and he does far more than pardon us. He transforms us.

• People think that God (or Jesus) made us and then left everything to run on its own like a massive clockwork. In actuality, Jesus actively sustains all things at every moment.

• People think that Jesus (or his Father) is offended by our rebellion and is like a bookkeeper making sure we get what we deserve for every little infraction. In truth, Jesus’ love for us is too deep for him to leave us as we are. He destroys sin more so than punishing it. And death is a gift, not a punishment, because it is followed by resurrection and the process transforms us.

• People think that maybe before they die they should profess faith in Jesus because they want some insurance about an afterlife. Actually, there is no need to worry about it. Faith will come when you least expect it. It will not be you persuading yourself to believe or doing some philosophical research to find out if Jesus is the truth. God reveals God, at the time of his choosing. When he reveals Jesus to you, you will know. And if you die without believing, God has your back.

• People limit Jesus to the guy in sandals, the bloodied savior on the cross, and/or the robed, shining figure who emerged from the tomb. He is the Creator. He sustains every molecule and subatomic particle. He holds the universe in his hands. He is beyond time, timeless, and infinite. His lowly form on earth was for our benefit. He became what we are, experienced what we do, in order to make us what he is. We are adopted into the triune relationship of God, Jesus, and the Spirit.

These are the reasons I say your Jesus is too small, and mine is too. It is impossible to comprehend God. It is like a small interstellar ship that has come up near the Sun on a journey through space. The Sun is so large compared to the space vessel that any observer on the vessel cannot see the entire surface of the Sun. It extends beyond every horizon. There is far more to the Sun than can be observed at that proximity.

And Jesus is an infinite number of Suns.

Larry Norman’s song ends on a higher plane. Here is a better idea of what Jesus means:

Some say he was the Son of God, a man above all men

That he came to be a servant and to set us free from sin

And that's who I believe he is, 'cause that's what I believe

And I think we should get ready, 'cause it's time for us to leave

Even this is lacking the specificity and grandeur called for. Perhaps it could be rewritten:

Some say he is the Almighty One, God of very God,

That he descended into suffering to put to death our sin.

And that’s who I believe he was, ‘cause that’s who I believe.

I think we should all worship him, and his gift receive.