I want to tell you about a story of four blind school children who went on a field trip to the zoo. During the trip, they were given an opportunity to touch an elephant.
The first student grabbed the elephant’s leg and then wrapped his arms around its leg.
Another student grabbed the elephant’s trunk.
The third student felt the elephant’s ear.
The last student felt the elephant’s large tusks.
Afterward, they were asked to describe the elephant. The student who felt the elephant’s leg said, “It is like a tree.”
“No,” said the student who grabbed the elephant’s trunk, “it is like a large snake.”
“No, no,” said the student who felt the elephant’s ear, “it is some kind of fan.”
“No, absolutely not,” said the student who felt the elephant’s tusk, “it is like a hardened spear.”
None of the students was wrong. They were simply describing the elephant from their limited perspective. Their perception of the elephant was based on their experience. It was accurate and wrong at the same time because their experience was limited.
Our Limited Perception
As we come together this week to celebrate Easter, it strikes me that we all have our own ideas about Jesus. Our perception of Jesus is born out of our own experience. I wonder if we were like the blind schoolchildren when they described the elephant. Is our perception of Jesus accurate, but incomplete and wrong at the same time?
Six Views of Jesus
The Scripture provides six common views of Jesus. Some believers see Jesus as a baby. Some see Him as a great teacher. Others see Jesus as a miracle worker. Some see Him as a Savior. Still, others only see the empty tomb Jesus left behind. There are also those who see Jesus as a King on His throne.
A Baby?
Many of us see Jesus as a precious baby in the manger. Babies are so cute; it is easy to understand why so many of us identify with Jesus as a baby. Christmas is all about celebrating Jesus’ birth! We put out our Nativity sets with the baby Jesus in a manger surrounded by his parents and the barnyard animals. (Luke 2:4-20)
A Teacher?
Jesus is often described as a Master Teacher. Jesus’ teaching attracted little kids and adults. His teaching was simple enough to be understood by everyone, yet complex enough to confound even the religious scholars of the day. (Matthew 5-7)
A Miracle Worker?
It is easy to see Jesus as a miracle worker. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John record 37 miracles performed by Jesus. More than one Gospel writer recorded twenty of Jesus’ miracles! You cannot read more than a few pages in the Gospels without running across the report of one or more of Jesus’ miracles. (Matthew 4:23-25)
A Savior?
Some see Jesus as the savior who took away their sins. Jesus died a horrible death on the cross, and as he died, he said, “tetelestai,” which means “paid in full.” The debt of our sins is forgiven because the debt was paid in full by Jesus. Many people wear small gold crosses in recognition of Jesus as our Savior. (John 19:1-30)
An Empty Tomb?
When we celebrate Easter, many people think of the empty tomb. We see Jesus as the man who conquered death and left the tomb behind. It is comforting to think of Jesus as the one who is so powerful; he could conquer death. (John 20:1-30)
A King on a Throne?
Finally, some people see Jesus as a King on His throne. Jesus broke the chains of death and rose again to take His place at the right hand of the Father. God gave Him dominion over everything, placed everything under His feet, and appointed Him head over the church. (Ephesians 1:20-23)
The Problem of a Limited View of Jesus
The problem with viewing Jesus as a baby, a teacher, a miracle worker, as the savior who paid the debt for our sins, as the man who conquered death, or even as a King on his throne is these limited views of Jesus are incomplete.
These views of Jesus are not wrong, but they are incomplete.
A Complete View of Jesus
Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth as a baby. He taught us about God the Father. He performed many miracles to demonstrate the power of His claims as the Son of God. He even paid the ultimate price for our sins through His death on the cross. Jesus conquered death and left an empty tomb behind as he reclaimed His rightful place at the right hand of the Father.
These are all part of a complete view of Jesus, but they are incomplete. You might be asking, if these are only a partial view of Jesus, then what is the complete view?
A single verse in Revelation gives us a complete view of Jesus. It describes Jesus as “The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords” (Revelation 19:11).
He is not a king. He is the King.
He is not a lord. He is the Lord!
He is our King. He is our Lord!
Let us praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven (Psalm 148:13)!
Join the Conversation
As always, questions and comments are welcome. So, how do you see Jesus this Easter?
I’d love your help. This blog is read primarily because of the people like you who share it with friends. Would you be kind enough to share it by pressing the share button?
Note: This week’s blog was adapted from a sermon by Dr. Larry Osborne delivered March 2013.
Category: Personal Development | Obedience to God
