Our Mental Image of Jesus

Chuckle: “Just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn't mean the circus has left town.” --George Carlin

Quote: "The Christian life is not a way 'out', but a way 'through' life." --Billy Graham

"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me -- just as the Father knows me and I know the Father -- and I lay down my life for the sheep" (John 10:14-15 NIV). Our God "will never fail us or forsake us" (Hebrews 13:5 NLT).

My view of Jesus has no doubt been shaped by Bible stories I was taught as a child and later by my own study of Scriptures. As a child, I remember a picture of Jesus as the Good Shepherd with a lamb across His shoulders. This picture hanging on the walls of small country churches made an indelible impression on me and my mental image of Jesus. This image portrays the love, kindness, and gentleness of our Savior and Good Shepherd.

In Biblical times, however, shepherds became anything but gentle. Sometimes they had to be warriors when it came to protecting their flocks from attacks by predators. The sheep belonged to the shepherd and he was totally committed to their care and protection, even if it cost him his life -- thus Jesus' said, "I lay down my life for the sheep." The same loving and gentle Shepherd is in a fierce battle with the forces of evil that attack us.

As Christians, we are in a battle every single day as the devil and the world try to ensnare our hearts and minds. The battle is a spiritual one that has been raging since Adam and Eve struggled with evil in the Garden of Eden. As Jesus battles for us, in the form of His Holy Spirit, we must also fight with Him. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the . . . powers of this dark world and . . . the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12 NIV).

Temptation is all around us and it is against yielding to temptation that we must constantly struggle. But we can take comfort from knowing our Lord is with us and never will leave us. Our spiritual battle has eternal implications, and we have every reason to be thankful that our Good Shepherd is there to protect us from every spiritual danger.

Psalm 24:8 NLT reads, "Who is the king of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord invincible in battle." In Revelation 19:11, Jesus is sitting upon a white battle horse judging in righteousness and making war.

Although Jesus has already won the battle for our eternal souls, our daily struggle against evil continues. Knowing that our Lord is in that battle with us should encourage us to remain strong and determined. We can hold onto Him, even when temptation and doubt are at their worst, because our Good Shepherd Warrior Savior holds onto us forever.

Love, Jerry & Dotse