As a few of you know, my partners in crime (David Capes and Randy Richards) and I are working on a new writing project, "Rediscovering Jesus" (IVP). We're trying to offer a perspectival view of Jesus in two parts, canonical and non-canonical. We're currently writing part one, the canonical Jesus, taking a descriptive approach to each biblical author's take on Jesus. At the moment, I'm reading/thinking about the Apocalyptic Jesus in the Revelation of John, toying with the problem: how do I begin to explain why this Jesus is so different from the other "Jesuses" in the New Testament? Then it hit me: Jesus is a cartoon character in the Apocalypse and the Revelation is the first comic book.
I like the implications. What do you think?
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That Jesus scares me a bit. I barely recognize him. I like the "forgive them for they know not what they do" Jesus much more than the holy, evil-confronting, warrior Jesus. He is much more serious than I am about pushing back the forces of darkness for the sake of his holy (holy, holy) name. Even interspersed with the lamb imagery, comic book Jesus is too intense, too involved, and too holy for my comfort. Unfortunately, he makes me question which of the seven churches I would belong to!
There's a popular praise song playing on the radio right now that reminded me of your question. First line: "I see the King of glory coming on the clouds with fire the whole earth shakes, the whole earth shakes." Quite a difficult first line to think about, really. But the author apparently had no problem reconciling contrasting pictures of Jesus. The very next line:
"I see His love and mercy washing over all our sin. The people sing, the people sing."
Dramatic contrast in this song I don't think I've ever thought about while singing it.
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