Who Is Jesus?

God on Tap has been meeting for over five years, and while we've certainly talked about Jesus a lot, we've never had a full on conversation about Jesus himself. Weird.

It's probably an oversight on my part, but I think it speaks to something that is pretty prevalent in Christianity today where it seems like we talk about everything possible except Jesus himself. We debate about the Bible, we talk about particular spiritual practices, we talk about trying to live our Christian faith, but we don't always get around to engaging the person at the center of it all: Jesus himself. 

In recent months, I've been trying to reconnect with Jesus and reflect on what he means to me. I've been diving back into the Gospels and reading the stories—the miracles, the healing, the teaching, the way he called into question everything we thought we knew, the way he laid down his life, found hope when there was only despair, and shined light when there only seemed to be darkness. 

The Jesus I'm rediscovering took no prisoners when it came to standing up for the weak, the sick, the outcast and persecuted. The Jesus I'm encountering again refused to accept the way things were and pointed people to what could be. The Jesus I see in these stories demonstrates the true power of love. And he has a singular focus: the cross. 

What is it about Jesus that fascinates you or drives you crazy? What about Jesus confounds and confuses you? How do you think of Jesus: as a wise teacher, a revolutionary, a comforter, a healer, a savior, a friend, or all of the above? What is your favorite story, moment, parable, or verse about Jesus? 

I hope you'll join us on Tuesday as we meet Jesus again as if for the first time.  I'm interested to see where this conversation will go.

Pictured: Image of Jesus created by forensic anthropologists. Learn more here.