The Shroud Of Jesus

 

Beloved, now we are children of God, and it was not yet manifested what we shall be.  We are aware that, if He should be manifested, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him according as He is. 

1 John 3: 2, Concordant New Testament 

The conversation the other day turned to the fact that there is a large population of people who do not know who Jesus is.  We may know OF Him, but we do not know Jesus the man.  We do not know Jesus as He relates to us today.  I can talk for hours on end of the Jesus most people know.  Born of a virgin, walked with His disciples and was crucified on the cross for the sin of mankind.  This is the prevailing, church taught version of Christ that we have come to know.  Have you ever desired to know more of Jesus than what some pulpit pounder has told you?  Some years ago a good friend of mine related that he chose to attend a local church because he desired to "know Jesus."  How many people take this into consideration when choosing a place of worship?  Probably not too many.  From the moment you walk into any church, you are spoon fed the prevailing story of Jesus preached for thousands of years.  One of the most popular streaming shows out there is the series The Chosen.  This series depicts the life of Jesus as He begins His ministry and chooses those who will follow Him.  What I like about this series is how Jesus is portrayed as a every day normal person among those of His day.  The viewer watches as Jesus displays the kindness and mercy we have only heard about.  I believe that this is the Jesus so many desire to know, if it were for the shroud of Jesus.  What is the shroud of Jesus?  Anything that disguises the true identity and nature of Christ.  The one who perpetrates this shroud is none other than our accuser Satan.  Through the years he has used anything from false teachings to the very image of Jesus to cast a shroud over who He is.  As a result, very few people know Jesus in a way He desires them to.  Understandably, God desires that His children know Him and His Son whom He has commissioned.  It the desire of Satan to continue providing the shroud which blinds us to who Jesus truly is.  

He shall grow up like a young shoot before Him, and like a root sprout out from the arid earth; He has no shapeliness nor honor that we should observe Him, and no such appearance that we should covet Him. 

Isaiah 53: 2, Concordant Old Testament 

It is interesting that when scripture speaks of the physical appearance of Jesus that He is described as One of a very common appearance.  That Jesus possessed no such appearance "That we should covet Him" {Isaiah 53:2}.  So what of all those paintings which portray Jesus as a young man with flowing hair and beard?  All part of the shroud of Jesus my friends.  Indeed, we have no eyewitness accounts of His appearance to base our opinion on.  Lacking such, a few ancient officials commissioned artists to paint a portrayal of the Christ.  This is mans vision of the appearance of Jesus.  I believe that He came as a normal person, plain in appearance that He would best resemble who He truly is, the children of God.  The apostle Paul speaks to the reality of Jesus in Galatians {Galatians 2:20}.  From his words, we know that it is Christ who dwells in us.  It is Christ Jesus who is our one true image.  Scripture tells us that no man has seen God except for Jesus {John 1:18}.  We know that we are created in the image of God {Genesis 1:27}.  We also know that it is the very spirit of the Lord which has been breathed into us {Genesis 2:7}.  WE ARE the very image of Christ.  It is Jesus who reveals Himself through us.  There will also come a time when the shroud will be lifted, opening the eyes of the children of God to the Lord Jesus.  In that day, we shall see Him as He is {1 John 3:2}.  

God no one has ever seen.  The only - begotten God, Who is in the bosom of the Father, He unfolds Him. 

John 1: 18, Concordant New Testament 

~Scott~