Jesus Plus

Jesus Plus

I was with  a couple of old friends who were talking about a book about Buddhism which both of them had read.  "Sorry," I replied, "Jesus is enough for me."  "Oh no, this is not to replace him, Buddha just gives you a more complete understanding."  Jesus plus....right.

So we've been in France and Italy and have seen some over the top cathedrals that words cannot begin to describe.  Even pictures are totally inadequate to show the size and opulence.  All are named for disciples or saints who have lived exemplary lives or Mary, the mother of Jesus.  Towns and cities have patron saints.  In one cathedral, my husband whispered, " Jesus seems to be a minor player here.He's portrayed as  a baby or a dead man on a cross."

I saw a magnificent painting of a man, a saint being received into heaven...one of Mary being welcomed into heaven.  The supporting cast seemed to play a larger role than the star.  It was almost like, "Thanks, we appreciate your death, we'll take it from here."  But then  I may have missed the whole point.  I felt I was wandering through a cavernous museum, built to the memory of an exemplary man or woman.

A couple of mornings before we left, I was reading Colossians 1.

God has "delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

....He (Jesus)  is the image of the invisible God, the first born of all creation.  For by HIM all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities...all things have been created by HIM and for HIM.  And HE  is before all things and in HIM  all things hold together.  HE is also head of the body, the church; and HE  is the beginning, the first born from the dead so that HE HIMSELF  might come to have first place in everything.

For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness (of God) to dwell in HIM  and through HIM  to reconcile all things to Himself having made peace through the blood of HIS  cross...through HIM  whether things on earth or things in heaven."

If Jesus was (John 1) with  God and was God and was in the beginning with God...and all things came into being by Him and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being....

and He, with the fullness of God dwelling in Him, came to earth, showed us the Father and then died for our sins

and....rose again and lives today with the manifestation of His presence being the Holy Spirit who lives within every believer, giving each one access to the throne of grace, the spotlight should shine solely on....Jesus.

Any other person, no matter how closely they resemble Him, should remain in the shadows, unseen, on their knees before Jesus.  All glory to Him alone.

"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing."  Revelation 5