The Christ We Share

• Scripture • John 14:1-14

  “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”

  5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

  6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

  8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

  9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?
  Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

• Topic • The Christian Life

  Don’t you really know me Philip?

Imagine you were in the upper room the scene of the Last Supper mentioned in the five chapters of the Gospel of John 13 to John 17.

Jesus has just washed the disciples’ feet and then he said ‘I am the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father but by me.’
Thomas asks a question that went OK so, Philip asks “Lord show us the father?”  If Philip could take one question back or delete one text this would be it.
John 14:9 Records Jesus replying ‘Don’t you know me Philip even after I've been with you such a long time?’

Philip had travelled and ministered with Jesus for about three years and Jesus says to him right at the end of the journey don't you really know me?

In this session, we are going to talk about who is the Christ you know, the Christ you share with others. What is he really like for you? We will look at some art and ask ourselves through these works of art what it says about the Jesus that we know. What is he really like, it follows on from the last session - where Jesus self-identifies by saying, ‘I am meek and lowly of heart.’ Let us talk about him together.

The Christ We Share

Walk around and look at the paintings, icons and drawings of Jesus Christ from all over the world that are placed around the auditorium.  Then choose one picture to take back to your seat. Pick one that has a positive or a negative effect on you – you don’t have to like it.
Share what your thoughts are about the picture and why you chose it. Share what you see, what surprises you, what is Jesus feeling in the picture, what is he like – how do you relate to that personally?

These are individual artists’ attempts to communicate their reality of the Jesus Christ they know, in their context, their culture and in the light of the Gospel.

[1] The Laughing Christ was painted in 1973 by Willis Wheatley for the United Church of Canada.

This is one of the first images that shows Jesus laughing.
Consider this: Jesus went to weddings, he told stories, he blessed children, and people were attracted to him.  It's hard to imagine that he was just a pious bore. His parables show us a real sense of humour about camels squeezing through the eye of a needle, or planks in your eye. A crazy shepherd who left ninety-nine sheep unattended to look for one.  Religious people accused him of mixing with drunkards and sinners. This laughing Christ is a person who lived life to the full.

This image reminds us of words like ‘rejoice’ and ‘the joy of the Lord is our strength.’ The Jesus who considered lilies and sparrows and saw God in very ordinary things is the same Jesus who called people to ‘come to me’ and I will give you rest. 

[3] Risen Christ

This ancient image of the risen Christ was painted in Ethiopia on an eggshell which is then lit from behind. Christianity in Africa predates the conversion of Europe by many centuries. Acts 8:26-40 - Tells the story of Philip and the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch.

[5] Rasta Jesus

This picture shows Jesus as part of the culture of the Caribbean in recognition of their African roots.
Here is Jesus who sides with all oppressed people in their struggle against anything denying them equality in humanity.

[7] Jesus the Guru

This picture presents the familiar Indian image of a holy man but clearl,y it is Jesus Christ. Notice the marks of the crucifixion. Christ is surrounded by the rushing wind and fire of the Holy Spirit a Pentecost.

[9] Christ Pantocrator (meaning All-powerful)

This icon of Jesus from Eastern Orthodox Church shows him as compassionate and majestic bringing together the man who travelled in Galilee and the Lord of creation. Note His compassionate expression and right hand raised in blessing, his left-hand holds open the Gospels at Matthew 11:28
‘Come to me all you who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest for my yoke is easy.’
The text is shown in reverse and is given a 3D depth to show it originates from Jesus’ meek and lowly heart.

[11] Last Supper.

This painting by Jose Blanco sets the Last Supper in the context of poor farmers in the Philippines. The lowly, Jesus is shown as a Filipino, the artist’s response to the Philippines’ history of colonialism that influenced their culture and national identity.

[2] Wanted Poster

This poster from Latin America shows the political nature of Jesus’s ministry and crucifixion.
On the poster, he is depicted as a dangerous rebel whose ministry to the poor is criminalised.

[4] Masai Jesus

This image of the Masai Jesus – the elder brother, who defends younger siblings and acts as a mediator between them and their parents. He bears responsibility for their actions. We see parallels in the suffering servant of Isaiah 53:7-9. Through the resurrection, he is our elder brother Romans 8:29, Colossians 1:18.
Surrounding this picture of the Masai Christ is a setting of spheres and squares, notice Greek symbols of time and eternity. Notice four corners with traditional emblems of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John the four evangelists.
Jesus is a warrior,a victor who has overcome and will do so again.

[6] Jesus of all Korea

The Jesus shown in this picture carries the cross imposed on a fractured map of Korea dividing North and South.
This picture transcends a political barrier inviting prayer and worship across the divide.

[8] Jesus with the woman at the well

This was painted by Uttarananda who was born in a small Sri Lankan village in 1954. He was fascinated by the way Jesus broke down barriers between people. In the story of the Samaritan woman Jesus broke the barriers of gender, ethnicity and uncleanness. At the time of painting the Tamils and Sinhalese were unable to use the same wells. Jesus responds to the woman as an equal and through him, she finds salvation and rest for her soul.

[10] Jesus Feet washing

This painting by Kathy Priddis paints Jesus and Peter with a Yew Tree in the background. Jesus says to him ‘Unless I wash your feet you cannot be in communion with me.’ The painting portrays both the separateness and the oneness of the two. Their heads touch in realisation of the truth. Jesus’ hands steady Peter who is reaching out to be embraced. Unless we allow Jesus to serve us, to wash us clean we cannot be a part of him.
Do you struggle like Peter? Allow Christ meek and lowly to serve you today.

[12] Lesser Brethren

This painting by Margaret Tarrant depicts Jesus in her own context of an English countryside as can be seen by the animals present. Notice the fox looking up, the red squirrel clambering up Jesus’ arm. The Western Jesus shows gentleness and humility. Tarrant was a children's illustrator (born in 1880 in Battersea).

Conclusion

Matthew 11:28-30 stands out in the whole of the Bible as Jesus saying if you come to me weary and burdened this is what you will find, this is what you will experience if you come to me, I am ‘meek and lowly of heart.’
It's a strange thing really because a meek and lowly person would never say that of himself but Jesus said it to invite us to come and you will experience him like this. And through it all, you will find rest, and rest for your soul.

Are you weary and burdened? There's something about suffering and burdens that teach us about ourselves. If you know Jesus, really know Jesus, then when you have an episode of weariness it reveals how do you know him. Whether you run to him or give him the cold shoulder and run away from him. I have found as you come to him in your suffering and pain you get strength to say ‘This is not all about me Jesus, I want to look to you in my suffering.’
1 Peter 4:13 ‘Rejoice in so  far as you are sharing in Christ’s suffering.’  2 Corinthians 4:17 ‘I am not crushed.’

What is the Christ you know like?

What is Jesus like is a personal question, how do you experience him?
What is Jesus like to me? He was with me in my darkest hour (He never leaves me nor forsakes me - Deuteronomy 31:6).
He has been there for all my fears and failings, I adore him, he is the reason  I live.

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Renew, refresh and resource