Preaching Another Jesus
Is Jesus still the “slain Lamb,” or has he become the “roaring” Lion of Judah out to exact payback from his enemies?
When certain “super-apostles” began to undermine his
teachings, Paul reminded the church that the “serpent beguiled Eve in his
craftiness,” and warned against anyone who came “proclaiming another
Jesus, whom we did not preach, or a different spirit, or a different gospel.”
Disciples must remain watchful. After all, Satan himself can
appear as “an angel of light,” so, also, his earthly vassals can cloak
themselves with the trappings of apostolic authority.
To the Corinthians and Galatians, he points to the same Christ that
he first proclaimed as the benchmark against which all others must be measured.
And in his letter to
the Galatians,
Paul expresses his exasperation at how easily the church has accepted a gospel
that deviates from the one he received from Jesus himself:
- (Galatians 1:6-8) – “I marvel that you are so quickly removing from him that called you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel, which is not another gospel; only there are some that trouble you and pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we or an angel from heaven preach to you any gospel other than that which we preached to you, let him be anathema.”
A CRUCIFIED CHRIST
Exactly what kind of ‘Christ’ did Paul preach? He was quite
explicit in his first letter to the Corinthians – He
proclaimed a crucified Messiah:
- “For the word of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us who are saved, it is the power of God…For seeing that in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom knew not God, it was God's good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save them that believe. Seeing that Jews ask for signs, and Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, unto Jews a scandal, and to Gentiles, folly. But to them that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God” – (1 Corinthians 1:18-24).
Integral to his theology is the belief that God has achieved
ultimate victory over sin, death, and Satan in the self-sacrificial death of
Jesus. Because of his faithful submission to an unjust death, God resurrected and
exalted him to reign over all things.
Unlike Adam, Jesus did NOT attempt to “seize
the likeness” of God. Instead, he “poured himself out” and became “obedient
unto death,” even death on a Roman cross. Consequently, “God highly
exalted him, and gave him the name that is above every
name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should
bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the
earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to
the glory of God the Father” – (Philippians 2:9-11).
Indeed, Jesus is, present tense, “before all things and the
head of the body, the church.” All things were created for him, “whether
thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.” But he achieved preeminence
because he is the “firstborn of the dead” - through his death and resurrection.
It was ON THE CROSS that he accomplished victory over
all hostile “powers and principalities”:
- “And you, being dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, you, I say, did he make alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, having blotted out the bond written in ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us; and he has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross, having despoiled the principalities and the powers, he made an open display of them, triumphing over them in it. ” – (Colossians 2:13-15).
Thus, from beginning to end, his death and resurrection form the
center of Paul’s gospel. And like his opponents, ever since many deceivers
within the church have proclaimed a “different gospel” and “another Jesus.”
FALSE GOSPEL
For example, many voices in the church are proclaiming a faux gospel
of triumphalism rather than the message of the Cross, preferring, as they do,
the “roaring Lion from the Tribe of Judah” over the
“slain Lamb.”
A verse from the book of Revelation is cited to
validate this “gospel.” But in doing so, its proponents ignore the literary
context and theology of the book. One brief phrase is read out of its context -
“Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David has conquered to
open the book and to open its seven seals” - (Revelation 5:5).
Thus, according to this “gospel,” Jesus as the conquering “lion”
rather than the “Lamb” overthrew his enemies, thereby demonstrating his
right to open the “sealed scroll” and take sovereignty over the earth.
And apparently, from now on, Jesus will be taking no
prisoners. He has become the sword-wielding warrior determined to mete out
justice to his opponents. And these same deceivers do not just mean when the “Son
of Man arrives in glory,” but here and now as they seize control over the “seven
mountains of society.”
LION TO LAMB
In his vision, John certainly did hear a voice alluding to the
messianic prophecy from Genesis - “Judah is a lion’s…the scepter
will not depart from Judah or a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh
comes, and unto him shall the gathering of the people be” - (Genesis
49:9-10, Numbers 24:9).
But that same voice transformed the militaristic image of the “lion”
into the “sacrificial Lamb.” John HEARD, “Lion of
the tribe of Judah,” but he SAW a freshly slain “Lamb.”
What he saw interpreted what he heard.
Jesus IS the “Lion of Judah,” but
he fulfills that role as the “slain Lamb.” He conquers in ways contrary
to human wisdom and expectations, not by slaying his enemies, but by allowing
them to slay him - (Revelation 5:5-6).
This understanding is confirmed in Revelation by the myriad
of voices from around the heavenly Throne that declare the Lamb “worthy”
to take the scroll:
- “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain and purchased for God with your blood men out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, and made them for our God a kingdom and priests, and they reign upon the earth” – (Revelation 5:9-12).
Again, it is the “Lamb” who is declared “worthy,” NOT the
“lion.” The one passage in chapter 5 is the first and last time Jesus is
called “lion” in the book, and from that point forward, “lamb” becomes
his main title.
And in Revelation, he is called ‘Christ’ seven
times, ‘Jesus’ fourteen times, but ‘lamb’ twenty-eight times. And
it is the “Lamb” who ascends the Throne to take the sealed scroll and break
open its seals, NOT the “roaring lion.”
WHEREVER HE GOES
So, what does his example mean for anyone who would “follow the
Lamb wherever he goes”?
John saw an innumerable multitude exiting the “Great
Tribulation,” men who had been redeemed by the “slain Lamb.” But the
“saints” overcome the “Dragon,” the “beast,” and the “false
prophet” by the “blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony; and
because they love not their life unto death.” It is by faithfulness in and through
“tribulation” that “he who has an ear overcomes”
– (Revelation 7:9-17, 12:11).
In chapter 14, John sees victorious men standing on “Mount Zion” with
the Lamb. They stand with him because they follow him “wherever he
goes” - (Revelation 14:1-4).
When John sees the “woman clothed with the sun,” she is
pregnant and about to give birth. She brings forth the “son” who is
destined to “shepherd all the nations with a rod of iron,” alluding to
the messianic prophecy from the second Psalm.
But in Revelation, the original Hebrew verb used for “break the nations” is changed to “SHEPHERD the nations,” and this follows the text from the Greek Septuagint version of the Psalm.
This suggests an unexpected and paradoxical fulfillment. And it is THIS “son”
who is “caught up unto God and to his throne.” He does not “smash”
the nations with his “rod.” Instead, he “shepherds” them – (Psalm
2:1-9, Revelation 12:1-5).
The “kings of the earth” conspire to make war against the “Lamb,”
but he overcomes them for he is “Lord of lords and King of kings, and so
also they that are with him, called and chosen and faithful.”
When the “rider on a white horse” rides across the heavens
to “fight” his enemies, his only weapon is the sword that proceeds out
of his mouth - the “word of God.” Unexpectedly, his robe is sprinkled
with blood already, even BEFORE he engages in “combat”
with the “beast” and its allies. Whose blood is it, and how did it get
there? - (Revelation 17:14, 19:11-21).
Even after the final victory, Jesus is still identified as the “Lamb.”
In the city of “New Jerusalem,” John sees no temple since “the
Lord God the Almighty, and the Lamb are its temple.”
No longer is there illumination provided by the sun and moon - God’s glory illuminates
the city and the “Lamb is its lamp.” Only those whose names are written
in his “book of life” enter the city. The roar of the triumphant “lion”
is not heard within its walls - (Revelation 21:22-27).
THE TRUE KING
Thus, from the start, the book anchors its visions in the
sacrificial death and bodily resurrection of Jesus. He is the “faithful
witness and the firstborn of the dead,” which references to his death and
resurrection, and he is the “ruler of the kings of the earth” (present
tense) because of his obedience unto death.
This is the Messiah who “loosed us from our sins by his own
blood.” And because of his death, he now possesses the “keys of death
and Hades” and reigns over all things – (Revelation 1:4-6, 1:18).
As their all-powerful king, Jesus encourages, corrects, and
praises his churches. He calls his followers to “overcome,” not by
wielding political power against their neighbors, but by emulating his
faithfulness. Saints reign alongside him on his Father’s Throne - “just as I
also overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.” Believers “overcome”
in the same manner as he did - (Revelation 3:21).
Overcoming believers reign as “priests,” not warriors. The
call to overcome is a summons to persevere through tribulations while bearing
faithful witness. To suffer for the kingdom is what it means to follow the “Lamb
wherever he goes.” This is how believers “overcome” the “Dragon”
and his minions - (Revelation 1:4-9, 5:9-10).
The worldly triumphalism that is being promoted today by many
preachers is “another gospel.” They are proclaiming a radically “different
messiah,” one incompatible with the crucified Christ described on the pages
of the New Testament.
Paul declared that the message of “Christ crucified” is
scandalous to Jews and folly to Greeks, and so it remains to this day.
Nevertheless, the crucified messiah is “God’s power and wisdom,” and
there is no true knowledge of Him, salvation, or genuine spirituality apart
from the Cross of Christ.
