Versions of Jesus float through our world. Gentle Jesus, meek and mild, is popular. Advocate Jesus lends his name to various causes. Genie Jesus, who just wants us to be happy, gives unlimited wishes. All these slice off a piece of Jesus and mold it into a more useful form. But John in his Apocalypse blows up such images and introduces a Jesus that’s not so pliant.

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Notice some characteristics of Jesus. He’s faithful and true and just. With eyes aflame he wages war. Jesus wears a robe dipped in blood. He’s followed by the armies of heaven, but he doesn’t need them because by the word of his mouth he slays the nations. He presses grapes of furious wrath. Finally he bears his true name—KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS (all caps in the Bible means snap your head around and pay attention).

Forget all the flippant ways we think of Jesus. Because there’s nothing flippant about this rider. Jesus charges from heaven with power and glory and all will fall before him, either in destruction or in worship.

I can follow this Jesus.

Gentle Jesus and advocate Jesus and genie Jesus all bore us, because they’re not really Jesus. These are figments of imagination, invented in the Wonka-verse, created to buttress arguments and get our way.

The real Jesus puts that all to rest. Reflect this Christmas season on the Jesus found in Scripture. The babe worshipped by shepherds will grow into the rider on the white horse. Don’t be guilty of passing along insipid caricatures of Jesus. Instead speak of the King of kings and Lord of lords—the Jesus worthy of our lives and our worship.

Revelation 19 in reading the Bible in 2023

 Photo by Domie Sharpin

Where is wisdom hidden? Not on social media channels, not in our political discourses, and unfortunately, not among the halls of our great universities. Lots of knowledge and opinions and facts and lies inhabit these realms, but very little wisdom.

Job asked this same question in his search for meaning. Where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell? No mortal comprehends it worth, it cannot be found in the land of the living.

Job reminded us that wisdom is not pulled from the earth like diamonds. It cannot be purchased with gold, or even all the wealth in the world. While the massively rich buy super yachts, they cannot find wisdom for sale. Wisdom is hidden from the eyes of every living thing.

So where do we go in our search for wisdom? Again Job directs us. God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells...

The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.

Turning to the Lord in deference and respect starts us towards wisdom. He leads us along a labyrinthian journey, beyond our imaginations, to hidden jewels of understanding. God guides us using his Word and prayer, all under the direction of the Holy Spirit.

Where is wisdom hidden? In the fear of the Lord. Where it’s always been, from the dawn of time until today.

Job 28 in reading the Bible in 2023

Photo by isaac sloman

We make choices every day on where to give our attention. Some of those choices are made for us, as we work in different fields and on various projects. But each one of us holds a great deal of latitude when choosing how we focus our minds on any given day.

David, the king and general, followed a couple of principles on the influences he let come before him. First, a word about what to avoid:

I will not look with approval on anything that is vile.

David noticed morally offensive behavior, and he couldn’t stop it across his kingdom, but he could avoid giving tacit approval to those living sordid lives. He pushed such people away, minimizing their influence as he led the nation.

Instead, David looked to fill his retinue with quality people. My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they my dwell with me; the one whose walk is blameless will minister to me. David knew that value of honest counselors and faithful friends.

The company I keep matters, just as what I view matters (even if no one else ever knows). The right people help me turn from the vile towards the splendid ways of the Lord. It always pays off to invest in relationships with those who seek to live blameless lives.

Good advice from a man after God’s own heart.

Psalm 101 in reading the Bible in 2023

Photo by Aarón Blanco Tejedor

The Bible holds some weird phrases. This one caught my eye and sent me down a rabbit trail of commentaries. In a long string of advice, Job’s friend Eliphaz tells him to assign your nuggets to the dust.

Which is certainly confusing, until we read the full quote—Assign your nuggets to the dust, your gold of Ophir to the rocks of the ravines, then the Almighty will be your gold, the choicest silver for you.

Job’s friends did not always give sound advice, but here Eliphaz pointed in the right direction. In telling Job to assign his nuggets to the dust, he spoke of gold in its raw form, a highly valuable asset in Job’s portfolio. This counselor encouraged Job to turn from trusting in wealth.

Job seemingly had nothing left. All his holdings, not to mention his children, were destroyed by the cruelty of Satan’s tests. Remember his lament, Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. But perhaps Job still had some money in the bank? Down to his last few precious stones, the temptation was strong to cling to that gold. Especially as Job heard nothing from the Lord.

Jesus shared a similar encouragement to his followers:

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

While I don’t have any gold nuggets laying around, and I’m not enduring the tests of Job, I do possess plenty of treasure here on earth. Eliphaz and Jesus remind me that my soul—my deepest longings—are better off with a handful of nuggets in heaven than a whole cartload in the bank.

Job 22 in reading the Bible in 2023

Photo by Lucas Santos