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The question of what God is like is not really a new one. Is He cruel or is He kind? Is He distant or intimately involved in our lives? When we were new believers, we read a book that we found quite helpful on this topic, Your God Is Too Small by J.B. Phillips. In Part One, he lists “Unreal” gods, with chapters like “Resident Policeman,” “Parental Hangover,” and “Grand Old Man.” In Part Two, he had a list of what he labeled “An Adequate God,” with chapters such as “God Unfocused,” “A Clue to Reality,” and “Further Clues to Reality.” He demonstrates that God, as it turns out, is far bigger than we can even imagine. He pointed out that people often pick and choose the images of God we like and ignore or even deny the images we do not want to believe in. Our views of God can often be shaped by those around us, such as our human fathers or other important males in our lives. Don’s father was physically abusive and very self-centered, while Joy’s father was very different, a lot more caring and, frankly… fun.

In the early Twentieth Century, liberals began in earnest to refashion the God of the Bible to be more to their liking, more a reflection of them. Their Jesus arrived bringing a “Social Gospel.” Their God was not overly concerned about, you know, the big “S” word – sin. Rather than believing in a God Who condemns sin yet freely forgives the sin of repentant miscreants, their god was truly not all that concerned about the whole unpleasant topic. Jesus had to be thoroughly remade into OUR image. He certainly would never have wanted to hurt anyone’s feelings by pointing them to the true nature of their lost condition, or by pointing out anything they were doing wrong. This reinvention of Jesus continued through much of the Twentieth Century. The very helpful Jesus Seminar was eventually founded in 1985 and went right to work dissecting the scripture and deciding which of the words ascribed to Jesus in the Bible were actually spoken by Him, versus which ones He possibly said, possibly did not say, and of course, what He definitely did not say! The “judgmental Jesus” of former centuries had to be reimagined entirely, as the words ascribed to Him could often seem quite judgmental and harsh, and even scary to their offended ears. At least they were not totalitarian about their process. Indeed, their method was quite democratic; they voted on each topic of the words ascribed to Jesus by casting different colored marbles for each category option. In their infinite wisdom, it was decided that Jesus spoke only about eighteen percent of the words attributed to Him in the gospels!

The Twenty-First Century brought with it “the Emerging Church” which eventually “emerged” into the updated version of “Progressives.” They, too, wanted a tamer, more malleable Jesus, not a Jesus who believes in biblical justice, but one who leads the way for Social Justice. This new tame Jesus is an environmentalist and a socialist, of course. He is not concerned about sexual immorality or honoring and preserving the Imago Dei, the image of God built into humans. This tamer version of Jesus affirms that homosexuality is not only okay but should be celebrated, and that Jesus, were He here now, would certainly be present at Pride events cheering them on. The Jesus of Progressives is a clever fellow and, of course, knew that gender is not fixed but is fluid, and is simply a matter of personal choice, not at all connected to biology.

While it is very true that the biblical Jesus cares about the poor, the meek, and the hungry, He affirmed the Law, the very one that established the death penalty for sexual immorality in, of all places, the Beatitudes:

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. (Matthew 5:17-18)

How can this be? Is that warning kind and loving? Yes, it is, because Jesus does not want people to die in their sins and face terrible judgment for all eternity! The Jesus of Scripture is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The world is not going to remain forever as it is now – a stinking cesspool, broken and sinful, awaiting judgment. God is going to put all things right. It is also true that Jesus is not a one-dimensional being. He is far more! C.S. Lewis did are very good job of painting a verbal portrait of the Son of God in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe when young character Susan first lays eyes on the Lion, Aslan, and she asks:

“Is he quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.”

“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver.  “Don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe?  ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good.  He’s the King, I tell you.”¹C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (1950; NY: HarperCollins, 1978), p 86

“Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good.” A little later in the story, after Aslan had slipped away and the kings and queens didn’t seem to notice, a reminder of something Mr. Beaver had previously warned about was:

“He’ll be coming and going. One day you’ll see him and another you won’t. He doesn’t like being tied down—and of course he has other countries to attend to.  It’s quite all right.  He’ll often drop in.  Only you mustn’t press him. He’s wild you know.  Not like a tame lion.”²C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (1950; NY: HarperCollins, 1978), p 200

Jesus is indeed the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29) but it is also true He is the Lion of Judah, the King. He isn’t one or the other; He is both!

The Lion of Judah represents a profound biblical and theological motif that encapsulates Jesus Christ’s identity as the triumphant Messiah, the sacrificial Lamb who redeems humanity, and the conquering Lion who reigns with power and authority. Rooted in ancient Hebrew scriptures and developed throughout Christian tradition, this imagery continues to inspire faith, worship, and reflection on Jesus’ sovereignty, justice, and redemptive work.

As believers contemplate the Lion of Judah, they affirm Jesus’ central role in God’s plan of salvation, His eternal priesthood, and His promise of ultimate victory over sin, death, and all powers of darkness. Thus, the Lion of Judah stands as a timeless symbol of hope, courage, and divine kingship, inviting all to acknowledge and worship Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.³”Who is the Lion of Judah?”; By BibleAsk Team, Published: August 22, 2015, Last Modified: February 1, 2025

Jesus did not condemn the woman caught in adultery; that is mercy. But then He told her to go and sin no more. (John 8:11) But it didn’t end there, because the just God went on to sacrifice His own life to pay for her sin and satisfy His justice. That is forgiveness. And when and if the woman did sin again, as humans are inclined to do, the Apostle John tells us that God is righteous and just, and that He will forgive, if we go to Him for forgiveness.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9 ESV)

If we have offended another person with something we have done against them, we can certainly ask for their forgiveness. Aside from that, must we confess to a mere man, a priest, a sin that does not concern him? No, we can confess straight to God, and He will forgive.

The wages of sin, what we all justly deserve, is death, the snapping jaws of the Lion. The gift of God is eternal life through the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ our Lord.

As much as Progressives and others want to tame and control Jesus, it just isn’t possible. Not only is He the Lamb, but “He’s wild, you know. Not like a tame lion.”

No, indeed.Ω

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