Remember reading a book and thinking, “I’ve never thought of it like that. Amazing!” Prepare for that kind of ride with John Eldredge’s “Beautiful Outlaw.”
The gospel is “good news,” providing a solution to our problem of sin. The Son of God; come to this earth to live as one of us, without sin, and unblemished. He willingly served in our stead, as a sacrifice for our sinfulness. He was resurrected, and gloriously ascended to Heaven, where he sits at the very right hand of God.
In the hazy fog of the religious world, amid thousands of Christian denominations, Eldredge’s mission is to see, understand, and learn from Jesus Christ.
We often picture Jesus as being far away, distant, nearly too distant to hear…understand…love us. In fact, certain denominations believe this very thing, and illicit the support of other “saints” and even of Mary, Christ’s mother, to intercede on our behalf. This mindset has seriously distorted the true accessibility, love, and power of Christ in our lives.
Jesus lives in our hearts. He is our friend. Yes, he is also a glorious King, who has established his Kingdom (the Church) to reign eternally. He has conquered the evil one, and stands forever righteous. But he doesn’t sit far away, outside of our reach. He’s right here, with us. In the day-to-day grind of his life and service on earth, there are an infinite number of opportunities to discover Jesus’ personality. To learn from him. Know him. Love him.
Eldredge presents several dynamic aspects of Jesus’ personality, as described in the Gospels: playful, disruptive, extravagant, humorous, unafraid, courageous, loving, etc. Buckle up, and prepare for that ride: “I’ve never thought of it like that before.”
