We know our Jesus as babe in the Christmas manger.
A Man in a rough homespun robe, walking in sandals.
We behold Him as Bloodied Savior slain by his priests,
as Beautiful Man in white robe, rising to heaven.

These are our pictures of Him - our movies - because
this is our containment of Him, safe and mild.
This is our comprehension of Him, confined to
our stilted understanding and
painted inside the lines
of our limited revelation.
We can only sketch Him as we see Him . . .
by the portraits of His Visible Past.
 
But for now, His throne is invisible. His crown seen only
by an individual invitation to His own unveiling.

We do not know Him as He is . . . as He came to
John on Patmos. In Splendor and in Terror.
John - the one who laid on his breast,
who drank of intimacy with the
Man in the homespun robe, and
comfortable with Jesus as with a brother.

This Patmos-Jesus of John's encounter, laid him on the
floor as a dead man!

Read carefully about your Gentle Savior:

I turned to see whose was the voice
that was speaking to me, and
on turning I saw seven golden lampstands.

And in the midst of the lampstands
(One) like a Son of Man,
clothed with a robe which reached to His feet
and with a girdle of gold about His breast.
His head and His hair were white like white wool,
(as white) as snow, and
His eyes (flashed) like a flame of fire.

His feet glowed like burnished bright bronze
as it is refined in a furnace and
His voice was like the sound of many waters.

In His right hand He held seven stars,
and from His mouth there came forth
a sharp two edged sword
and His face was like the sun
shining in full power at midday.

When I saw Him, I fell at His feet
as if dead.
Rev. 1:12-17 Amplified Bible

Christian, you serve a Monarch.
Believer, the One you love is in Majesty,
incomprehensible and dazzling.


Yesterday He walked a common path and wore
His crude robe of one piece.
Yesterday He died as would a common criminal
at the hand of human envy.
Yesterday He came as one without appeal,
ordinary and easy-to-miss.

Today He is King.
King of Kings and of all kingdoms of kings.
The Only King.

We need to know Him as He is,
a King, fearsome in power,
splendid in shining dominion.


A King walking among the beaten lampstands of
His Church, demanding His Holy Standard
with threatening sovereignty.

Today He is Actual King,
though hidden
to the world's kingdoms...
Known only to His true subjects,
He is KING!

Tomorrow, all will see Him as He is,
the manger empty,
the cross, disappeared,
the robe, cut in pieces and sold.
Though ever true and mysteriously present,
these appearances are finished . . . over . . . .

Tomorrow, the world who ignores Him,
will tremble with awe and groan with recognition
that from all eternities past to all inifinity's future,
Jesus Christ is King of All.

There is a King . . .
and only One.

Next in Series

Copyright © 2001 Martha Blaney Kilpatrick