Pastor's Note - October 28 
How we view Jesus Christ pretty much determines everything for us. Who we view Him to be will, out of necessity, impact our thoughts and actions. After all, we follow Him. So we will walk the way we think He walks. Related to this, one of my favorite depictions of Jesus is found in Revelation 5:5-6. There, John is given a vision of the throne room of God. In that throne room, in the hand of Him who was sitting on the throne, is a scroll that no one is worthy to open. The question rings out; Who is worthy to open it? The answer is given by one of the elders around the throne. He tells John, there is one worthy to open it. It is the Root of David, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. And John looks to see this lion. Standing among the elders is a Lamb, looking as though slain. Did you notice the contrast here? John hears of a Lion. He sees a Lamb. Both depictions of Jesus are true. They are together a complementary revelation of the true Jesus. He is both the conquering King who reigns on the throne of David, the Lion who will conquer all enemies and rule forever. At the very same time, He is the gentle Lamb slain for the sins of the world, Who has humbly sacrificed Himself for the good of those who love Him. It should tell us something about how we are to live and follow Jesus. We walk as those who are confident in our conquering King. We know He has won and will win, and we have boldness and confidence that the kingdom of Jesus Christ will last, where all opposing cultures, ideologies, and kingdoms will fall. At the same time, we walk with the humility of the slain Lamb. We know that Jesus conquered through suffering and humility, willing to lay down His own life for the good of others. We fall into error if we lose either of these depictions of the true Jesus. And we follow in the footsteps of the King who was exalted through suffering, as Philippians 2:1-11 calls us. How has your understanding of Jesus shaped your life?