So often in Hollywood films and in paintings through the centuries, Jesus is depicted as this weak other worldly figure floating above the ground as he supposedly goes about his ministry. Nothing could be further from the truth. Most of these depictions I think comes from a lack of understanding of the Bible and what it says about him. But it also probably has something to do with the fact that the depictions usually are born in the imaginations of people who don’t know him very well.
One places that this wrong image of Jesus seems to have developed is surrounding the place in Matthew where Jesus calls himself “meek”. In Matthew 11 he says, “Come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart.” (Matthew 11.28-29)
We equate meekness with weakness today in our culture. But that is not the Jesus of the Bible. Jesus is the guy who overturned the moneychangers’ tables and drove them out of the Temple area saying, “My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.” (Matthew 21.13). This doesn’t sound very weak to me.
The word in the Greek for “meek” is used in the Greek language to describe a mighty stallion that has been trained to use that powerful force under harness and saddle and has become gentle, approachable.
This is the Jesus of the Bible. He is the “Mighty God (Isaiah 9.6). “He sustains all things by his powerful word.” (Hebrews 1.3) “All things were created by him.” (John1.3) Yet he came to us as a gentle lamb to bring mankind to God extending God’s love to all of us. But make no mistake all that power and strength is not gone it is under control.
This Jesus is all powerful, mighty and strong but when he walked on the earth, he was gentle.