I am being moved by a different aspect of Jesus that I've never considered before. His love, compassion, tenderness, and goodness are usually what come to mind when people consider his characteristics.
But what about his masculinity?
Masculinity is much deeper than muscles and bones. Masculinity is an inner call to be a brave leader and a deep lover. A man can have well defined muscles but not be truly masculine. It's something that exudes from the inside.
According to dictionary.com masculinity is defined as: Having qualities traditionally ascribed to men, as strength and boldness.
KJV Dictionary Definition: Bold. a. 1. Daring; courageous; brave; intrepid; fearless; applied to men or other animals; as, bold as a lion.
Have you seen the Chronicles of Narnia? Have you seen Aslan? Let me put it like this.
Aslan is masculine.
He is brave.
He is bold.
He goes where others wouldn't dare.
He looks death in the face and does not flinch. He accepts it willingly because he knows it's the only way. He loves deeply and protects fiercely. When He loves, it is not a small thing. When he loves, he does it with passion, with ferocity.
He is majestic.
I would venture to say that Aslan is a portrait so we can better see the masculinity of Jesus.
Jesus is brave. He accepted death for me without knowing that I would acknowledge it.
Every moment of every second... Every minute of every hour... Every hour of everyday, he is unafraid to love me deeply without any promise of it being returned.
(It's scary to invest love into someone or something that may not reciprocate. Isn't it?)
I'm very passionate about Jesus being revealed. Yes, Jesus is kind. Yes, Jesus is compassionate. Yes, Jesus is love. But can we take a moment to ask Him to show us what he is like in His fullness? He is a man. He is the man. He is the single most attractive man I have ever encountered in my life.
He is not a rose trampled on the ground. Not even close.
He is a lion. He is a warrior. A warrior who accepted torture, to save his nation. To protect his bride.
Can you imagine the gladiator being expressed as a rose trampled on the ground? Never. He is fierce and bold.
What about William Wallace? "Every man will die but not every man will live".
What passion. What raw masculinity. It wasn't just his muscles. It was his honor, his bravery, his integrity, that made him the man he was.
When William Wallace was literally having his insides taken out of him, just before he died, with all his strength he declared with bold intent, "Freedom!"
When Jesus was hanging by the nails in his hands, after having the skin ripped off his back, he declared "It is finished!"
It is or freedom that Christ has set us free. Galatians 5:1
Thinking about the masculinity of Jesus takes my heart and shakes it around. It takes my affection and stirs it up. It takes my admiration, bottles it up, and pours it at his feet. How can my love for him not bubble up when I am aware of the true manliness he exemplified?
I am so in love.
For the record, being a carpenter was a physical job. He was constantly lifting heavy timber. They didn't have machinery so he relied on his muscles to shave it, carve it, design it, build it... Jesus was most likely very strong.
MEN:
You have been given permission to admire his masculinity. You have been given permission to be masculine. Jesus was not timid and he was not a sissy. Likewise, you are not. You have freedom to be a true man from the outermost parts of your body to the innermost parts of your soul. You are made in his image.
WOMEN:
You do not need to feel insecure. If you struggle with needing attention from men, here is your solution. Jesus, the King. Jesus, the lion. Jesus, the fierce lover. He is passionately consumed with admiration and love for you. He is never not thinking of you. Picture his love as a fragrant oil. He is taking this oil and he is pouring it all over you. It is surrounding you, consuming you. You are drowning in it, you can never escape it.
Jesus is raw masculinity.
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