23 - The Four Faces Of Jesus

THE FOUR FACES OF JESUS By: Jorge Villavicencio

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THE FOUR FACES OF JESUS By: Jorge Villavicencio Text guides: Ezekiel 1:10"As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle”. Introduction: The text speaks to us of an inefable vision that prophet Ezekiel received on behalf of God. The splendor of the Divine Majesty's glory showed before the seer's amazed look and amid that splendor he observed four alive beings with four faces each one. "Man's face, ox face, lion face and eagle face." These faces are related with the four gospels; each gospel emphasizes a different Jesus Christ particularity: Man's face: It is related with the Son of Man and it corresponds to the Saint Luke’s gospel The face of an Ox: It is related with the Servant and it corresponds to Saint Mark’s gospel.

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The face of a Lion: It is related with the King and it corresponds to the gospel of Saint Matthew. The face of an Eagle: It is related with the Son of God and it corresponds to Saint John’s gospel. Let us look at these revelations: 1. Face of Man: Luke's gospel emphasizes on Jesus' earthly trajectory from his genealogy, his birth, his childhood, and his maturity. Luke shows Jesus fully participating of the human life, in other words the real emphasis of this book is Jesus Christ humanity.The apostle Paul speaks to us of the self-abasement that Jesus experienced by the love to the human race. That is to say a metamorphosis from God’s form to man’s form Philippians 2: 6-7 "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men”. The sentence "Son of Man" appears 78 times in the New Testament. Jesus Christ identified with us, the human beings, in two things. In our afflictions and our temptations.

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In the first case Jesus never experienced hunger, fatigue, discouragement, sadness, and anguishes. Because the Bible says that in the presence of God, that is to say, in the glory of God there is joy, there are not any emotions neither afflictions. But here on earth, he cried before the Lazaro’s tomb, he cried because of the heart’s hardness of the Pharisee, he got exhausted, he suffered hunger, thirst, he autolimited himself to time and space. In the second case we read Luke 4: 2 "Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered”. Luke 4:13“And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season”. Before Jesus became man, that is to say, before the incarnation, he had never felt temptations but in this occasion as a man, he was psychological, physical and spiritually tempted. Hebrews 4:15 “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin”. Hebrews: 2:18"For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted”. 2. Face of an Ox: SERVANT

Mark 10: 44-45 “And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many”. This book really shows to Jesus as an ox that plows, plows and serves. Mark emphasizes his work, his quick succession of events, his preaching, freedom of demons, healings and miracles in favor of people. There are not so many teachings in this gospel, he doesn't worry about his genealogy, because ¿who is interested in the origin of a servant? He doesn't relate his birth date neither his childhood for the same reason. Jesus appears in constant movement feeding 5.000 and then 4.000. The events move quickly toward a climax, the last supper, the betrayal, the crucifixion and the resurrection which are dramatically exposed in a vertiginous rhythm. Everybody who reads this gospel is motivated to imitate Jesus as a servant, as an ox that didn't come to be served but to serve. Philippians 2: 8 "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross”.

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As it is said, another face of Jesus is that of an ox. This face is related with the gospel according to Saint Mark that emphasizes on Jesus Christ as a servant.

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Isaiah 53: 5-6 "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all”. 3. Face of a Lion: KING The lion is always considered the king of the animal Kingdom and the Bible tells us that Jesus is the Lion of Juda and he is foretoken as King in Saint Matthew’s gospel. This book was written to prove that Jesus is the Messiah and the Eternal King; it is for that reason that in this gospel he makes more allusions of the Kingdom of God. Matthew 4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”.. In Matthew 13, we find 8 parables of the Kingdom of God: "the parable of the sower, the wheat and the weed, that of the mustard, the yeast, the hidden treasure, the beautiful pearl, the net" all begin with this introduction. "The Kingdom of heaven is similar to… " Jesus was proclaimed the King of the earth. Matthew28:18-19 "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghos: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”. 4. Face of an Eagle: SON OF GOD THE FOUR FACES OF JESUS | www.mcmcolombia.org

God, the Son, is foretoken in Saint John´s Gospel. The eagle is a majestic bird that flies above the storms, it makes its nest in the rock and this has to do with the salvation, not only as son of man, as servant or as king but also as God, the Son. Exodus 19:4 "Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.” John's gospel emphasizes Jesus Christ Divinity. Jesus proclaims himself God because he says: "I am”. The word "I am" is prerogative of deity. It is equivalent of "thus says the Lord of the Old Testament”. When Jesus said “I am”, the Jews that were around him listening, understood that declaration as a proclamation of absolute deity. Their understanding of the matter made them react in such a way that they were ready to accomplish complete Moses' law toward blasphemy, deciding to execute Jesus. However,

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Jesus, in spite of the fact that, that statement would carry him a sentence of death, he continued saying that he was God. For us christians, he is all that we need to be. If we are dying he is the "bread of life." If we are living in darkness he is "the light of the world". If we don't know what road to take or which door to enter he is “the door”, if we feel alone or abandoned, he is for us "the good pastor". If we don't know which is the true, "he is the truth and the life". John 14: 6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me”.

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Then we should know Jesus as the Son of God.

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