The Jesus I Thought I Knew

The first Jesus I knew was framed in stained glass—forever smiling, forever gentle, forever safe. It would take years before I discovered the real Jesus, the One the images of my childhood could not contain.

I was first introduced to Jesus in the First United Methodist Church in my hometown of Nowata, Oklahoma. I remember as a child sitting with my grandmother in the church’s sanctuary on the hard, cold pews, thumbing through the hymnals to stay awake. Occasionally, I’d glance to my left, where I couldn’t help but notice the images of Jesus so beautifully etched in stained glass: Jesus, in His yellow robe, with long flowing hair, comforting a young man; Jesus with an orb of light around His head, kneeling in prayer to His Father.

Close your eyes and visualize the first Jesus you were introduced to. Is He the same Jesus you know today? As we open Scripture, my hope is that we meet the real Jesus—not just the one we first imagined.

Growing up, I regularly attended Sunday and Vacation Bible School. My teachers always described Jesus as a kind, gentle person. Even the words to the songs we learned evoked a particular image of Jesus. “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong; they are weak, but He is strong.” The Jesus of my youth reminded me of Mr. Rogers, except that instead of sporting a sweater and sneakers, Jesus wore a robe and sandals.

I knew all the stories about Jesus – that He was born in a stable, that He called twelve men to follow Him. I knew about His miracles and that He taught us to love our enemies. But even with this knowledge, I still didn’t know the real Jesus, and the Jesus I knew wasn’t real to me.

I found myself in the same category as most of the world, a stranger to Jesus. I thought I knew Him, but I didn’t understand that Jesus was more than a man etched on the stained-glass windows of our churches, and more than a story brought to life on a Sunday morning. Not until I was able to set aside my preconceived notions and misconceptions about Jesus was I able to begin discovering the real Jesus. When all was said and done, the real Jesus was not the Jesus I thought I knew.

Questions for Reflection

1. Who was the first “version” of Jesus you knew growing up?

2. How do your early impressions of Jesus compare to who He really is in Scripture?

3. What misconceptions might you need to set aside to discover the real Jesus?

Prayer Focus

Lord, I want to know the real You. Help me set aside every false image and misconception, and open my heart to Your truth. I pray, like Paul did for the Ephesians, that You would give me “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that I may know You better” (Ephesians 1:17). In Jesus’ name, Amen.

What we’ll explore next

If this resonates with you, I’m preparing a 30-day study that will walk through topics like:

• Meeting the real Jesus of Scripture

• His roots, background, and promises fulfilled

• His true humanity and full divinity

• His teaching and authority—and why He confronted traditions

• Facing temptation and rejection with Him

• Responding to Jesus as Savior, Lord, and returning King

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This article first appeared on MakingHimKnown.tv and is adapted here with permission.