The Five Portraits of Jesus

Book excerpt: "The Five Portraits of Jesus" presents a progressive revelation of Jesus as a person. The first portrait shows him as He is revealed in the Gospels as the Christ who came in the flesh. The Gospels deal with his earthly life and his relationships with men and women. In the second portrait in the Acts of the Apostles, Christ is revealed as the risen Lord. He was resurrected and a whole new view of Him was experienced as the disciples were renewed and broadened in their faith and as the church was established. The third portrait is in the Epistles where Jesus is revealed as he relates to the church and disciples as the Divine Redeemer in his relationship to God, and in the Christian experience. The fourth portrait is found in Hebrews and in the Revelation where Jesus is shown as the everlasting Priest and King. The fifth portrait is found in the history and growth of the Christian Church throughout its existence under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.