I like this post, a lot.
I like strength. I think Jesus was strong - He was a carpenter, sheesh!
But I like the strength He displayed by 'let the little children come unto me' better.
Biceps are great.
Knowing when to use them is awesome. Like when you use them to pound in the last nail to finish a home for the homeless.

Thanks Brant. I like your everyman approach at the end.How can we all be like Jesus if we have to be aggressive, assertive and non-verbal? Some of us aren't that way and nothing will ever make us that way. I love the way you think, even when I don't agree with you. I just happen to really agree with you today.

I've never really cared about what Jesus looked like physically, but from what I read, his earthly parents were ordinary people, his birth was lowly, he chose ordinary people to be his disciples and hung out with ordinary and lowly people. That may lead one to believe he may have appeared ordinary. I don't really know though. Yet, when he spoke, he was extraordinary. He spoke with authority, which is not to be confused with brash and offensive. But it's His authority that gives us every breath we breathe, and that's enough for me to follow those words in red.

Images are created to help our minds understand things more clearly. By creating this image of Christ, what message is being taught?

I enjoyed this post and cited article. If Jesus were at the plate He could and most definitely would hit a curveball. I am alluding to the line from the movie-Major League.
Jesus was the perfect example of humanity at the same time being God. MYSTERY…I just accept it. He happened to be all male. I am a man. And I make no apologies about it. I believe many men are tired of making apologies as well. At the same time, I’m sick and tired of cleaning up the messes Christian men make because of a lack of maturity or misguided understanding of what it is to be a man. Or better yet blaming their ineptness or lack of interest of spiritual things on the view their fathers gave them of our Sovereign God. God was a perfect Father to the nation of Israel and still they rebelled. We rebel daily.
I agree that God wants all types of men. Jesus wants the cerebral as well as the Bielski Partisans. He wants the Ben Steins, as well as, the Jack Bauers in His church. (1 Cor. 12:20). God chose Jacob over Esau.
On March 22, 2009…Driscoll preached TO men about being real men who love God and serve their family. Driscoll’s view of impotent/unbiblical manhood is demonstrated by two extremes: Cowardice and Chauvinism. Within those parameters you can define the stereotypical male: Little Boy Larry to Give-em heck Hank. Driscoll rails against this mentality and implores Christian and/or church-going men to stop abusing women and their families through methods of intimidation and passive manipulation. The Mars-Hill Pastor goes as far as calling these church-going men evil.
I am not defending Driscoll(he’s a big boy) I just subscribe to his straightforward approach when it comes to speaking to misguided/wayward men. “Women are vases. Men are like Thermos bottles. One can take a beating, get dented and be fine.” Driscoll also mentions that a man ‘is NOT one who can spit the farthest…or do other gross things better and smellier than the other guy. No woman prays for that.’
Now his crass-in-your-face stereotypes about effeminate Christianity are offensive. I have yet to hear him utter them. I recently noted his Facebook status referencing an upcoming MMA event. Surprised...I admit I LIKE'd it.
Conversely, my unwavering maleness is the focus of jokes among friends. I get up every morning joining the Navy SEALs in a Military structured workout, eat sand, and push SUVs while others are still snoring because I can. I love the foamy goodness of a latte with mocha sprinkles. Haribo Gummi Bears are my weakness. I cherish speaking with my spouse. Hugging my boys. I’ve never had a manicure to relax. I prefer to squeeze off a few rounds at the gun range instead. But…my preferences, likes, hobbies, movies, drinks, or desires don’t define my manhood. The jury is still out on clothes.
More importantly-Am I seeking Him first? Am I a lover of ONE woman, my wife (His daughter)? Am I a patient, honoring, loving Father to my children (His gifts to me)? Am I gracious and long suffering as He? Do I consider it joy when trials come my way? Do I adhere to 1 Peter 3:7? Do I do unto others?
I want to daily become more like Jesus…be Godly and Holy like Him. Him. He. Jesus happened to be a man. I model my manhood after Him. I can learn many things about how He conducted Himself as a man. I make no apologies for that. By the way, I have yet to hit a curveball.

Jesus was a warrior, a lover, a priest, and a King and I believe that He knew which one to operate from in any given situation for the benefit of the the other person. Not for himself. Which is a problem for most men today. Many are so unaware that they come from their strongest archetype most of the time not from the one that is most beneficial for the other person. Check out " Four Pillars of a Mans Heart" by Stu Weber. Also, I believe that only in the company of men can men learn this. They need a Safe Sacred Space to be honest with what they are dealing with and have other men who have gone before them love them and challenge them in developing into a fully integrated man so that we can love God with all our heart,mind soul and strength. Not Just our mind which is typical in the western style of Christianity. Check out: www.menatthecross.com for a great weekend that might give you this opportunity.

Jesus never backed down from a conflict. He physically threw people out of the temple on two occasions. He laid into hypocrites every chance he got and he didn't leave out the name calling. Of course in all of these confrontations he was right and he knew it. We are called to be like Jesus.

I think everyone "makes Jesus in their own image" to some degree. We're human, and trying to see Jesus through our experiences and understanding of the world seems fairly normal - I don't think He would condemn us for that. For some reason I think Jesus would enjoy hiking big mountains with me. Not exactly sure why, but he might also enjoy sipping a latte at Starbucks, I just don't picture him that way in my head. Sure there are examples of going too far and distorting the real Jesus, but I think the real Jesus seems so dynamic and amazing that if a group of men want to grab on to the rugged and warrior spirit of Jesus, so let Christ be talked about and discussed. Different ministry groups make efforts to appeal to select groups of people and that doesn't mean those ministries are exclusionary. MorningswithBrant regularly tries to appeal to a select group of non-Christians by pointing out historical and current flaws with other Christians and Christian-based groups, going so far as to question whether or not you want to be associated with the phrase "Chrisitan", because of how pop-culture might have re-interpreted the word (March 21st). That discussion was actually far more disturbing to me than a group of men claiming that Jesus had big biceps.

Totally appreciate the takes.

I agree with much of Driscoll's critique of the contemporary church, and how feminized it can be. This doesn't, though, call for a re-creation of who Jesus is. My perspective is limited, and so is Driscoll's. What neither of us would say, though, is Jesus changes with our opinions. There are unchanging, and objective, qualities of Jesus that are worth examining.

Jon, our discussion of the word, "Christian" had nothing to do with "pop culture". There are centuries of misunderstanding about this, from Constantine to conquistadores. Centuries.

That discussion was not to appeal to non-believers. It wasn't to "appeal" to anyone. It was me, being honest about the struggle to communicate with people. The word "Christian" does not, for most, imply love, joy, peace, and the other fruits of the Spirit. I wish it did. Maybe it will again. Or maybe, since it's not a word we're specifically instructed to use, we can have freedom to use other, more to-the-point words.

I really liked that blog. We get so caught up in trying to understand everything about God and making Jesus just like any of us, we forget what really matters. Thanks for the insight.
-Brian

I'm going to play devil's advocate here... Partly because I just like playing role, but also because I agree, to some extent, with Mr. Driscoll.

Physical appearance aside, because I agree 1. we don't know, and 2. it doesn't matter, there still is something behind Mark's comment.

Do I think Yeshua ever hit anyone in the mouth? No. But then again, there's also no record of Yeshua tithing, a core Jewish theology. (Lest you forget that Yeshua was a Jew.) But using "hit-you-in-the-nose" as a figure of speech, the shoe fits. Yeshua was an in-your-face, hit-you-with-the-truth-even-though-it-hurts, no-nonsense type of guy. At least from what I've read. He said what he meant, and he meant what he said, everytime...a trait that I envy.

Did he have a gentleness? Of course, but he also had the assertive side.

On the non-verbal side... I can see an argument for this as well. Not that he didn't talk, but he embodied the "actions speak louder than words" philosophy. Don't just tell someone you love them, ACTUALLY love them. Yeshua portrayed this brilliantly.

So, yes, at first glance, on the surface, Mr. Driscoll's word may not seem like a good picture, but underneath, I can see the persona he was trying to describe.

Last year there was an art display for the stations of the cross around this same time of year at my church here in Houston, and one of the artist used a professional athlete in a photo of Jesus carrying the cross. It was so powerful. Too often Jesus IS presented to us as a feminine guy, but no where in Scripture is this the case. The photo on display was so amazing, Jesus had amazing strength to choose the cross on our behalf and for His Father's Will to be done for the joy set before Him. The athlete used in the photo shoot was not overly muscle bound, he was a Decathlete which is a crazy hard competition in track and field to determine the best overall athlete in the world. Christ was raised as a skilled craftsman, he was strong, bold, and daring in the midst of sinners turning over their table in His Father's Temple, a physically weak man would never dare to physically intimidate and force wrong doers to change their ways. Jesus was strong and bold in His words to His disciples and others as well, calling Peter satan, and when people tried to compliment His mother Mary, Jesus said "who is my mother? The one who does the will of my Father is my mother." Wow, not many people have the strength and eternal perspective to make those statements. Christ was strong, physically, mentally, verbally, pretty much in every way you could be strong he was, so I can understand Mark's frustration with the terrible feminine picture of Jesus that we have been fed here lately. Did he go too far? Probably, but no further than the other side has already gone before demoting Christ to some care free feminine hippie. The truth is obviously somewhere in the middle: Ecc 7:18 "It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all extremes."

Brant, your introspection & perspective always have me thinking out of the box. I don't aspire to be a 'plastic christian' and you help me stay on track. Thanks...this really got me thinking.

Best reply is from ThirstyBear and sums up my perspective.
I don't see a conflict between patience, gentleness, self-control and the win-a-fight attitude. From my experience, and I have some experience in fighting, patience and self-control is what wins a real fight.
I hug my boys (and girl), kiss my wife whenever I get a chance, wash dishes, love a latte (cafe mocha latte), and tear up everytime I think of the sacrafice Jesus made for me (undeserving as I am). Then, 40+ hours a week, I strap on a duty belt, pin a badge on my shirt, and sweat, bleed, and fight along side my brothers and sisters in blue and green. I really just don't see the conflict...

Here's my thoughts: Jesus was both feminine and masculine. He was gentle as well as strong. He was created a man, so He acted like a man, but I'm pretty sure that a woman's personality was crafted after the image of God's softer side. So I guess what I'm saying is, Jesus had all these properties. He had the strong nature of a man, yet the love and gentleness as a woman. In other the words, the perfect package. So maybe that's why God created both man and woman. Both reflecting different parts of His nature.

However I think the Chuck Norris analogy is down playing God and agree with Brant. Jesus is much more amazing then Chuck Norris. He can create things, destroy them, and send our bodies into Hell. He could also bear the sins of the world. NOW THAT is powerful. It takes both love and endurance to take that.

Matt - Just to remind you that Mr. Driscoll never compared Jesus to Chuck Norris. There was never a direct analogy drawn, besides in the title of this piece.