Revelation 1:14-15
“The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.”
I still remember the first time I read these verses and how they completely reshaped my image of Jesus. As a kid, I pictured the Good Shepherd—gentle, humble, compassionate. I imagined a carpenter who shaped wood and a shepherd who tenderly cared for his sheep.
But this passage… this is different. This Jesus is majestic, divine, overwhelming in power and holiness. He’s not just comforting—He’s awe-inspiring. His eyes blaze like fire, His feet glow like molten bronze, and His voice thunders like rushing waters. He is King—fully God, fully man, unequaled, and utterly holy. I needed to see this Jesus. I needed to remember that He wasn’t just a man who walked dusty roads. He is the risen and glorified King.
How do you picture Jesus? Is He your teacher, your pastor, your friend, your Savior? Or maybe the image of Him you carry is one shaped by childhood—gentle and near, but not majestic and mighty. It’s not wrong to embrace the human side of Jesus. But sometimes, like me, you might need the full picture—His holiness, His glory, His power.
I remember hearing the roar of a river for the first time, the crash of a wave, and thinking, “That’s what His voice is like.” I remember staring into a fire—comforted by its warmth, but also aware of its intensity. I’ve watched metal heat into glowing liquid, almost otherworldly in its brilliance. God placed these pictures in the world around us to point us to His Son. And when they came together through this passage in Revelation, I realized: Jesus is far greater than I ever imagined.
So what do you need to see in your risen King this year?
Maybe you’ve been looking away instead of fixing your eyes on Him (Hebrews 12:2).
Maybe you’ve forgotten His holiness.
Maybe you just need to be reminded of how great He truly is.
Whatever it is, know this: our Savior, who is more powerful, glorious, and loving than we can comprehend, is here. You don’t have to be afraid—you can be free in following Him.
Take a moment today to tell Jesus who He is to you, ask Him to show you more of His greatness and keep your eyes fixed on the risen King.
Pastor Jeremy Johnson