When you think of Jesus, what do you think of?  baby in a  manger?  A carpenter’s son?  A gentle lamb?  A sort of hippie who speaks of love  and peace?  Perhaps!  Or maybe you could think of him as John described him in Revelation 1 vv 16-17.  "His face was like the sun shining in full strength."  Don’t miss that now  "…like the sun….in  full strength"

So what’s that like?  The sun is unspeakably massive.  You might be enjoying its gentle rays during these spring days and it’s pleasant warming as you poke around your garden.  Do not be fooled.  The sun is so powerful that we cannot even look at it directly even though it is nearly 100 million miles away.  Yes that is right – 100 million miles!!  In one second it emits more energy than mankind has in its entire history – equivalent to 92 million one megaton nuclear bombs, every second!!!  Yes, that’s right – every second!

Yet John the apostle says that the face of Jesus is like that.  Wow!  No wonder he fell down at his feet as though dead!

Think you can mess about with Jesus Christ and get away with it?  Thinks he’s so gentle and meek and mild that he’ll just wimpishly turn a  blind eye?  Can you mess with the sun and not get seriously burned?  Can you look directly and not be blinded?

He’s more powerful than you can ever dream.  That’s why  he doesn’t quietly invite you to repent – he demands it!  And if you don’t?  "Our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12 v 29)