[355 words]
Sometimes at the beginning of the classic guessing game Twenty Questions is the query “Animal, vegetable, or mineral?”. After receiving the answer, the 20 “yes” or “no” questions would then be asked. Well, if I were to choose Jesus as the answer for you to guess, I would have to answer “yes” to the question: “Animal, Vegetable, or Mineral?” (Note: “vegetable includes all plants”). Of course, Jesus is these in the figurative sense. Let me explain what I mean.
From an animal kingdom standpoint, Jesus is the Lamb of God (John 1:29) and the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5). He is our perfect sacrifice and our courageous leader.
Looking at the vegetable world, Jesus is referred to as a garden (Ezek. 34:29), the Root (Revelation 22:16), the vine (John 15:1), Branch of righteousness (Jeremiah 33:15), and the first-fruits (1 Corinthians 15:20). He is the source of spiritual nutrients, holiness, and productivity.
From minerals, Jesus is the Rock (1 Corinthians 10:4), and the chief cornerstone (Eph. 2:20). He is the solid foundation of truth and faith.
And, we could even add a new category – celestial. In the celestial realm, Jesus is the Bright and Morning Star (Revelation 22:16), Sun of Righteousness (Malachi 4:2), and light of the world (John 8:12). Jesus brings life and beauty to all of us.
In fact, Jesus is these and much, much more. For example He is the fountain (Zechariah 13:1), door (John 10:9), pathway (John 14:6), bread (John 6:35), bridegroom/husband (2 Corinthians 11:2), shepherd (John 10:11), prince (Isaiah 9:6), and king (Isaiah 6:5) – among many other metaphors.
The bottom line is that Jesus is our all in all – the Alpha and Omega – the beginning and end (Revelation 1:8). No matter where we look in or above the world, no matter what we look at, we should be reminded of Jesus and all that He is and does! We shouldn’t need to ask 20 questions – we should only ask only one: “Do I belong to Him?”
Edd Sterchi
Broadway church of Christ
Campbellsville, KY