A few years ago I listened to a series by Elevation Church lead pastor, Steven Furtick. It was called “Hippy Jesus” and he walked everyone through the myths out there concerning Jesus, and the truth.

Many see Jesus as a surfer dude type with the long, flowing hair and smile. He’s got hugs and handshakes.

What most miss is Jesus came from the Middle East. He will not have lily white skin as so many pictures depict.

He also gets angry. He flipped a table. When He returns, I just finished a line by line teaching of Revelation. He will not be dainty Jesus. He is King of Kings and Lord or Lords. He will be taking care of business.

This week He also showed me He got dirty.

I’ve been praying through something that has been full of ups and many downs. It’s heartbreaking and hard, hard warfare. One outcome was desirable for those of us that have been praying. Not easy, but certainly nicer of all the options out there.

Right now, that option isn’t happening and most likely won’t. At least not the way I pictured it.

Jesus reminded me He walked dirty, dusty roads and ministered with those who were just as dirty on the inside as the out. His feet needed cleaning and His robe was a mess. But it never stopped Him from entering those dirty situations. It also never changed Him. His clothes may have been a mess, but He was not. He didn’t fall into any spiritual pit.

A dirty robe is enough to imagine, but remember His last hours before death. The loincloth was bloody. Forty lashes was fatal. Jesus received 39. The whips used had glass and stone embedded. He was beat on. Then nailed to a cross. It’s an easy sentence to read, but picture it. He was nailed to a cross.

Dirty, bloody Jesus.

All for us.

Sometimes Jesus allows us to get dirtied and bloodied in a sense because the “cleaner” option would not have brought us to desperation where Jesus is our only need. As I pray for the situation above, I sense it’s going to take a path where it’s going to get messy.

But not impossible.

Or over.

In that pit there is a hand just waiting for the call, and won’t Jesus offer that nail-scarred hand immediately to lift that Child of God out of the pit. That visual encouraged me. Do I want people I care about to suffer? No.

But sometimes that’s what it takes.

Jesus knows.

He lived the dirt, blood, and mess first.

Sometimes testimonies need to be mess-tamonies. Testimonies with a lot of junk Jesus took care of in His time.

I end this week tired, a little sad, but encouraged.

I pray this encourages you, too.