What About Those Jesus Figurines?

 In recent times Jesus figurines have become popular among Christians.  So is this a good thing or a bad thing?  

(Exodus 20:4-6)"You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.  You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments." (ESV) 

A Jesus figurine would seem to be a carved image, therefore violating the second commandment.  Jesus is God just as the Father and Holy Spirit are God, so the commandment would apply to him as well.  Any images or representations of Christ are forbidden, including figurines.  Although there may be good intentions with the Jesus figurines, they are ultimately problematic.  

The human mind is prone to think of visual images of Jesus as actually being him.  Whenever we view the image of Jesus as Jesus himself we are guilty of idolatry and have broken the second commandment.  An image or figurine cannot not truly represent Jesus.  They can only depict him as human.  In reality Jesus is fully God and fully man.  

It seems that many in the modern church do not really know who Jesus is.  He is a majestic, holy God, not a figurine!  Jesus figurines trivialize the Lord and cause people to commit idolatry.