God Revealed Through Jesus
So far this month, I’ve been reflecting on how God reveals Himself; through the physical, the spiritual, and the Bible. Today, I want to share my absolute favorite; Jesus!
“I and the Father are one.” (John 10:24,30) “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9)
As I observe the life of Jesus Christ, I see the heart of God; His relentless love for His creation. When Jesus healed the sick and the lame, I see God’s compassion. And when He healed on the Sabbath, I see His perspective; the heart trumps legalities.
When Jesus ate with sinners, I see that God’s love is unconditional; certainly not reserved for the “elite.” When He engaged with the woman at the well, I see His tenderness, not only for women, but for women often shunned by society.
When Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding, I see that God delights in our enjoyment, not limiting His involvement in our lives to religious or spiritual matters. I also see how He honors the institution of marriage.
When Jesus overturned the tables at the temple, I see God’s justice and wrath against oppressors and bullies. In fact, the only time I see Jesus angry is when He confronted the religious leaders; hypocrites, who took advantage of the people, speaking obedience and perfection, yet their hearts were filled with arrogance and hatred.
When Jesus knelt in humility, to wash His apostle’s feet, I see God’s willingness to serve His creation; not out of obligation, but out of genuine love. Yes, He set an example for us to follow; and from this example, we see His love, not relegated to mere words, but through unequivocal action. Removing His outer garments, He wrapped a towel around His waist, surrendered His status without hesitation, and served humanity.
When Jesus was arrested and falsely accused by the religious elite, I see God’s self-restraint and incomprehensible patience. He willingly gave up His rights, to give us His righteousness. When He cried out from the cross, “forgive them, for they know not what they do,” I see His unmerited grace and mercy; that there is nothing too big for Him to handle or forgive.
When Jesus died on the cross, I see God’s relentless love. He let nothing stop Him from fulfilling His plan for us, that we may know Him and engage in relationship with Him forever. When He was buried, I see His fierce determination to go through hell and back for His children. When He arose from the grave, I see His mighty power, His absolute authority and triumph over death!
Through Jesus Christ, God entered our world; and while He fulfilled His plan and promise to redeem us from the enemy, He also experienced the challenges and suffering endured by all of mankind in a fallen world. Therefore, He does understand what it’s like to face fear, ridicule and evil. He knows what it feels like to be attacked physically, emotionally and spiritually. He can relate very well to the sting of betrayal, rejection, even death by violence and evil.
Therefore, since we have a great High Priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16
Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest, is God incarnate. When we look at Jesus, we see God; He who is faithful and true, always for us; never against us. He is GOOD!