Good Morning Friends,
If we are made in the image of God, what does God look like?Scripture gives us intriguing language. God has a face that shines upon us, eyes that see, ears that hear, a mouth that speaks, hands that create and uphold, and feet associated with his sovereign presence.Yet Jesus tells us,“God is spirit” (John 4:24).So are we supposed to imagine God as an enormous human being?Or are all these human descriptions telling us something deeper? What Does God Look Like?
Scripture Summaries:
Genesis 1:26–27 Humanity is created in the image and likeness of God, male and female. The passage does not primarily tell us what God physically looks like. It tells us something profound about who we are: creatures uniquely made to reflect God into his creation.
Exodus 25:17–22 God instructs Moses to make the mercy seat over the Ark of the Covenant with two cherubim, one at each end, their wings overshadowing the place between them. God promises to meet with Israel there.
Isaiah 6:1–5 Isaiah sees the Lord enthroned in glory. The prophet speaks of God’s robe filling the Temple, while the seraphim cover themselves and cry, “Holy, holy, holy.”
Ezekiel 1 Ezekiel struggles to describe what he sees. There is fire, brightness, living creatures, wings, wheels and eyes. Finally he sees what has “the appearance of the likeness” of a human form enthroned in glory. Even the prophet seems to run out of language before the mystery of God. Ezekiel’s extraordinary vision includes living creatures with human hands beneath their wings and feet gleaming like burnished metal.
Daniel 7:9–14 Daniel sees the Ancient of Days, clothed in white, with hair like pure wool, seated upon a fiery throne. Then “one like a son of man” comes before him and receives everlasting dominion.
Matthew 17:1–8 Jesus is transfigured. His face shines like the sun, his clothing becomes radiant, and suddenly Moses and Elijah appear with him, one on either side in the traditional composition of the scene. The Gospels identify Moses and Elijah beside the glorified Christ, while the Father declares Jesus to be his beloved Son.
John 19:18 At Calvary Jesus is crucified, and two others are crucified with him, one on either side and Jesus in the middle.
John 14:9 And then comes perhaps the most important answer to our question. Jesus says: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”
The Message: What does God look like? Perhaps Scripture’s surprising answer is: Look at Jesus.Some say you can find Jesus in every passage of scripture. The Bible uses remarkably bodily language for God. His eyes see. His ears hear. His face shines. His mouth speaks. His hands hold us. His arm saves.These descriptions should not make us imagine God simply as a bigger version of ourselves. Rather, perhaps we have the relationship backward.We are not supposed to construct God in our image. We were created in his. Our eyes dimly reflect the God who sees. Our ears reflect the God who hears. Our mouths reflect the God who speaks. Our hands reflect the God who creates, gives, blesses and saves. Our feet allow us to go where love sends us. The human body itself becomes capable of expressing something about the invisible God.And then comes the astonishing heart of Christianity: The invisible God becomes visible. The Word becomes flesh. Jesus has eyes. Jesus has hands. Jesus has feet. Jesus has a face.The One through whom humanity was created in God’s image now assumes our humanity.
And then Scripture gives us a fascinating visual thread describing the backdrop of Theophanies. At the Ark of the Covenant, two cherubim stand at opposite ends of the mercy seat, and God promises to meet his people between them.It is important not to press this into a rigid formula. Yet the recurring imagery is beautiful. At the Transfiguration, Christ stands revealed in glory with Moses and Elijah beside him. Moses can represent the Law and Elijah the Prophets, both bearing witness to the One toward whom Israel’s Scriptures have been moving. And then comes Calvary. Jesus is again in the middle. But now the figures on either side are not heavenly cherubim or Israel’s great prophets. They are condemned men. But before this in Mark 6:7 Jesus sends out the disciples 2 by 2 and in Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus promises to be with them again. Jesus is in the middle of two of God’s creatures as they evangelize. What a breathtaking movement: Between the cherubim: God meets humanity in mercy. Between Moses and Elijah: God reveals his Son in glory. Between two criminals: God reveals his love in sacrifice.Between two disciples: God reveals our purpose with Jesus carrying out the Great commission.
But it is to the Cross I want to draw your attention for many visions of the Saints have Jesus on the throne and the cross for Jesus became a throne. And perhaps this is where the question “What does God look like?” finally becomes most Christian. If we want to know the character of God, we look at Jesus Christ. Not merely Christ glowing on the mountain. But Christ between sinners.
And now Genesis becomes even more profound. We were created in God’s image, but sin has distorted that image. Jesus comes as what Paul calls “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15). In him we finally see not merely what God is like. We see what human beings were meant to be like.Jesus shows us both.
This is what God is like. And: This is what humanity was created to become. So perhaps being made in God’s image has less to do with what is reflected in a mirror and much more to do with what is reflected in a life. Can my eyes look with compassion? Can my ears hear someone’s suffering? Can my mouth speak truth and grace? Can my hands serve? Can my feet carry me toward the lonely, suffering and forgotten? Because the clearest picture of God Scripture gives us is not ultimately a description. It is a Person.
And So, What does God look like? Isaiah saw glory. Ezekiel saw fire, brilliance and mystery. Daniel saw the Ancient of Days. Moses encountered God between the cherubim. Peter, James and John saw Jesus shining between Moses and Elijah. And at Calvary, the world saw Jesus hanging between two sinners. Then Jesus says: “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” Perhaps that is the answer. So, if you want to know what God looks like? Look at Jesus welcoming children. Look at Jesus touching the untouchable. Look at Jesus weeping beside a grave. Look at Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. Look at Jesus forgiving his enemies. And finally, look at Jesus on the cross. The God whom no image could contain made himself known in Christ. And the God who made us in his image is now remaking us into the image of his Son especially when we two by two like Noah and the Ark, help save what would have been lost.
Pray Lord God, that we confess that we often try to make You in our image rather than allowing You to remake us in Yours. Pray You give us eyes that see as Jesus saw, ears that listen with compassion, mouths that speak truth and grace, hands that serve rather than grasp, and feet willing to go wherever Your love sends us. Pray when we wonder what You are like, You turn our eyes toward Jesus. Pray that the image of Christ becomes clearer in us, until others catch a glimpse of Your love through the lives we live. Amen.
Blessings,
John Lawson
