02/11/2019
We have paintings and drawings of Jesus, and there are representations of him made into statues and crucifixes, but none of these were made while He lived, or by anyone who actually saw Him. All of these are conjecture, or were made as the result of an artist’s imagination. Although it is true, that no firsthand image was made, it can still be said that there are millions upon millions of paintings, photographs, statues, and busts, of Jesus in existence... so how is this so without creating a graven image; a golden calf?
“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.”
Acts 4:13-14 ESV
Quite often when boys are standing next to their father someone will say...“He’s the spitting image of his father!” Or, when daughters are with their mother some will make the remark: “I can sure tell who’s daughter you are!” Sometimes it is because we bear similar features, but equally it is because we have the same mannerisms, voice, character, or spirit about us. It is in this way that people see our Holy Father, and Jesus Christ, when they look at us as believers, and Christians.
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV
So it is in this way that as true believers and followers that we look like Jesus, and take on the image of God. It is by this resemblance that true men and women of faith can become models of Christ, and stand in the stead of Him for artists, sculptors, poets, and photographers. Certainly there is no actual image of Christ or God, but we can come close if we look at those who faithfully follow Them. Listen to what Charles Spurgeon has to say about this notion...
“If we are what we profess to be (what we should be), we will be pictures of Christ - such striking likenesses that the world will not have to hold us up at various times and say, “Well, it looks a little like Jesus.” Having seen our lives, people should exclaim, “They have been with Jesus; they have been taught by Him; they are like Him...” - Charles Spurgeon
Likewise, when we claim to be Christian, people expect to see the image of Jesus in us, and look for the character of God in us too, because this spiritual likeness should have been passed on to us as His children. His spirit should be growing in us, and be transforming us day by day. In this way we are constantly renewed and made to be more like Him... righteous...
“If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.”
1 John 2:29 ESV
So how many paintings, and other images do we have of Jesus? We have millions upon millions because each time a believer is captured in such a way the image of Jesus, and the character or expression of God should reveal itself. No, there is no image of Christ Himself, and no, there is no way to capture God in statue or His completeness, but in capturing some of their essence, that resides in us, we can say that it is so.
“As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.”
Psalms 17:15 ESV
When we look at our television screen we are not seeing a painting in which the paint flows smoothly from our brush as we pull it across a canvas, or a statue which was chiseled out of a single piece of stone... we are being presented thousands of points of light that together reveal the image. We call these points of light pixels, and the more densely they are placed on the screen, the more perfect the image appears to our eye. The same is true of digital voice and music... they are not the same smooth flow of sound that is captured on a vinyl record, they are a compilation of digits that we call bits and bytes. So as each of us resembles Jesus, and the character of God, and as each poem, each photograph, hymn, or act of Holy Character is captured... our image of Jesus and God becomes clearer to us. In this way we should be asking ourselves... am I producing more pixels, or bits of data, that are contributing in some way to more perfectly reveal the divinity, character, and image of Jesus Christ, and our Holy Father? Am I portraying a reflection of Jesus? Is His voice apparent in mine?
Prayer:
Father, I thank you for revealing yourself through your Son Jesus Christ, and as a person of faith, through me. Thank you Holy Father for using me to further define who you are to the world around me. Help me Lord to represent you in truth, and light, as I go about my days of faithfully serving you. Let your light shine more perfectly to the eyes of the world because of each tiny pixel, or point, that I contribute. Teach me Father to not only speak your Word, but to speak it as you would... with the same inflection, accent, and emphasis. Let my voice resonate as yours does, my face reflect your image, and my character be conformed to more perfectly reveal yours. As I become more like you, and as people look at me in order to better see you... don’t let me fail you in any way. Let my life be made more like that of Jesus each day, and let me always please you as He did... never embarrassing you, or causing you to be disappointed in me. Holy Father I long to hear you say that I am your child in whom you are greatly pleased; perfect me Father so that these will be your words, and my joy. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you the light in my eyes, and the voice in my ears! Holy are you who perfects me each and every day by my faith. Praised be your name Father because all I am is found in you, and all glory resides in your image... in this way I see you whenever I close my eyes, breath you like the freshness of the mountain air, and taste you in the sweetness of your flesh and blood. Great are you, and greatly to be praised forevermore!
Rich Forbes