Jesus Christ: Revelation of the Image of God | Devotion

“Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs…” —ACTS 2:22

When God created Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, they were intended to be a revelation of the moral character of God. Since the fall, they ceased to reveal God’s character, but then we have what Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 15:47 as “the second man”, who is, of course, Jesus Christ. In Colossians 1:15, Paul says, “He is the image of the invisible God.” This isn’t speaking of the deity of Christ, but of His humanity, the second human being meant to illustrate what true humanity is intended to be.

John 1:18 tells us, “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.” We first had a revelation of God in Adam; now we have a revelation of God in Christ. It is through the lens of the humanity of Jesus Christ that we see and understand the moral character of God.

We cannot know God apart from Jesus Christ. Any image of God, any understanding of God, or any religious system that is not fleshed out in the person of Jesus Christ or which conflicts, in any way, with the person of Jesus Christ is faulty, because Christ is the only express image of the invisible God there is.  

In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the truth,” and that begs the question, the truth about what? In the next verse, He tells us, “If you knew me, you would know my Father.” Jesus Christ is the truth about God. If we want to know what God is like, look at Jesus. If we want to know what humanity is supposed to be like, look at Jesus. He came into this world, not disguised as divinity, but as a real human being. He didn’t have an easy road, nor did He take any shortcuts. Hebrews 5:8 says, “He learned obedience from what he suffered.” Because He was subjected to all the temptations we are, He is able to help us in our sufferings.  

Though Jesus was never less than God, He lived on earth as though He were never more than man. In complete union with His Father, He lived in utter dependence on Him, trust in Him, obedience to Him and love for Him. This was demonstrating what true humanity is meant to be. The Christian life is a relationship with Jesus Christ, and just in the way He lived in union with His Father, we are intended to live in union with Him.

Lord Jesus, thank you for coming into my life. Help me to live it in union with You in every area of my life. Thank You, Lord.

When faced with temptation, do I think of how Christ lived His life on earth and draw upon His strength?