Jesus, the Exact Representation of the Father

14/1/2019

"In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word." (Hebrews 1:1-3 NIV)

I am often asked "what is the Father like?"

The reason I believe this question is asked so frequently is because we see God, the Father, through a series of filters and therefore we don't see him clearly. Very often we see him through the filter of our earthly parents. We project what they were like onto God and so we distort his image. Despite this, I believe there is a longing in our heart to know him.

Jesus shows us what the Father is really like. In John 17, we read that Jesus has made his Father's name known and that is much more than a simple introduction. It is the revealing of the full nature, personality and character of the Father. Everything Jesus did was a reflection of what his Father is like: he healed people because Father is a healer, he provided for people because Father is a provider, he was kind and gentle with people because that is what Father is like. To know what the Father is really like we should look at Jesus rather than look through the filters of our earthly parents.

Moses asked to see the nature and personality of God and we read the account of that in Exodus 34:6-7. What Moses saw in part we can fully see and experience. Our Father is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.

Jesus is the one who reveals the Father to us and we have a promise in John 17 that he will continue to make the Father known. If we see Jesus, we see the Father.

We do not have to be satisfied with dark or fuzzy filters but we can see him clearly. He is the perfect Father and he wants to be a Father to us. As we begin to know him as Jesus knows him we enter into a completely new relationship with him. This is walking as Jesus walked.