12 Days of Christmas: Day #8 Jesus is THE IMAGE of THE INVISIBLE GOD

As we celebrate Jesus’ birth, there are no picture albums to open and reflect upon, and no year-by-year timeline progression of school photos to celebrate His growth from newborn baby to adult. No one today knows exactly what Jesus looked like physically (though we can make some guesses based on his ethnicity and the cultural norms of his era), but, thanks to God’s faithful Word, we can each be certain we know much about what Jesus looked like in character–emotionally and spiritually. 

One of the most amazing realities about Jesus Christ is that He is described to be “the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15). He bears the image of God and He reflects that image perfectly. 

As humans, we are said to be created in the image of God, created to bear His image on earth; but we do not reflect the image of God perfectly. Our image-bearing has been tainted by our sinful nature. We do not represent God perfectly–only Jesus does. 

God’s Word tells us that “no one has ever seen God; the only God, who is seated by the Father’s side, he has made him known” (John 1:18). No one had seen God. Moses and Elijah  had seen glimpses of God as His glory passed over them, but no one had ever seen God fully. And, yet, God’s Word had revealed enough about Him for believers to have their own word picture of what He “looked like” in character and heart.  

In the New Testament, Jesus did this perfectly. In fact, He told His disciples that because they had seen Him, they had seen their Heavenly Father (John 14:9). These men were able to see Jesus physically, with their own two eyes, and to know Him personally in relationship. And Jesus told them that they had an opportunity to better see what God looked like simply by looking at His Son. 

And, as believers today, we are no different in this ability to see the Father by seeing the Son. Though we don’t see Jesus physically with our eyes, we can see Him with our hearts and minds and recognize Him with our souls, as we grow to know Him more and more by abiding in God’s Word. 

Spending time in God’s Word, and specifically studying the life of Jesus, allows us to learn more about God’s character and what He “looks like.” And as we seek to know Him more and follow Him in greater obedience, we, too, can better reflect His image in the world.

Hebrews 1:3 tells us that “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature.” The exact imprint of His nature. We will never be able to be an exact imprint of God’s nature, but we can be assured that Jesus is. And, by focusing on the truth of His character and how He bears the image of God, we can know both the Father and the Son in greater measure.

Have you learned more about God’s character lately as you’ve studied the life of Christ? How have the gospels helped paint a picture of the image of God in your mind’s eye? 

How does this attribute of Jesus–His being the image of the invisible God–affect you today? How does it affect your adoration and worship of Jesus? How does it increase your joy and your hope?

How will you seek to bear your Father’s image in greater measure throughout your days? 

Take a moment to pray. Thank God for the amazing truth that we can know Him more by knowing His Son. Thank Him for the sweet mystery of His physical appearance, so that we might focus more wholly on His emotional and spiritual appearance and how that affects us as His children. Confess the ways you may not take the time to get to know Him and His character more through His Word. Ask for forgiveness and for help in knowing Him more. Ask Him to give you eyes to see more of His character. Ask Him for faithful strength from the Holy Spirit to continue to grow more and more in your own Christlikeness.