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Jesus, the Image of the Invisible God
By Cyndi Murphy
When you picture Jesus in your mind's eye, what do you see? In all likelihood you see a man with long hair, flowing robes, and kind eyes. You know, the picture artists from the 17th century have given us. Of course, we have no idea what his physical body actually looked like, but Isaiah 53 does tell us that to look upon his bodily form was to come away not impressed.
For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. (Isaiah 53:2-3)
So Jesus, the man walking about Galilee and Judea , was not a man to attract us with handsomeness.
Does the Bible tell us anything else about what Jesus looked like? Colossians 1:15 and 19 tells us that Jesus is the "image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation . . . for it was the Father's good pleasure for the fulness to dwell in Him." Jesus told his disciples, "If you have seen me, you have the seen the Father." (John 14:9) So Jesus looks like God. If we look at Jesus--if we would open our eyes and see Jesus--we would see God.
No, I can't tell you what he physically looked like except to say that as a Jewish man of Palestine , he was olive-skinned and had brown eyes and brown hair. But I can tell you what I see when I look at Jesus through the window of Scriptural revelation. And I can tell you what his Father looks like as well. When I look at Jesus I see Outrageous Love, Unwavering Faith, Invincible Power, Amazing Grace, and Eternal Hope.
Jesus, the image of the invisible God, is the image of Outrageous Love
I see this Outrageous Love as he emptied himself, was clothed in humanity, and became obedient all the way to the cross.
As he caressed the untouchable leper.
As he granted sanity to the monster living among the tombs of Genneseret.
As he fed the hungry multitudes.
As he cleansed his Father's temple of its defilers.
As he laid down his life, not just for his friends, but even for those who beat and murdered him--for those who hated and reviled him.
It is this Outrageous Love that kept him on the cross--it wasn't the nails. It was his Outrageous Love for me and for you.
Jesus, the image of the invisible God, is the image of Unwavering Faith.
I see Unwavering Faith as he kept teaching and healing and loving even as the crowds turned away;
As each disciple turned his back when Jesus needed them the most;
As his own Father turned His face away, unable to look at the sin he became on the cross.
It is this Unwavering Faith in his Father's eternal plan to redeem sinful humanity that kept Jesus walking toward Jerusalem; that led him to the garden of betrayal; that kept him silent before his accusers.
Jesus, the image of the invisible God, is the image of Invincible Power.
I see Invincible Power as he turned water into the best wine of the wedding feast;
As he stilled the winds and waves and the fear of his disciples;
As he defied gravity and walked on the stormy Sea of Galilee;
As he gave the grieving widow of Nain back her only son and later called forth four-day dead Lazarus from his tomb.
It is this Invincible Power that crushed the Serpents' head and broke the chains of death, freeing Jesus from the grave and defeating the power that sin and death held over you and me.
Jesus, the image of the invisible God, is the image of Amazing Grace.
I see Amazing Grace as he loved us and died for us even while we were yet sinners;
As he offers forgiveness not as a reward for our own goodness and law-keeping
but as a precious gift to those who believe and trust in him;
As he reigns now in heaven interceding for us before his Father and our God.
It is this sweet Amazing Grace that so astounds us with its generosity and purity which draws us near to Jesus and completely disarms the Enemy of our souls.
Jesus, the image of the invisible God, who reveals to us Outrageous Love, Unwavering Faith, Invincible Power, and Amazing Grace offers us, we prideful creatures who chose sin over union with God, hope--Eternal Hope.
Because of him we have the promise
Of help in time of trouble;
Of escape in the day of temptation;
Of joy in the midst of sorrow;
Of comfort in the darkness of distress;
Of victory over death;
Of eternal life in the splendor of heaven.
It is this Eternal Hope -- the confident expectation of meeting our Lord and seeing Our God face to face--that teaches us how to live . . . and how to die.
Yes, Jesus is the image of the invisible God and what a beautiful God He is.
The God of Outrageous Love,
Unwavering Faith
Invincible Power
Amazing Grace
And Eternal Hope.
Let us be conformed to the image of Jesus as Paul wrote in Romans 8:29
so that the beauty of Jesus can be seen in each of us.
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