WHAT IS GOD LIKE?
Kendra Intihar
Today's Scripture: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8, ESV
Theme: God doesn’t change. Contrary to popular perception, the God of the Old and New Testaments are one and the same.
UNTIL YOU’VE SEEN JESUS…
John wrote that no one has seen God until they’ve seen Jesus (John 1:18). He said that only Jesus knew what God was like, and that Jesus is the revelation of God. John was essentially telling his first century audience that without Jesus, it was impossible to know the fullness of God’s character and that prior to His ministry on earth, we could not properly interpret God. This would have been a subversive assertion back then, and I think we still struggle with it today.
I remember reading Old Testament stories and thinking that God and Jesus must be separate entities. In fact, I’m embarrassed to say that I used to think God was a bit angry and volatile while Jesus’ role was to come calm God down so He would stop being mad at us. Of course, Scripture tells us that this is not the case! We know that Jesus didn’t come to change God’s mind about humanity because God is immutable, which means unchanging (see Malachi 3:6; Numbers 23:19; James 1:17). If God cannot change or be changed, then what does Jesus—the revelation of God in flesh—teach us about how God has always felt toward us?
LOVE GOD; LOVE OTHERS
I imagine that many of us are guilty of reading the Bible in a way that makes it seem like we needed Jesus to rescue us from an angry God. In fact, Jesus did come to rescue us, not from God… but from sin and death. God Himself came to save us from the things of this world that ensnare us and keep us from living in wholeness and relationship with Him. When we read Scripture as a single narrative with the cohesive thread of God’s persistent love, it becomes clear that God’s desire has always been to rescue us from anything that would prevent us from fully experiencing His love.
The God of the Old Testament was perfectly revealed in the person of Jesus Christ, which is an invitation to re-read Scripture through a Jesus-coated lens. In fact, in Matthew 22:37-40, Jesus taught that the Law and the Prophets—essentially, the entire Hebrew Bible—hang on two commandments: love God and love others. This was likely a surprise to his audience, who would’ve known that there were 613 laws they were supposed to follow. They had been focused on following the letter of the law, and Jesus told them it was more important to focus on the spirit of the law: whatever you do, do it with a heart posture of loving God and loving others.
GOD IS LIKE JESUS
Jesus is Immanuel, God with us. The radiance of God’s glory. The exact imprint of His nature. (Hebrews 1:3). What is God like? God is like Jesus. He is compassionate, accessible, relational, transcendent, and transformative. He is with those on the margins: the mourners, the widows, the orphans, the foreigners, the sick, the shunned, and the poor.
With His “Greatest Commandment,” Jesus reframes every story from Genesis to Revelation, reminding us that the God of the universe is holding humanity throughout time, inviting us to love Him and to love the people He created.
Make it Personal: God is unchanging, and God is like Jesus. This should inform the way we interact, not only with Scripture, but also with people. As you read your Bible this week, consider how knowing that God is exactly like Jesus might help you understand and apply Scripture differently, and ask God to move your heart toward love of God and love of others.
Pray: Lord, I praise You for Your immutable, unchanging nature. You are the same yesterday, today, and forever, and who You are is Love. If there is any way I have misunderstood You, please show me more clearly who You are through Your Son, Jesus. Amen.
Read: Colossians 1:15; John 14:9; Matthew 22:37-40
Weekly Memory Verse: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8, ESV