Week 49—Thursday John 14:8-11
John 14:8-11
Week 49—THURSDAY
“THE STAMP OF GOD’S VERY BEING”
We consider the other portion of the likeness to God on the part of the Son: “The stamp of God’s very being.” This statement dots the “i’s” and crosses the “t’s” of the statement: “He who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). This is as far as words reach in describing the Word.
We in our homesickness for our Heavenly Father have looked at nature to see the image of God. We view sunrises and sunsets and mountains and flowers and wonder if God is like that. But the storm rages, thunder rolls, floods arise, and the earthquakes shake; nature is cruel, and our faith in God’s being, like Nature, is shaken with it all. No, God is not like that! The nature-worshipers are confused—and empty. Then we look on the work of our hands—on idols. We go through austerities to wring out of the idol some favor or attention. For instance, in the hottest period, with the thermometer 115 degrees in the shade, devotees in India will measure their length on the ground for fifty miles to get to the temple to ring the bell, and thus get the attention of the idol. But the idol sits attentionless.
Then we look to our books for some word from God. But the letters are letters, not life. We drink of the words, but know in our heart of hearts that this is not the Word.
Then we look on the face of Jesus, and in one look we know our quest is over. Jesus is “the stamp of God’s very being.” The doubt now is not whether Jesus is like God, but rather is God like Jesus? If God is, then God is a good God and trustable. If the best of persons should try to think out what kind of God they would like to see in the universe, they could not imagine anything better than that God should be like Jesus.
O Jesus, if I should transfer all your qualities of character to God, I could not do it without lowering our estimate of God. Lower? I heighten my view of God. What a blessed Son you are to show me such a blessed Father. I thank you. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: When I say God, I think Jesus. And unerringly I am right. When I say God and think something else I am wrong—always.