In the vast expanse of human history, the question of what God is like has echoed through the ages. It resonates in the melodies of songs, the verses of hymns, the strokes of artistic masterpieces, and fervent prayers in the darkest of times. From ancient texts to contemporary sermons, from whispered prayers to scholarly debates, humanity has grappled with this profound inquiry. What is God like, and how can we truly know?
Does the divine hurl thunderbolts like Zeus? Is He an absent landlord, disinterested and distant? Is God perceived as a puppet master, orchestrating pain and suffering, or an unmoved mover, or absent landlord? Is the divine the sum total of all that is, encompassing the cosmos in its entirety? Are celestial bodies like the Sun & Stars to be revered as deities in their own right? Is God violent or a moral monster? Does God care? Does she embody love, compassion, and goodness, offering solace and redemption to a broken world?
Throughout the centuries, answers to this question have been sought in myriad ways. Some turn to the teachings of ancient prophets, while others find solace in the profound wisdom of religious texts. From the thunderous proclamations of preachers to the silent contemplations of mystics, the search for understanding has taken many forms.
Yet amidst this vast landscape of beliefs and interpretations, one voice stands out—a voice that speaks not merely in words, but in the very essence of existence itself. In the book of Hebrews, a sermon-like text from the early Christian church, we find a profound declaration about the nature of God:
"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).
Here, the author of Hebrews presents a radical idea—that Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen one, is not merely a messenger of God, but the very embodiment of the divine. In Jesus, we see not just a glimpse, but the full revelation of God's nature. He is described as the "exact representation" of God.
This profound declaration challenges conventional notions of divinity and offers humanity a new paradigm through which to understand the nature of God. No longer is God distant and unknowable; in Jesus Christ, God becomes intimately known and accessible to humanity.
Archbishop Michael Ramsey beautifully encapsulates this idea by stating that "God is Christ-like, and in him is no un-Christlikeness at all." In other words, Jesus Christ reveals the very essence of God's character—his love, mercy, and compassion. As C.S. Lewis aptly puts it, "Jesus is what the Father has to say to us."
In the person of Jesus Christ, we find not only a teacher or a prophet, but the very image of God himself. Through his life, teachings, death, and resurrection, Jesus unveils the depths of God's love for humanity. He demonstrates God's willingness to enter into the human experience, to suffer alongside us, and ultimately to offer redemption and reconciliation.
Other passages in the New Testament also affirm the divinity of Jesus and his role in revealing God to humanity:
- John 1:1-3: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made."
- Colossians 1:15-20: "The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation... For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him."
- Philippians 2:5-11: "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage... Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name."
- John 14:9: "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father."
For those who seek to understand what God is like, the answer for the Christian lies not in abstract speculation or theological debates, but in the person of Jesus Christ. He is the lens through which we can truly comprehend the nature of God—a God who in his nature and character is the very embodiment of love.
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