Like Son Like....Father?
"If God's like Jesus, I'm in."
You’ve likely heard the familiar phrase, “Like father, like son.” This maxim certainly rings true in a lot of ways. We learn a lot from our fathers, and in turn naturally act like them. Even against our own will. One moment we heroically claim we’ll never be like our parents, then we grow up, have kids and start acting exactly like our parents. It sneaks up on you. Sons often resemble their fathers not only in behavior, but also in looks. Like father, like son. But is the opposite statement true? If one is like the other, is the other like the one? Like son, like father? To this question I think the apostle John would say, “YES!”
No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side—he has revealed him.
- John 1:18
Jesus’s biographer claims that no one has ever seen God. No wonder we all have different conceptions of Him. We bring our assumptions, our baggage, the good and bad of our earthly fathers, and project all of that onto our idea of God. One may think of God as a loving father, another may think of him as a cruel dictator running the puppets of the universe. Or others may assume God is just a fairy tale we’ve constructed based on some emotional need. But no matter what you think of God, you are incorporating some guess work into your assessment. Simply because, no one has ever seen God.
But John (as well as other biblical writers) claim that we can know what God is like. How? By looking at the one who has revealed Him — Jesus. John says that the one and only Son is himself God and has revealed what God is like.
As Glen Scrivener says, “If God’s like Jesus, I’m in.” Prior to this aha moment in Glen’s own life, he claims he thought of God like someone thinks of electricity. You don’t understand it, it can bring great power in your life if handled properly, but if you get it wrong you get zapped.
But is it true? Is God really like Jesus? Or is this just an attempt to try and tone down the judgmental God of the Old Testament? Is it just wishful thinking? Years ago, I would have objected, saying we are just trying to tame God. We are trying to remove judgment and wrath and replace it with grace and good vibes. I must have forgotten some key Scriptures, such a few chapters further in John when he says, “The Father, in fact, judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son.” Jesus is grace and truth. Not one or the other.
But is it true? Is God really like Jesus? We’ve already seen one New Testament writer say “yes” in the opening pages of Jesus’s biography. But can anybody else confirm? John is the “Beloved” after all, maybe he has romanticized Jesus. We need a no-nonsense writer, let’s ask Paul.
He writes to the church in Colossae that “He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God” and that “God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him”. The New Living Translation says Jesus is the “visible image” of an invisible God. Let’s see if we can Greek our way out of this. What does that word image really mean in the original language?
The word for image is eikōn which can be translated image or likeness. One lexicon says this word, “Refers generally to an image or depiction that represents something or someone.” Well that didn’t work. Maybe Jesus really is the depiction that represents God. Maybe God really is like Jesus.
Or is he just a general expression of God? Maybe they have some similarities, but Jesus doesn’t represent God exactly? Like a statue of poor craftsmanship. It’s similar but not exact. (See the recently revealed Dwyane Wade statue as an example).
But the writer of Hebrews says, "The Son is the radiance (or reflection) of God’s glory and the exact expression (or representation, copy, reproduction) of his nature.” Checkmate. Jesus is the image, the revelation, the eikōn, depiction, radiance, reflection, and the exact expression, representation, copy, or reproduction of God.
So where does that leave us? If you’re not a follower of Jesus, you can still reject God. But don’t reject Him based on your own assumptions. At least fight a fair fight. Reject him based on the person of Jesus. Which, if you read about his life, I imagine you’d find him compelling rather than repelling.
Or if you are a follower of Jesus, when you describe God to others, don’t describe the God of your assumptions. Instead describe the God of Jesus.
Maybe the God you don’t believe in is a God I wouldn’t believe in either. But don’t just take it from me. Maybe the God you don’t believe in, is a God Jesus himself doesn’t believe in either.
If God is like Jesus, I’m in too.
-Dan
References
Christian Standard Bible. (2017). Holman Bible Publishers.
Douglas Mangum, “Idolatry,” ed. Douglas Mangum et al., Lexham Theological Wordbook, Lexham Bible Reference Series (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014).
Glen Scrivener shares that quote in multiple places. Even in his Instagram bio.
For more from Glen Scrivener, visit Speak Life.