The Essential JesusSample

What Is God Like?

PRAY: Dear God, I'm hungry to know you better, thirsty to experience you more.

READ: Hebrews 1:1-4

REFLECT: I once saw a video of young children answering a simple question: "What is God like?" I chuckled when the first adorable child looked straight into the camera, smiled, and replied, "I don't know." They asked another child, who shrugged and said, "Don't know." And another, "Don't know." Several more gave the same answer. The last child just shook her head and looked down.

What is God like? No matter how old you are, that's not an easy question. The writer to the Hebrews (we don't know who it was) has the best answer. If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus; he's the "exact representation" of God (v. 3). Want to know what God thinks about the world? Look at Jesus. Want to know what God likes and dislikes? Look at Jesus. What to know what God thinks about people or you? Look at Jesus.

The book of Hebrews will go on to cover all kinds of issues that were important to the first Jewish Christians, as well as to us. It starts with an important fact: God has always wanted people to know who he is and has been saying so for centuries (v. 1). But in Jesus, God goes even further. He shows up himself and says, "Look! This is who I am."

Make no mistake. Although Jesus was human, he was no ordinary guy. He was an expression of God's glory (also see John 8:54), who died for sins, came to life, and returned to his place in heaven (Hebrews 1:3). That's the gospel in a nutshell. As we pursue the essential Jesus through the pages of the Bible, we will confront a man like no other, who is a God like no other.

APPLY: How would you describe what God is like? How could you communicate that to someone this week?

PRAY: Heavenly Father, I'm thankful you want me to know who you are. Despite all my distractions, that's my heart's desire.