Jesus: the Express Image of God

Fathers and Sons resemble. Men know children by knowing their father though not knowing before that the fathers had any children at all. Children will resemble their fathers and those who see the children, see in a way their fathers also. Jesus Christ was God’s Son, begotten before the foundation of the world, “who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person.” (Hebrews 1:2)

When Moses was given the job of bringing that multitude of unbelieving ungrateful, sinful Israelites from Egypt to Canaan, he had the greatest and hardest job ever man had. When things went to suit Israel, Moses got no credit and when things went wrong he got all the blame and more than once his very life was in danger. God protected Him however and showed to any who doubted, that He had called Moses and was mighty to deliver Him from his enemies. Moses was a real man of God and the only thing he desired from God was to see his glory and he asked Him saying, “I beseech thee, show me thy glory,” so God put him in a cleft of the rock and he saw His back parts as he passed by. (Exodus 33:18) But Moses not only saw the glory of God, but like all others who really see it his face was lit up with it. The glory of God was not popular in those days and more than it is today and the people who were afraid to come nigh unto God on his face. This is the only thing Moses got out of the whole business, the people cared nothing at all about him and he did not even go into the land of promise, but he did see the glory of God and he was the only one who did see it. Years later many people went into the land, but Moses was the only one who saw the glory of God in the way that he saw it.

Now when Jesus came into the world, God let men have a look at Himself in His Son, “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” He was the express image of God and everyone who really knew God recognized God in Jesus Christ. In the very beginning of His ministry, before His fame had gone abroad into all the land, He came to Nathaniel. It is a wonderful thing to know God and also to be known and recognized by Him as one of His, Jesus with His knowledge of what is in man said, “Behold an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile.” Nathaniel who knew God immediately recognized Him and said “Rabbi thou are the son of God” (M. 47:51) Praise God they recognized each other and God and His children still recognize each other. But this same Jesus who was so readily recognized by Nathaniel was not recognized in the higher circles for the simple reason that they did not know God.

Then later, Jesus took Peter, James and John up into a mountain to pray and as He prayed the fashion of His countenance was altered and His raiment was white and glistening (Matt 17). Moses and Elias, (Moses who had been so anxious to see God’s glory was now living in Glory) and they spake of His decease which He should accomplish at Jerusalem. Peter and the rest were heavy with sleep and when they were awake they saw His glory and the two men that stood with Him. Jesus like God showed His glory to those closest to Him.

As Jesus showed forth the glory of God he also manifested the grace of God. He was full and running over with the grace of God. Grace is a wonderful thing, it is freedom, life and peace in Jesus Christ to everyone who will take it. No matter where Jesus went there was something done, the grace of God was so upon Him that it had effect on everyone with whom He came in contact. His very clothes were charged with it, so that when the woman who had an issue of blood 12 years touched His garment by faith she was immediately made whole; Jesus knowing that virtue had bone out of Him asked who had touched Him and the woman confessed and was told to go in peace. Praise God the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men. He who was full of grace when John the Baptist first saw Him was still full of grace in Pilate’s Hall when men were mocking, scoffing and torturing His flesh. In the garden when Peter cut off the ear of the Servant of the High Priest, Jesus full of grace healed it. When they had lifted up the Son of God on the cross and He was hanging there in agony, He was still full of grace and when the poor thief who had spent his life in Sin said “Lord remember me”, Jesus still full of grace said “Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise” with His last breaths He was giving forth the grace of God.

Jesus looked like God, but it was not until after they had received the promise of the Father that His brethren began to resemble Him. When Peter and John went up to the Temple to pray and saw the lame man, Peter began to resemble Jesus and as he said “In the name of Jesus of Nazareth rise up and walk” the man was wonderfully delivered. And when they began to act like Jesus they began to be treated like Jesus. Men rose up against them. Many are saying today that they want to be like Jesus, but they show very plainly that they will not stand for being treated as He was. But Praise God when these were treated like Jesus they praised God and rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. When Barnabas who had an estate sold it and laid the money at the Apostles’ feet, he began to look like Jesus “For ye know the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though He was rich yet for your sakes He became poor, that he through His poverty might become rich.” We see how His Brother Peter resembled Him in one way and His brother Barnabas in another. I do not believe He was ashamed of either of them, Praise God!

When the Apostles quit serving tables to give themselves to prayer and the Ministry of the word, they chose out seven men of honest report to attend to this business. Among this seven there was a man named Stephen who was full of faith and of the Holy Ghost. Now men full of faith and the Holy Ghost do not stay long at serving tables. The Apostles or the Multitude might have known when they selected Stephen that serving tables would not satisfy him for long. We find before long Brother Stephen began to resemble his brother Jesus as we find him doing great wonders and miracles among the people and those of the synagogue began to dispute with him just as they had done with His Master. But as the brethren had been promised “a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist” of course they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which Stephen spake, they could however do as they had done to Jesus, that is suborn false witnesses who falsely accused him of blasphemy before the Council. When he spake before the High Priest the Holy Ghost which was within Him spake and Stephen like Moses before him with his face as it had been the face of an angel let the Spirit have right of way and spake the words which cost him his life. He or the Spirit in him began with Abraham and went right on until he accused them of the betrayal and murder of the Just One and demanded “which of the Prophets have not your Fathers persecuted.” These words cut them to the heart and they gnashed on him with their teeth, but he still full of the Holy Ghost, looked into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at God’s right hand. He told his murderers, “Behold I see the heavens opened and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.” They ran upon him with one accord and casting him out of the City stoned him, He crying out to the Lord Jesus to receive his spirit and not to lay the sin to their charge.

Jesus being full of grace had and Praise God still has plenty for His Brethren it is of “His fullness have all we received grace for (or upon) grace. He has such a fullness that there is plenty and to spare for all. The boldness of Peter and John that made men Marvel, the liberality and self denial of Barnabas the Christ like spirit of Stephen all came of His fullness. Grace upon grace, grace on top of grace, grace and more grace, grace for you and for me in every trial, every circumstance, bless His name. “And with great power gave the Apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, the great grace was upon them all. Upon them all thanks be to God. May God help each one of us to press in for our share.