There’s a story about some older men who gathered to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their college graduation. Naturally, all of them had changed in appearance over the years – they were grayer, heavier, balder, more wrinkled and so on. But instead of providing name tags, as some reunions do, the master of ceremonies decided that it would be more fun to have each man stand up in turn and have the others try to identify him using as a guide the picture from their college yearbook, which the men had on the tables in front of them. As they proceeded, they were able to identify all but one man. Nothing in his present appearance gave him away. Finally, the man said, “All right! I see that you do not remember me. Wait just a moment and I will give you a clue.” With that, he stepped out of the room and then came back with a good–looking young man by his side. “This,” he said, “is my son. Now do you know who I am?” Almost immediately several men called out his name. The appearance of the son, who resembled his father, enabled the other men to identity the father.
Jesus helps us to see God! Of course God is God, not human. God doesn’t ‘look’ like Jesus physically. He is spirit. Yet as the Apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Philippians: “Jesus, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” That’s the presence of God we have just celebrated at Christmas. God came down at Christmas to fulfill the gracious promise of a Messiah who would redeem His people. In doing so, Paul adds: “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:6-8) Jesus is the faithfulness, the grace, the mercy and the lamb of God who has come to take away the sins of the world.
We who believe in Him and follow Him are to love and serve others as He did. Like Jesus helps us to see God, we are to help our neighbors see God and the gift from above – Jesus! In this Christmas and Epiphany season as we begin a new year may we be those who help others see God and His love in Jesus. Let us reflect His love to all around us. Let us humble ourselves and offer our lives as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God!
A Blessed and Joyous New Year to you – and to all who see Jesus and God through you!
~ Pastor Dennis J. Krueger