The image of God.

Placed in this world, to show this world who their ruler is, who God is.

On the sixth day, on a Friday, in the image of God, He created them.

And after that, He rested. Pleased with the completion of His work.

Yet the image abandoned their role, turned their backs on the Original of their imagery, rebelled against their King, causing all of creation to break in rebellion.

The image of God.

Placed anew in this world, the Word became flesh, to live among us and show this world who their ruler is, who God is.

On another Friday, another sixth day, the perfect image is shown to the people and proclaimed to be The Man.

The image of the King is placed in the world to show the world their true ruler, and all his rebellious subjects can do is cry out for His death.

All of creation, from the accusations of the leaders to the sharp bits of thorn drawing blood, is in rebellion against Him.

And what does the image of God do, when placed in the world to dwell among the rebels?

Not come sweeping in like a general, blazing a path through the rebel leaders in a swath of well-deserved destruction.

The image of God, instead, gives Himself up completely to His rebel creation out of obedience to God the Father.

Behold the man.

This is the true image of our God, the “living, loving, bruised, and bleeding God.”

To hear my blog post read aloud, just click the play button. If you’re reading this in an email, you may have to click here to hear the post on my site.

The idea for this post, and the quote at the end, came from N. T. Wright’s study of John.

Art credits: Adam and Eve in the Earthly Paradise by Johann Wenzel Peter; Adam and Eve Expelled from the Garden from The Story of the Bible; The Adoration of the Shepherds by Charles Le Brun; Behold the Man by Heinrich Hofmann; The Three Crosses by Rembrandt