Coins, Cookies, and Other Exact Images

Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. (1 Corinthians 13:12 NLT)

Baby oil is the secret ingredient to homemade modeling dough. Unlike the store-bought variety, it smells soft and fresh, and when I had three small girls, it lasted longer too. I’d cook up a batch every few months, and our daughters spent hours “making cookies,” stamping their plastic cookie cutters into the dough and giggling with satisfaction when the exact replica of their cutter—be it a unicorn or a dragon—looked back at them.

But most exact replicas aren’t easy to create.

The author of Hebrews wrote, “The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command” (1:3 NLT).

In Jesus’s time, craftsmen made coins by stamping soft, hot metal with a pattern. When a new king or emperor rose to power, a hired engraver created a portrait of the ruler, and that portrait got stamped into the coins. The ruler intended that anyone looking at that image would consider it like looking at the authority and person of the king and then act accordingly. That image was referred to as a “character.” Yes, the same word this writer in Hebrews used to refer to Jesus as the image of God. It means the image is exact. And looking at the image carries all the weight of looking at the original.

What is the writer of Hebrews saying, then?

Look at Jesus, and you’ll see him mirroring God himself. God’s character is exactly reproduced in Christ. His soft human flesh carries the imprint of the King’s portrait, just like those coins carried the image of ancient rulers. Humans could now interact with that image as if God stood before them—because he did. For generations, God had been sending pencil sketches of himself to his people, but now he’d given his exact portrait. We needed to meet God, face-to-face.

People can form friendships on social media. But meeting those people in real life solidifies something even better. Online dating can be a great way to meet someone, but eventually, face-to-face has to happen if the relationship is to go anywhere. Letters and emails go only so far in understanding someone’s character. Proximity makes it all clearer.

Humans have always had a tendency to make God in their image, not the other way around. Perhaps closer, with hands and feet and a heartbeat like ours, Jesus would find a way to truly let us see him.

God makes his final identity statement: If you want to know who I am, what I value, what I want, look at Jesus. Listen to Jesus. Come alongside Jesus. Everything goes through the lens of who he is. He is “I am,” and I am he. There is a perfect correlation. The stamp is exact.

When I don’t understand something about God the Father, I think about this verse, Hebrews 1:3: “The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command” (NLT).

Why does the God of the Old Testament seem so violent? I don’t know. But I know Jesus is his exact stamp. God, then, is what Jesus is—loving of enemies, infinitely willing to turn the other cheek, generous with second chances.

Why does the God of the Old Testament seem to focus so much on his own glory? I don’t know. But I see Jesus washing others’ feet, praising a poor widow with only two coins, humbly bowing his head before the cross. This, I know, is God’s character.

Why are humans so cruel? I don’t know. But I do know the God-image who took time to sit with small children. The Jesus who wailed over a city. The Jesus who healed and smiled and laughed with his friends. The Jesus who cared for the woman at the well whom no one wanted near and suggested we invite lepers to a party. I know this is a portrait of God.

Why does God seem sometimes silent? I don’t know. But I see a Jesus who prayed with all his soul. I know he prayed for his followers and wept with his friends.

This is exactly what God looks and acts like. Hebrews tells us so.

Do you have questions about the goodness of God? Here’s the answer: “In these final days, [God] has spoken to us through his Son…The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God” (Hebrews 1:2–3 NLT).

God, thank you for loving us enough to send us yourself. Thank you for being love in my doubts and peace in my uncertainty. Create your character in me, God, so I can show others who you are. Amen.

Scripture for Reflection

“In the beginning, the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.” (John 1:1–4 NLT)

“But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,’ says the Lord.” (Jeremiah 31:33–34 NLT)

Reach for More

 Think of one question you have about God. Search for Scriptures and stories about Jesus that speak to that question. Meditate on them. Ask God to make his character clear to you in that concern.

Jill Richardson is a writer, speaker, pastor, mom of three, and author of five books. She likes to travel, grow flowers, read Tolkien, and research her next project. She believes in Jesus, grace, restoration, kindness, justice, and dark chocolate. Her passion is partnering with the next generation of faith. Jill blogs at jillmrichardson.com.

Photograph © Brimstone Creative, used with permission