All of us have a God image. It is how we see and define and relate to God. A.W. Tozer said that, “what comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” Jesus knew this and He challenged people to think about it. Take the interaction between Jesus and Nicodemus. In John 3, Nicodemus came to Jesus under cover of the night and declared, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God…” (John 3:2). Nicodemus and the Pharisees thought they had Jesus figured out. They couldn’t allow their hearts and minds to acknowledge that Jesus was the Messiah, so they rationalized what was happening and pigeon-holed Him into a manageable and workable identity; a teacher.
Think about the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25. The man who received the one talent came to the Master and said, “I knew you to be a hard man…and I was afraid…”. This is Jesus illustrating this man’s ‘God image’.
What we think we have figured out about God becomes our filter for how we relate to Him. Our ‘God image’ is formed in us throughout our lifetime and typically is a reflection of our human experiences. Was your father distant, non-relational, etc…The way you see the Father will most likely mirror that experience. God uses very intentional ways to illustrate our relationship with Him and with each other. He uses family (Father/Son, Bride/Bridegroom), friendship (Jesus calls us friends) and the picture of a body (how the church relates to each other). But our sins, wounds and lies are barriers to intimacy with Jesus and others. Only He can heal those hurting places.
So, who do I say Jesus is? What have I believed about Jesus throughout my life? What have I thought I had figured out about Jesus? One of the main things Jesus has been doing in my life through the Immanuel Approach is to reshape and reform these false ‘God images’ that I have believed. When I see Jesus as He really is, I can experience His true nature, heart and character. And as I connect with the true Lord Jesus, I can allow Him to heal the things that are in the way of intimacy with Him.