"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet He did not sin. Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4: 15-16
Yesterday, I took our cat, Kiwi, to the vet for his annual vaccination and check-up. From the moment I put him in the carrying case, he vociferously objected to the entire outing. Pupils enlarged by fear, he was bent on forming some route of escape, becoming increasingly anxious when his plans came to naught. Though this outing was for his own good, no amount of soothing or cajoling from me, his loving keeper, could quiet him.
When we returned home, it took him a while to calm down. As I stroked him and spoke reassurance to him, it occurred to me how this scenario represented our relationship with God.
God is Spirit, eternal, divine, omniscient and holy. We are dependent creatures of his, sinful and needy sheep who do not know what will happen next. Warm-blooded and finite, willful and stubborn, we often do not know what is best for us. After our Fall into sin, we were at enmity with our God, with whom Adam had once walked in easy fellowship.
Now what? How could this chasm between two very different entities be forged? We are as different as a cat is to a person.
Enter Jesus, the Word who became flesh and made his dwelling among us (John 1:14). He did not come into the world to condemn us, but to save the world through Him (John 3:17). He became as one of us, yet without sin, to show us the love of the Father, and to show us the way home. He "made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death - even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:7-8)
As I pondered this, song lyrics came to mind:
One of Us
What if God was one of us,
Just a slob like one of us,
Just a stranger on a bus
Tryin' to make his way home?
If God had a face,
What would it look like?
And would you want to see,
If seeing meant that you would have to believe
In things like heaven and in Jesus
and the saints and all the prophets?
The questions posed within this song have all been answered in Jesus. He had a face, was heard and seen, he hungered, thirsted and slept like any one of us. He lived, died and rose from the grave! One of us, only better! Much better.
"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched -this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete." 1 John 1: 1-4
