Ever notice how the image of a person seems to be the most important thing to society, the media or to many in Hollywood? The recent presidential debate (last night, October 7, 2008, in fact) was inundated with media comments about whose image showed the best connection with the public. One comment was, "Barak Obama seemed to show calmness and coolness while John McCain appeared to be angry at times." It is amazing that some people prefer a cool, calm demeanor over an angry, stern look - even when disastrous conditions and catastrophies are looming.
Of course, understandably, the type of image portrayed by politicians and others in the public eye is about connecting with the humanistic side of people. What about Christ's image to the public? Well one Scripture says, "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him." (Isaiah 53:3) Another Scripture says, "And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! (Matthew 27:29) Not a very pleasing humanistic image, huh? But, isn't there more to the image of this man? Surely he connected with the public more than this. Surely this is not the image that Paul is speaking of.
You may have guessed where I am going with this. Matthew 19:2 says, "And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there." His connection and popularity was great while he was on earth as a man as long as he was meeting the humanistic, temporal needs of people. There were even some who would take him by force to make him a king because of the miracles he performed. "When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone." (John 6:15) Don't we deserve to rule and reign with Him? We are to be be "priests of God and Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." (Revelation 20:6) Surely, this is the image that Paul is speaking of - at least part of it.
Well, not so fast. You see, Jesus did not come to have a popular image on this earth. He came to do the will of His Father and to bring, "many sons (and daughters) to glory. . ." Hebrews 2:10. He did not come to simply feed the "great multitudes." He did not come to fulfill a great image of the temporal, earthly, sensual desires of humans. When he was here on earth He said, "I must preach the kingdom of God. . ." (Luke 4:43) He further said, "Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. (Luke 17:21) The Apostle Paul says, "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." (Romans 14:17) Paul further says, "Who (Father God) hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." (Colossians 1:13-17)
So with sincere longing and desire, I pray Holy Spirit do your complete work in me to change me into the image of Christ. "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 2:18) "And as we have borne the image of the earthy (Adam's nature), we shall also bear the image of the heavenly (Christ's nature). Whose image do you portray? If you are not in His kingdom, simply ask Him to translate you into His kingdom. Confess that you are a sinner, with the fallen nature, trust His blood and accept His power to bring you in to His kingdom. Then the Holy Spirit will take you on an image changing tour that will be all glorious! The Holy Spirit is ready change you, "from glory to glory," into the image of Christ.
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