The Exact Imprint

"He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word."

(Hebrews 1:3)

Some people have said, "I like Jesus, but I don't like God." I think it's because the "vengeance is mine" and "wrath of God" press that god gets among those who aren't connected to a church. And I get that. There are some passages of the Bible that I cringe at when I read them. But my understanding of Scripture is that it was written by humans, trying their best to discern God's divine inspiration. Yet, there are those "vengeance" and "wrathful" passages, for sure.

While reading the start of the book of Hebrews today, however, I came across a FABULOUS verse. It's talking about Jesus: "He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being." I love that. We know a LOT about Jesus (both from the Bible and from non-biblical accounts). He hung out with the folks nobody else would. He spent time with the sick and the outcast. He refused to be a military leader - the kind that was used to fighting violence with violence. He taught love, forgiveness, and grace. He stood up to those in power. He healed people who were sick and diseased. He had time for children. Basically, the only people who hated him were the religious leaders who resented his teaching and followers (he challenged their authority).

So... the author of Hebrews tells us that if we want to know what GOD is like... if we want to see the "reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being"... then look at JESUS. That's a God I can dedicate my life to. How about you?