Image of God in the Person of Jesus E-Book

Stephen W. Hiemstra

• Herausgeber: T2Pneuma Publishers LLC
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Serie: Image of God
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Seitenzahl: 200

Beschreibung

Our image of God reveals not only God’s character, but our own.

Who is Jesus? Is Jesus more immanent (human) or transcendent (divine)? Because we are created in the image of God and Jesus is divine, the church struggles to define Jesus. This impulse can be a genuine attempt to know God better or it can be an insidious attempt to create God in our own image. This struggle is often tinged with a bit of both.

The Letter to the Church at Thessalonica was likely the first book written in the New Testament. In a literary sense, the implication is that the Apostle Paul is the father of the New Testament. Paul only knew the Risen Christ and, for him, the divinity of Christ was obvious. By contrast, the Gospels that record the humanity of Christ were written almost a generation later. Thus, the transcendence problem facing postmodern people that fixates on the humanity of Christ is relatively new.

My recent book, Image and Illumination (2023), asked the question—What does it mean to be created in the image of God?— focused on Christian anthropology. Embedded in this question is the metaphysical question: Who is God? The New Testament addresses this question with three pictures of God: The person of Jesus, Jesus' teaching about God the Father in the parables, and the founding of the church on Pentecost by the Holy Spirit. In this book, I focus on the Image of God in the Person of Jesus.

Hear the Words; Walk the Steps; Experience the Joy!

Leseprobe

Contents

Endorsements

Other Books by the Author

Title Page

Copyright

Preface

Introduction

Transcendence

Old Testament

The Apostle Paul

The Gospels

Hebrews

The Transcendence Challenge

Self-Awareness

The Self-Referencing Problem

Small-T Transcendence

Large-T Transcendence

Healing Ministry

Old Testament Prophecies

The Mission

Messiah Described

New Covenant

The Story of Isaac

Christ Figures

The Apostle Paul

Paul's Conversion

Primacy of Divinity

Paul's Ministry Partners

Gospel Timing

The Gospels

The Context

Jesus' Early Life

The Lost Years

Available, Ask, Articulate

Emotional Intelligence

Scandalous Engagement

Jesus' Young Life

Pastoral Care

Gethsemane

Jesus' Final Hours

Risen Christ

Conclusions

Trinity

The Template

Image of God

References

About

Notes

If spiritual maturity centers on becoming more like Jesus, then grasping how Jesus reflects who God is and how we, like Jesus, are created in God’s image seems foundational. Stephen Hiemstra provides a scriptural and accessible introduction to explore these mutually illuminating dynamics for those seeking to explore these central mysteries more fully.

David A. Currie

Professor and Dean

Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

Meeting intellectuals where they are, this work communicates a dimension in this world that is usually beyond the reach of the natural mind, except through special revelation.

Annie Hui

Knowing God poses a tough question. Is God in Christ more immanent or transcendent?

Hiemstra expresses God’s immanence through fleshy verbs: “Heal … feed … confront … teach … comfort … visit … pray.” God’s transcendence is more slippery because divinity is a difficult concept to those steeped in a materialistic worldview. If that weren’t enough, how do put these attributes together without creating God in our own image?

Hiemstra tackles this task by focusing on the image of God in the person of Jesus.

John A. "Jack" Calhoun

President and CEO, Hope Matters

The Image of God in the Person of Jesus is the latest of Stephen Hiemstra's books about the image of God and is the best yet. Well-researched, the book is filled with unexpected details that add to the reader's understanding of the gospels, Paul's message, transcendence, postmodernism, etc. in relation to the Church. Undergirding Hiemstra’s scholarly assessment of Jesus as the image of God is his deep well of faith that pours out in the extraordinary prayers that conclude his chapters.

Ann Westerman

In his latest book, Image of God in the Person of Jesus, my good friend and author Stephen Hiemstra navigates the complexities of divinity within the context of our human experience. Through reflections on ancient civilizations, biblical narratives, and theological doctrines, Stephen illuminates the enduring significance of God’s transcendence in our lives. Delving into topics such as the Apostle’s Creed, forgiveness of sins, Old Testament prophecies, and the role of Jesus as both human and divine, Stephen invites us to contemplate the mysteries of our faith.

With clarity and depth, Image of God in the Person of Jesus offers a compelling exploration of the intersection between the divine and the human, inspiring Christians to reflect on their spiritual journey with the Lord.

Eric Teitelman

House of David Ministries

Stephen Hiemstra, in the Image of God in the Person of Jesus, writes,“there are no paths up the mountain to God because God, having created time and space, stands outside of both. We cannot approach God; he must approach us and he did so in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.” Hiemstra’s scholarly research examines extensive sources, from the Bible to Saint Augustine and even the Greek myth of Narcissus, in this lively study of the second person of the Holy Trinity.

Sharron Giambanco

Business owner and writer

What captures seeker attention today is the person and work of Christ. In my seventeen trips to the Middle East, my motivation for going was to visit places where Jesus was born, where He taught, and where He performed miracles. He changed the world. Stephen Hiemstra’s work will help you understand and experience more about this Jesus, the person that we call Christ.

Percy M. Burns

Author of Glorious Freedom

Dr. Hiemstra takes us on a tour of the Biblical passages that reveal the image of God shining through the person of Jesus Christ. Some of the sections will surprise you and cause you to wonder, How does this familiar passage reflect the image of God in Jesus? Yet through the author’s further explanation, you come to appreciate the breadth and profound depth of the image as it glistens in the prophecies, life and teaching of Jesus. However, it doesn’t end there. For as these truths seep into our mind and soul they provide a life-giving perspective that can transform us more and more into this image of our creator.

Rob Bromhead

Pastor Emeritus Centreville Presbyterian Church

Image of God in the Person of Jesus is the last in Stephen Hiemstra's Image of God series and rightfully so. In Jesus we see the culmination of God's plan for humanity, His mercy and saving grace. Stephen's careful and thoughtful approach to the person of Jesus, totally human but at the same time totally divine is compelling for the believer as well as the non-believer. Stephen uses a very logical pathway to present the person of Jesus, from the prophecies in the Old Testament to His resurrection in the New Testament. Make sure you do not skip the Conclusion section where Stephen brings it all together in the topic of the Trinity.

This series lends itself to be used as a personal devotional guide or as a group study. The questions at the end of each chapter help you ensure that you pondered and understood the material presented. But my all time favorite section is the prayer. These prayers are not only profound but they put into words thoughts and doubts I have had and did not know how to express.

May the Lord richly bless you as you delve into this book and learn about who Jesus is and what He has done for you.

Nohemi Zerbi

Commissioned Lay Pastor

First Presbyterian Church of Greenback, TN

Is there anything less suited to our Postmodern world than the Jesus the first Christian’s encountered—a Divine rescuer, breaking through the bounds of space and time? Jesus the ancient rabbi shepherding his small flock of followers seems easier to believe and less challenging to follow. (but) What if Jesus was actually both these things? And what if this Jesus is the one we actually need? Through deep scholarship, guided prayer and introspective questions Stephen Hiemstra offers us a path back to the Jesus who was and is and will be forever.

Aaron McMillan

Pastor

Image of God Series:

Image of God in the Parables

Image of the Holy Spirit and the Church

Image of God in the Person of Jesus

Christian Spirituality Series:

A Christian Guide to Spirituality1

Life in Tension2

Called Along the Way

Simple Faith

Living in Christ

Image and Illumination

Masquerade Series:3

Masquerade

The Detour

Christmas in Havana

Prayerbooks:

Everyday Prayers for Everyday People

Prayers4

Prayers of a Life in Tension

IMAGE OF GOD

IN THE

PERSON OF JESUS

Stephen W. Hiemstra

IMAGE OF GOD IN THE PERSON OF JESUS

Copyright © 2024 Stephen W. Hiemstra

ISNI: 0000-0000-2902-8171, All rights reserved.

With the exception of short excerpts used in articles and critical reviews, no part of this work may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in any form whatsoever, printed or electronic, without prior written permission of the publisher.

T2Pneuma Publishers LLC

P.O. Box 230564, Centreville, Virginia 20120

www.T2Pneuma.com

Names: Hiemstra, Stephen W., author.

Title: Image of God in the person of Jesus / Stephen W. Hiemstra. Series: Image of God

Description: Includes bibliographical references and index. | Centreville, VA: T2Pneuma Publishers LLC, 2024.

Identifiers: LCCN: 2024903643 | ISBN: 978-1-942199-61-8 (paperback) | 978-1-942199-95-3 (KDP) | 978-1-942199-83-0 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH Jesus Christ. | Jesus Christ--Humanity. | God (Christianity) | God--Attributes.| BISAC RELIGION / Christian Living / Devotional | RELIGION / Faith | RELIGION / Christian Living / Spiritual Growth

Classification: LCC BT218 .H54 2024 | DDC 232.8--dc23

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, Copyright © 2000; 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Many thanks to my editors, Jean Arnold and Sarah Hamaker, for their prompt and precise work. Thanks also to my readers, Annie Hui and Nathan Snow, for their helpful comments.

Cover art by C. Hiemstra (2024), Joshua, Used with Permission.

Cover by SWH

I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

(Matt 15:24)

The postmodern church struggles to understand Jesus. This struggle can be a genuine attempt to know God better, or it can be an insidious attempt to create God in our own image. Is Jesus more immanent (human) or transcendent (divine)? Who is he?

The first book written in the New Testament is likely the Apostle Paul’s Letter to the Church at Thessalonica.5 This implies that in a literary sense the Apostle Paul is the father of the New Testament. Paul only knew the Risen Christ, which implies that for him the divinity of Christ was obvious. The Gospels that record the humanity of Christ were written almost a generation later. The transcendence problem facing postmodern people that fixates on the humanity of Christ is something new.

My recent book, Image and Illumination (2023), focused on Christian anthropology, asking the question: What does it mean to be created in the image of God? Embedded in this question is the metaphysical question: Who is God? The New Testament addresses this question with three pictures of God: The person of Jesus, Jesus' teaching about God the Father in the parables, and the founding of the church on Pentecost by the Holy Spirit. In this book, I focus on the Image of God in the Person of Jesus.

The Transcendence Challenge

Postmodern people live in a materialist world, where the only things thought to exist are those that we can touch, taste, smell, hear, or see. Because God lies outside the physical universe of the materialist, he is defined as nonexistent. The materialist worldview works like an invisible dog fence to restrict our imagination. Postmodern people are transcendence-challenged making it hard to believe that Jesus is both human and divine.

To get beyond this limitation, it is helpful to distinguish three definitions of transcendence.

The first is most generic and includes anything not material—anything immaterial, conceptual, or spiritual—such as God’s self-revelation to Moses: "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” (Exod 34:6) How can you touch mercy? What does grace look like? What about patience, love, and faithfulness? A scientist cannot measure any of these attributes, yet they are as important to life as the nose on your face.

Second, anything outside the natural world—the supernatural, the miraculous—is transcendent.

Finally, anything set apart—holy—is transcendent. The first sentence in the Bible gives two aspects of this class of transcendence: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Gen 1:1) Because God created both time and space, he transcends both. Jeffrey Niehaus (2017, 70) observes that “Since God is outside time, he can foreknow exactly what may be future in a human timeline, because for him it is at once future, present, and past” (Rom 8:29).

Old Testament Prophecies

Prophecies of a messiah to come run throughout the Old Testament in both the law and the prophets. In Genesis 3:15 we read: “I will put enmity between you [Satan] and the woman [Eve], and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." Some read this first mention of a messiah as prophesying spiritual war ending with Satan’s defeat. Later in Job, we read: “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.” (Job 19:25) A redeemer is, among other things, someone who ransoms prisoners taken as slaves in war. Thus, when Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin (e.g. 1 Cor 15:3), he functioned as a redeemer.

The Old Testament prophecy most prominently featured in the New Testament is found in Isaiah 61:1: “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.” Jesus cited this passage in both his call sermon in Luke 4 and in the Beatitudes introducing the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:1–10). This passage is accordingly in view as Jesus ministered to the lost sheep of Israel (Matt 15:24). These prophecies tie Jesus’ ministry to the story of Israel and validate the New Testament claim that Jesus is both human, born in time to a real mother, and divine, able to serve as an acceptable sacrifice for sin.

The Pauline Letters

In Paul’s first letter to the church at Thessalonica, the first mention of Jesus reads:

“For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” (1 Thess. 1:9–10)

Paul makes three interesting points in this first mention of Jesus: Jesus was raised from the dead, is the son of God, and serves as a deliverer, which is a synonym for redeemer. Critics often question whether the New Testament claims Jesus to be divine. Here being the son of heaven and possessing the ability to forgive sins both sound divine.

If the earliest letter of Paul makes a claim of divinity, it struck a tone and set the theme for things written and experienced later. Like Paul, we only know the Risen Christ.

The Gospels

The Gospels often get more attention than the letters of Paul, but they were likely finalized decades later. Journalist Lee Strobel (2005, 31) reports: “The standard scholarly dating, even in very liberal circles, is Mark in the 80s, Matthew and Luke in the 80s, John in the 90s.” This conclusion may be scholarly error, however, because most authors edit important manuscripts over years before publishing them to the world. Mark, who is thought to have written the first Gospel account, traveled with Paul telling the Jesus story because he served as a scribe to the Apostle Peter and because Paul was himself a late convert, not a disciple. An early draft of his Gospel (often called Q, short for the German word, Quelle, that means source) may have already been in use even when Paul himself was evangelizing and writing letters.

As explicit biographies, the Gospels give us a better picture of the humanity of Jesus. The suffering of Jesus on the cross was not his only suffering. Jesus was picked on by his critics, that is bullied, because of his parentage (Mary and Joseph were not married at his conception), humble background (nursed in a manger, raised in Nazareth), and unworthy disciples (fishermen). Even if he was a gifted child, Jesus’ suffering was real and his life story clearly shows how God can raise the most humble above their afflictions and provide hope.

The Early Church

The Book of Acts provides numerous ancient sermons whose primary content was the story of Jesus. Consider Peter’s sermon on Pentecost:

"Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.” (Acts 2:22–23)

What is so striking about this sermon is that it was preached in Jerusalem before an audience of eye-witnesses. No one could dispute the truth of what was said because they themselves had seen it, and three thousand people had a come-to-Jesus moment after this sermon (Acts 2:41).

Christian Spirituality

The unity of immanence and transcendence in Christ shows up in discussions of heart and mind. The Hebrew unity of heart and mind poses a special challenge in today’s world where heart and mind are frequently treated as separate with one or the other being emphasized—a Greek, not a Hebrew, idea. Neglect of the heart leads to a stale, distant faith, while neglect of the mind leads to a superficial faith with little application to daily challenges. The image of a Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—reminds us that heart and mind are best considered together.

Image of God and the Person of Jesus is the third and final book in my Image of God series. The first book, Image of God in the Parables, studies the image of God the Father found in Jesus’ parables. The second book, Image of the Holy Spirit and the Church, focuses on the role of the Holy Spirit and the church. This book is written in a devotional format with a reflection, prayers, and questions for study. Because the questions have been developed to enhance understanding of the reflection, some readers have started their devotions by reviewing the questions.

Soli Deo Gloria

∞

Blessed Lord Jesus,

All praise and honor, power and dominion, truth and justice are yours because you ransomed us through your life, death, and resurrection. Because you first loved us, humanity flowered and our lives have intrinsic value.

We confess that we have followed your example lightly or not at all. We are shattered images undeserving of your love and attention.

Thank you for your love, loving us better than our own mothers and fathers, in spite of our rebellious nature and broken faith.

In the power of your Holy Spirit, break every chain with which Satan binds us, be it traumatic pain, impious griefs, blistering illnesses, or soul-crushing addictions. Come in our hearts and cleanse us of all such sin, transgressions, and iniquities that we might be whole again. Give us hearts and minds for you alone, and Christian friends and a faithful church to aid us in life’s journey.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

∞

Questions

1. What is the difference between immanence and transcendence? Why do we care?

2. What are three definitions of transcendence? Why is it important that Jesus is divine?

3. What was Jesus’ mission? What Old Testament passage best defined his approach to that mission?

4. What does redemption mean? Why do we care?

I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God,

who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

(Rev 1:8)

Defining transcendence as immaterial, supernatural, and/or holy allows us to begin exploring the nature of divinity in the Bible. It is hard to discuss a topic when the words employed are unclear or ill-defined. It is even harder to believe something that is far removed from our normal experience, vocabulary, or purview.

Transcendence as a Reflection of Life

The ancient Egyptians helped define our understanding of divinity and life everlasting because their daily life was so miserable. Life expectancy was short because food supplies were unreliable, diseases incurable, and common problems, like intestinal parasites (e.g. Acts 12:23), were extremely painful. Infant mortality was so bad that children were not even named until they were a couple years old. Daily life was so miserable—even for the wealthiest—that the ancient Egyptians obsessed about the after-life.

A contrast can be drawn here to postmoderns for whom food is ever-available, many diseases can be mitigated, and life expectancy is more than double that of ancient times. Daily life for most people is at least tolerable and the wealthy seem to have it easy. In this new context, many people have forgotten about God and only joke about the after-life, displaying little fear of divine judgment. Nevertheless, for the world’s poor the reality of God remains palpable.

What do you do when a pandemic arises and you have no access to vaccines and modern medicine? The answer today is the same as in ancient times. You pray to God.

The Apostle’s Creed

The most of recorded history, people have accepted the transcendence of God. Consider the Apostle’s Creed written in Greek circa AD 341 and still memorized by many Christians today:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only begotten son, our Lord,

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit

and born of the Virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried;

He descended to hell. The third day He rose again from the dead.

He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy Catholic Church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins;

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.6

While eight of the sixteen statements here focus on Jesus and his life story, even more—all but three (6, 7, and 12)—of these statements require a form of transcendence. Four of the five fundamentals of faith—biblical inerrancy, the divinity of Jesus Christ, his virgin birth, resurrection of Christ, and his return—required for ordination in the Presbyterian church in 1910 and struck from requirement in 1925 (Longfield 1991, 161) require transcendence and come from the Apostle’s Creed.

In striking the fundamentals of the faith in 1925, the church highlighted the newness of transcendency problem that has been a product of Enlightenment thinking since the nineteenth century. The doctrine of biblical inerrancy, which required scripture be literally true, upgraded the earlier concept of biblical infallibility that only required the Bible’s sufficiency in matters of salvation. This upgrade strived to ameliorate the transcendency problem posed by the debate over evolution and creation, but it really only raised the temperature of the debate without dealing the merits.

Forgiveness of Sins

The problem of sin arose in the Garden of Eden when God put only one requirement on Adam:

“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Gen 2:16–17)

Death was a divine curse for this original sin. “There is none who does good” (Ps 53:1). A divine penalty attached to a divine stipulation. Sin was a rebellion against God himself. Only God himself could reverse the curse and forgive sins (e.g. Mark 2:7).

The costly nature of redemption is discussed when the psalmist writes: “Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, that he should live on forever and never see the pit.” (Ps 49:7–9) But, God himself promises to redeem us (Ps 49:15).

The idea that Jesus died on the cross to redeem us from sin is well-attested in the New Testament (e.g. Matt 1:21; 1 Thess 1:9–10; 1 Cor 15:3)—a doctrine that is often referred to as the atonement. The Apostle Paul explained the atonement as a reversal of Adam’s sin. Adam was sinless until he disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden; Jesus was sinless, and he obeyed God to the point of death on a cross. The resurrection credentialed Jesus as divine, making his sacrifice sufficient to reverse the curse of death brought about by the first Adam’s sin and prophesied in Isaiah 53:12 (Lindsey 1985, 4–6).