Seeing God - Second Sunday of Christmas
Author: Pastor Scott Schul
January 04, 2026
The opening chapter of John’s
Gospel is often referred to as the Prologue, because it contains the broad,
overarching themes that John develops throughout the entire book. It’s a familiar chapter, one that’s often
featured in our Sunday lessons. But this
week as I read and studied it, there was one line that jumped out to me like
never before. It’s right at the end of
today’s lesson. “No one has ever seen
God.”
Just think about that. No one has ever seen God. It’s true; we don’t know what God looks
like. That means we don’t know what
color God’s eyes and hair might be. For
that matter, we don’t know if God even has eyes and hair. It got me thinking of those moments in
scripture where God engages in some sort of conversation with a person. As far as I can tell, none of those moments
involved a person actually seeing God. Even the greatest of prophets were denied the privilege of seeing God
face-to-face. Moses had to be
content to converse with a burning bush. Elisha had to sense God’s presence in stillness and silence.
Did you ever wonder why that
is? I believe it’s because the Lord’s
glory and brightness are more than we mere mortals can comprehend or bear. It’s like that feeling of sitting around a
fire pit in the autumn. At first it
feels so cozy and inviting to be near that flame, but at some point, when
you’ve gotten too close or lingered too long, you get too hot and you’re
compelled to move away. You just can’t
handle that intensity. I think that’s why
no one has ever seen God, at least on this side of heaven.
But don’t you wish you could see God? At least once? After all, I think we can all agree that it’s
tough to love someone you’ve never seen. It’s tough to feel close to someone you’ve never seen. It’s tough
to trust someone you’ve never seen. Is this why some people feel distant from God, as if God is some
absentee landlord, far away, who only checks in when the rent is late, but who
is otherwise faceless, and nameless?
But maybe there is a way to
know someone you’ve never seen. None of
you ever met my grandfather, Gerald Swanson. But if you’ve looked into my eyes, you’ve seen a part of him, because his
were the very same color as mine. Likewise, none of you ever met my great-grandfather Charles Zerbe. But if you’ve seen my smile and facial
features, you’ve experienced him. Photographs
of him in mid-life look very much like me.
This notion
goes beyond physical attributes too. I
have many ancestors I’ve never seen or met, but I’d like to think that their
character has positively influenced and shaped mine. For example, if I have any faith in my
life, perhaps it’s an echo of the faith of my 12th great
grandfather, Francis Cooke, whose conscience carried him to these shores along
with the other pilgrims on the Mayflower. If I display any conviction in my life, perhaps it’s attributable
at least in part to my 6th great-grandfather, Simeon Ingalls, who
gathered at Lexington and Concord with the other Minutemen in April of 1775 to
rise up against the British for independence. And if I demonstrate any bravery in my life, perhaps credit goes
to my great-great grandmother Hannah Sullivan who, as a young woman, left
Ireland and came to this country all by herself in the late 19th century to forge a new life.
In a similar way, John tells us
that even though we haven’t seen God, the Son of God – Jesus –
has made God known. Paul, in his letter
to the Corinthians, states it even more clearly: Christ is the image of
God, an icon of God, a likeness of God, a portrait of
God. 1 And so if you’ve seen Jesus,
you’ve seen God. If you’ve experienced Jesus, you’ve experienced God. If you
know the heart, character, and love of Jesus, then you know the heart,
character, and love of God. So it turns
out that God isn’t as distant as we imagined. Perhaps we know God far better than we thought.
After all, Jesus treasured little
children, welcomed the marginalized, and compassionately healed the sick and
afflicted. If that’s who Jesus was, then you can be sure that’s who God is. Jesus told his followers over and over again
that we are to love our neighbor. If
that’s what Jesus thought was important, then you can be sure that’s
what God thinks is important. And
whenever Jesus described what the Kingdom of Heaven is like, he was describing
what God is like. God is the one
who will never give up on you and will lovingly and relentlessly pursue you no
matter how lost you think you are. And
when you’ve convinced yourself that you’re about as worthless and unlovable as
a person can possibly be, you can rest assured that God, just like the father
of the Prodigal Son, is racing across time and eternity to embrace you, forgive
you, and bring you home.
And so I suppose we must concede
that no one has ever seen God. But don’t
let that alienate you or estrange you from God. We have plenty of evidence as to who and what God is. God is love! And God loves you… ceaselessly, persistently, and eternally. That you can know for certain.
But there’s
still one more aspect of this to consider. I’ve talked a bit about my ancestors, but what about my descendants? Will others who know my children gain some
insight into who I was? I’d like to
think that when it comes to her leadership, drive, and attention to detail, my
daughter is an image, icon, likeness, and portrait of me. And I’d like to think that when it comes to
the tender heart he has for children and the elderly, my son is also an
image, icon, likeness, and portrait of me.
By the same token, can we be
an image, an icon, a likeness, and a portrait of Jesus, and thus of God? I think this is something today’s Church
desperately needs to address. You see, many
who lament the decline of Christianity blame it on an uninterested and
unmotivated generation of people, worship services that aren’t entertaining
enough, a Church that isn’t rigorous enough in teaching the faith, or a culture
that’s hostile to religion. Certainly
the question is complex and multifaceted, but the real reason
Christianity is declining isn’t apathy, institutional malaise, or a hostile
society. And it’s certainly not
something we can blame on non-Christians.
No, the problem slowing the growth
of Christianity is we Christians. People outside the Christian Church consistently note that most Christians
do not live their lives in a manner that portrays an image, icon, likeness, and
portrait of Jesus. Much of Christianity’s
energy nowadays is devoted to acquiring worldly power and excluding those they deem
undesirable. That’s not who we are at
Grace. People are finding their way here
because we’ve developed a humble vulnerability and openness. Grace is not just our name; grace is
who and what we are. We know we
each need God’s grace, and we know Jesus calls us to share that grace. We’ve become a congregation that says “all
are welcome” and really means it. Don’t underestimate how rare, precious, or Christlike that is. I’m so proud of how we are seeing Christ in
our neighbors. They are seeing Christ in
us too.
Do we have growing edges? Of course. Who doesn’t. I’d like to see us amplify
our commitment to studying scripture, praying, worshiping, and offering our
time, talent, and treasure. Because through
those faith practices, we will see Jesus, and his Father, with greater clarity
and love. And we’ll be better equipped
to bear and reflect that love to every person we meet. That matters, because Christ’s love is
irresistible. Imagine if each one
of us were an image, icon, likeness, and portrait of Jesus. Through us, people would see Jesus. They would see God. And if that were to happen, just imagine how different this world might be. Imagine all that
love. It doesn’t have to be just a
dream. Amen.
© 2026 Rev. Scott E. Schul, all rights reserved
Citations:
1 2 Corinthians 4:4
Gospel
Text: John 1:10-18
10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him,
yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own,
and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who
received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of
God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh
or of the will of man, but of God.
14 And
the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory
as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. 15 (John
testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes
after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ ”) 16 From
his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 The law
indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus
Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. It is the only Son,
himself God, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.
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