Israel was to represent God in this world, but the nation of Israel failed to do this as they should. Believers today are also responsible to represent the true and living God, but often we fail to picture Him and represent Him as we should. When the Lord Jesus Christ came to earth He perfectly represented God!
Suppose someone were to come to class with a photograph of the President of the United States. Suppose that each student were then asked to look at this photo and try to draw a picture of the President as best they can. Each picture drawn by the students would be a representation of the President. Some would represent the President better than others. Some would represent the President very poorly (in fact, the President would probably laugh if he were to see some of the pictures!). Since none of the students are professional artists, none of the pictures would represent the President real clearly and real accurately. The only real accurate and real clear representation of the President would be the original photograph.
Believers are like these pictures. Each believer represents the LORD and is responsible to PICTURE the Lord by the way he (or she) lives and acts. Some believers represent the Lord more clearly than others. Some represent the Lord very poorly (as people look at their lives it is hard to find the Lord, if they can find Him at all!). None of the believers really represent the Lord as clearly and as accurately as they should.
The only real accurate and real clear representation of God would be the Lord Jesus Christ Himself! He perfectly pictured the Father and pointed to the Father!
How accurately did the Lord Jesus represent and picture the Father (John 14:9)? ____________________
____________________________________________________ See John 12:44-45, 49-50. To see Christ is to see WHOM? __________________________ Whenever people looked at Christ they saw a clear representation of God! God cannot be seen because He is INVISIBLE (John 1:18–"no man hath seen ________ at any time"). Jesus Christ came to make visible the invisible God. He is the "__________ of the ___________________________God" (Colossians 1:15). Just as the image in a good and true mirror represents the person who is standing in front of the mirror, even more so, the Lord Jesus clearly represents the invisible God.
JOHN 18:37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
Definition of REPRESENT that closes describe Jesus role: a (1) : to take the place of in some respect (2) : to act in the place of or for usually by legal right (3) : to manage the legal and business affairs of *athletes represented by top lawyers and agents* b : to serve especially in a legislative body by delegated authority usually resulting from election.
1. It was a SAVING MISSION.
Why was Christ not sent into the world (John 3:17)? __________________________________________
_________________________________ Why was He sent (John 3:17)? __________________________
_________________________________ Did James and John understand the reason Christ was sent into the world (Luke 9:51-56)? ______ The Lord Jesus did not come to judge men, but instead He came to rescue men. He came not to ____________________ the world but to ________________ the world (John 12:47).
2. Jesus was sent to do the Father’s will.
Why did Jesus come down from heaven (John 6:38)? __________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
What is the will of God (John 6:40)? _______________________________________________________
3. Jesus was sent with the Father’s message.
What words did Jesus speak (John 3:34)? ______________________________________________
________________________________ Where did Jesus get His doctrine or teaching from (John 7:16)?
_________________________________________________________________________________
How did Jesus know what to say and what to speak (John 12:49-50)? _____________________________ ___________________________________________________ Everything He taught and said came from the Father. His message and His words perfectly represented exactly what the Father wanted Him to say.
Was it the Israelites who were true or was it God that was true? ___________________
Did Jesus come to represent the Israelites or to bring salvation to the Israelites? _____________
Was Jesus a witness of the Israelites or was he God’s Witness to the Israelites?______________
Did Jesus represent the Israelites to all mankind or Did he represent God to the Israelites and all mankind?_______________________________________________________________
Who do we represent Israel (the people) or Christianity (the people)? _________
The biblical answer is neither. Biblically, we serve the people as a representative of Christ our Lord.
We are God’s witnesses to the people because of Jesus Christ. Biblically, we represent the Doctrine of Christ.