To whom then will you liken God?Or what likeness will you compare with Him? (Isaiah 40:18 NAS95)

The (In)comparable Christ

The Israelites went into captivity largely because of their idolatry, the worship of other gods, other than the one, true God. But I see in this verse more than a warning against idolatry. I see a pointer to the (in)comparable Christ.

Hebrews in the NT opens has this amazing statement in the opening paragraph: ³ “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” I would say, relating these two verses, that Jesus can be likened to God, He being the Son of God. We get to know the Father by what is revealed to us in the Son. 

Another classic verse on the subject of Jesus being even more than reflective of the Father is found in Colossians 1: 15 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” “Firstborn” here is not so much that Jesus is a product of creation (though he was born of a woman) but that He is the heir of all creation. The Son of God was present and involved in the very act of creation itself. He is said to be Creator even as we say that God created the heavens and the earth.

In Jesus’ high priestly prayer (John 17) prayed in the presence of His disciples just before He was betrayed and arrested, He prays ³ “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” That is, eternal life involves knowing not only God the Father, but also knowing the Son, Jesus Christ. There is a reason for that.

In John 14, right after Jesus says 6 “I am the way, the truth, and the life” Jesus goes on to say in that same sentence, 7 “if you had known Me, you would have known the Father also.” It is an amazing statement, that we do not merely need to know both the Father and the Son, but that we know the Father only after coming to know the Son. We know the Father precisely because there is One, Jesus, who is the likeness of God and comparable to Him.

And in that same passage Philip says then to Jesus, 8 “Lord, show us the Father and it is enough for us.” And Jesus answers, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father'?” Jesus has indeed shown us the Father. Why? Because He is “likened to God,” a “likeness compar(able) with Him." Yes, Philip, it is enough for us, because Jesus has indeed “shown us the Father.”

We only enter into true worship of God as we come to the place of knowing and worshipping the Son.