Jesus is utterly unique. We tend to try to shrink God. In our minds he’s basically like us. But better and nicer and stronger and more loving. Just a really great person who has the best of all the attributes we find most desirable. Like in Talladega Nights, Ricky Bobby’s favorite Jesus is the little sweet baby Jesus. We tend to do that–think of Jesus in ways that we think are best in mortal terms.
Even the language we use can implicitly communicate this idea that God is not utterly transcendent and majestic: oh, he’s the big guy, the man upstairs, etc.
But God is absolutely unlike us. Now, he becomes like us, the Word takes on a human nature in the incarnation to SAVE us. In the gospel, the Christian God, the only true and living God, who is utterly unlike us becomes like us that we might become like him.
The Word–the second person of the Godhead who is himself transcendent, who knows no boundaries of time and space–steps into the world he created. He wrapped himself in flesh and moved into our neighborhood.
We must not lose sight of the majesty of God–the transcendence of God. And we must not forget these words of Jesus. We are from below. He is from above. We are of this world. He is not of this world.
We do not worship a god who is like us; we worship a God who is unlike us. We are creatures; he is the Creator.
What in the world does this have to do with your life on a random Tuesday? Because God is unlike you, you can trust him. He did not consult us when he carved out the oceans. He did not need advice when he hung the stars in the heavens. He formed you in your mother’s womb when you had no idea where you were. Friend, when you are shaken, he is not.
This is so good: he needs nothing from us. He gives everything to us. Our faith, our hope is in a God who is greater than anything we could possibly imagine.
The God who is unlike us has become like us so that we can know (at least in part) his greatness. That we can see his glory–his uniqueness, that we could cry out with all creation, “Worthy, worthy, worthy is the God who is above all!”
Jesus is utterly unique. He is the I Am–God’s self-revelation. He’s always been there.