
"Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request.'
"Sir", they said, "we would like to see Jesus." (John 12:20-21)
I've said it before.
I've heard it said so many times.
I know why we say it.
In some ways . . . it kinda, sorta, maybe makes sense.
And yet it is utterly wrong and as far from what the Scripture says, as it can be.
Don't Look at Christians . . . Look at Jesus.

That sounds spiritual, pious, like a good thing. After all Jesus is the perfect son of God, full of love and truth, full of grace, the sacrificing servant, the brilliant debater, story-teller, teacher, and so on. And Christians, well, we are a pretty sad lot. Full of sin, hypocrisy, character flaws, suspicious political agendas, sad in-house squabbling and arguments . . . did I mention we have a few quirks as well.
A friend of mine talks about "Stupid Christian Tricks." (Good one Dan...). The Door has no end of material to poke fun at Christians. Why would anyone want to decide to become a Christian by looking at Christians? "So don't," the line of reasoning goes, "instead, look at Jesus."
Here is what I think the Bible (and Jesus in the Bible) teaches us instead.
Look at Jesus by looking at Christians.
(or)
Look at Christians so you can see what Jesus is like.

Here is my reasoning for this.
Paul talks about the imitation of Christ and challenges his readers to be about the work of that imitation. (See Ephesians 5:1 and 1 Thessalonians 1:6)
We are being recreated in the image of God. That image and likeness is being restored in us. There is a reconfiguring, a reforming, a restoring of Christ-likeness in us. It is the essence of being a Christian. (See Colossians 3:10)
By the way, let's not overlook the obvious. We are "Christ"ians. (Maybe that is why we like to call ourselves Methodists, Lutherans, pentecostals, evangelicals, fundamentalists . . . It is easier to look like that than to look like Jesus. (See Acts 11:26)
We are the body of Christ and the body is inseparably joined to the head.
A disciple, by definition, is one who is like the master. A disciple is one who learns from the master, imitates the master, and represents the master.

The same is true for the word
ambassador. The ambassador is an extension of the one who sent him/her (2 Corinthians 5:20). Jesus says in John 20:21 that he has sent us out into the world in the same way the Father has sent him. Like Father like Son and now like our Elder Brother Christ, we the sons and daughters of God are sent out to do his work.
God is love, Jesus is love, and that love is the fundamental descriptor and definer of our reordered lives.
God is light. Jesus is the light of the world. We are to let our light (really His light) shine.
Peter even dares to say, we participate in the nature of God. (See 1 Peter 1:4)
Think godliness and holiness are qualities of the Christian life. Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. Be holy as I am holy, says the Lord. (Matthew 5:48; 1 Peter 1:16)

Maybe it is time we wake up and realize that . . .
They Will Only See Jesus as They See Jesus in His People.
Let's not blow off our responsibility by passing the buck back to Jesus to represent Himself.
Let's be about the radical and wonderful work of transformation, in ourseleves and in those to whom we minister, to the glory of God.
Let's do this for all those who are saying,
"We would like to see Jesus."
Brian Rice
Leadership ConneXtions International