Re-presenting Jesus, re-presenting God!

Reflecting on John 13:18-30

“Whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.” (John 13:20)

God sends Jesus as a re-presentation of Who God is, what God is like.
Those who respond positively to Jesus, are responding positively to God.
This is because Jesus is like God, and God is like Jesus; to accept one is to accept the other.
Jesus draws this out further; the ones that He sends will be like Him.
Those who accept those who are like Jesus, are accepting Jesus, and therefore God.

What ties these all together is how each one is like the one that sends them.
God sends out Jesus to reflect His humility, grace and compassion.
Jesus sends out His followers to reflect His humility, grace and compassion.
Those who receive this humility, grace and compassion are receiving God and Jesus.
Even if they do not know Who sent them, their response reveals their open heart.

In my experience, most people respond well to humility, grace and compassion.
People do not leave their faith or church because of its humility, grace and compassion.
Not everyone is eager to show these qualities, but most people affirm their goodness.
What if we made this qualities the marks of our church, and our relating to others?
I believe we would find many more people accepting us, and thereby Jesus, and God!

PRAYER
Lord Jesus, You send us like God sent You, to reflect and represent that character of God. May the people I encounter today experience God's love as revealed through You in the way I relate to them.