What do you see when you look at Jesus?

And another thing

The Isenheim Altar Piece

The Isenheim Altarpiece, painted by Matthias Gruenewald in the early 1500s, has a theologically accurate but historically inaccurate picture of John the Baptist. John was Jesus’ cousin, born a few months before him and sent by God to prepare the way for Jesus’ ministry. John was beheaded by King Herod and died long before Jesus was crucified. In the artwork, the prophet and cousin of Jesus points to Jesus, just as he did while he was alive.

In Matthew 11, John sends a message to Jesus from his prison cell. “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Is Jesus the Messiah, or another prophet? Is he the main event or another opening act? Even the final prophet has his doubts.

As usual, Jesus doesn’t answer the question directly. He tells John’s disciples to report what they see in Jesus. “The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with a skin disease are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them” (5).

Jesus doesn’t tell John to have faith based on Jesus’ words alone. He tells John to have faith based on what Jesus does. Jesus fulfills the hopes and dreams of the prophets of ancient Israel. Jesus lives out the mighty acts of God.

I wonder what people in our time see when they look at Jesus. Those of us who read through the gospels know the miracles, the sermons, and the mighty acts. Those who only know Jesus from popular culture, though, what is it that they see? What do they see when they look at us, God’s children?

Our role as Jesus-followers is to point to Jesus like John the Baptist does. When people see us, we should be showing them our God. We aren’t perfect, so our witness won’t be perfect, either. Even in our weakness and imperfection, let’s work to show the world God’s strength and God’s perfection.