Our journey through Hebrews is building revelation upon revelation. Jesus is the heir who owns all things—calling us to surrender ownership. He’s the Creator who made all things—establishing His authority over reality. He’s the brightness of God’s glory—shining forth what God is like. Now, in the fourth movement of this symphony, we encounter perhaps the most intimate revelation of all: Jesus is the express image of God’s person. Not a resemblance. Not an approximation. An exact imprint.
The Greek word is “charaktēr”—the mark made by an engraving tool, a die stamp, a seal pressed into wax. When ancient rulers sealed documents, the wax imprint was identical to the original seal. Not similar. Not close. Exact. Every ridge, every detail, every dimension perfectly reproduced.
Jesus does not resemble God. Jesus reveals Him fully.
Think about what this means for theology. We’re not piecing together hints about what God might be like. We’re not gathering clues and making educated guesses. We have the express image—the exact imprint of God’s person visible in Christ. If you want to know what God is like, you look at Jesus. His character is God’s character. His priorities are God’s priorities. His responses are God’s responses.
This should radically change how we approach Scripture. When Jesus shows mercy to a sinful woman, we’re not watching a kind man be compassionate—we’re seeing the very heart of God. When Christ confronts religious hypocrisy, we’re not observing a prophet’s righteous anger—we’re witnessing God’s hatred of systems that burden people while missing His heart. When Jesus weeps at Lazarus’ tomb, we’re not catching a human moment of grief—we’re glimpsing how God responds to death’s intrusion into His creation.
I heard a speaker I’ve never forgotten: “Every theological error can be traced back to a distorted view of God’s character and every distorted view of God could be corrected by looking at Jesus, because He is the express image of God’s person.”
Think about the theological confusion that plagues the church:
Some believe God is harsh and demanding, always angry, impossible to please. But look at Jesus welcoming sinners, dining with tax collectors, touching lepers. That’s the express image. God isn’t distant and disgusted with brokenness—He moves toward it with compassion.
Others swing to the opposite extreme, imagining God as a cosmic grandfather who winks at sin and demands nothing. But watch Jesus call people to repentance, speak uncomfortable truth, warn about judgment. That’s the express image. God’s love doesn’t eliminate His holiness—both exist in perfect harmony.
Some picture God as primarily transcendent—far above, unreachable, unconcerned with daily struggles. Then they encounter Jesus healing the sick, feeding the hungry, noticing the overlooked. That’s the express image. God isn’t detached from human suffering—He entered it.
Others err toward making God too familiar, reducing Him to a buddy who exists for their benefit. Until they see Jesus receiving worship, claiming authority to forgive sins, accepting Peter’s confession that He’s the Christ. That’s the express image. God invites intimacy without surrendering His majesty.
Every distortion of God’s character—and there are countless variations—could be corrected by looking at the express image. Not asking what we think God should be like. Not projecting our preferences onto heaven. Simply beholding Jesus and saying, “That’s what God is like.”
God’s justice, mercy, holiness, and compassion don’t contradict each other in Jesus—they meet in perfect harmony. We struggle with this because, in our human experience, these attributes often conflict. How can God be just and merciful? How can He be holy and compassionate? How can He be truthful and graceful?
Look at the cross. Jesus—the express image—demonstrates how all of God’s attributes work together flawlessly. God’s justice demands that sin be punished; Christ bears that punishment. God’s mercy provides a way of escape; Christ becomes that way. God’s holiness cannot coexist with sin; Christ removes it. God’s compassion reaches toward sinners; Christ dies for them. There’s no contradiction, only perfection.
When I grasp that Jesus is the express image, theology stops being abstract and becomes deeply personal. It’s not “What is God like?” in some philosophical sense. It’s “What is my Father like?” And the answer is: He’s like Jesus.
He’s like Jesus welcoming children when disciples tried to shoo them away. He’s like Jesus noticing the widow’s small offering when everyone else saw only the wealthy donors’ large gifts. He’s like Jesus stopping for one sick woman in a crowd. He’s like Jesus restoring Peter after Peter’s denial. He’s like Jesus promising paradise to a dying thief. He’s like Jesus forgiving those who crucified Him.
That’s the God we worship. That’s the Father we pray to. That’s the Lord we serve.
But notice how this confronts our tendency to create God in our image. We want a God who affirms all our choices, never challenges our behavior, always makes us comfortable. We want a God who agrees with our politics, shares our preferences, validates our lifestyle. So we emphasize certain attributes while minimizing others, creating a distorted image.
The express image won’t allow that. Jesus is who He is, not who we want Him to be. And because He’s the exact imprint of God’s person, God is who He is, regardless of our preferences.
I’ve watched people walk away from faith because the God revealed in Jesus didn’t match their expectations. He was too exclusive (claiming to be the only way). Too demanding (calling for total surrender). Too offensive (saying things that made people uncomfortable). But the question isn’t whether we like what we see—it’s whether we’ll acknowledge that the express image reveals truth.
Here’s your challenge this week: Examine your concept of God. Where does it come from? Is it shaped by the express image, or have you allowed other influences to distort your theology?
Do a mental inventory:
When I think of God, what’s my first emotional response? (Fear? Warmth? Indifference? Guilt?) Then ask: Is that response shaped by Jesus, or by something else?
What attributes of God am I most comfortable with? (Love? Mercy? Grace?) And which ones do I minimize? (Holiness? Justice? Sovereignty?)
How do I picture God responding to my failures? With the disappointment of a harsh judge, or with the compassion of Jesus saying to the adulteress, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more”?
What influences my theology more: What I see in Christ, or what culture says, what I experienced growing up, what makes me comfortable?
Then do something concrete. Pick one Gospel—maybe Mark, the shortest. Read it slowly, a chapter each day. But read it with this question in mind: “What does Jesus reveal about God’s character?” When He acts, ask, “Is this how God acts?” When He speaks, ask, “Is this how God speaks?” When He responds to people, ask, “Is this how God responds?”
Let the express image do its work. Let Jesus correct your distortions. Let the exact imprint of God’s person replace whatever false images you’ve been carrying.
Because here’s the truth: you’ll never trust God more than you understand His character. And you’ll never understand His character apart from Jesus, the express image of His person.
Next week, we move from who Christ is to what Christ does. We’ve seen His identity—heir, Creator, glory, and image. Now we’ll discover His activity: He sustains all things by the word of His power. Get ready for a truth that will transform your anxiety.
What distorted view of God has been corrected by looking at Jesus? How has the express image changed your relationship with the Father? Share your story below.
