As Christians we can sometimes struggle to reconcile the true face of God revealed in Jesus Christ with many of the images created by the Old Testament scriptures. Certain understandings of Christ’s mediation between us and the Father, give the impression of Jesus being the kinder and more compassionate—indeed, at times pictured as holding back the angry and punishing hand of the Father. Although this is understandable, Jesus makes clear in today’s gospel that this is simply not true. In fact, Jesus goes so far as to say that there is no need for him to intercede on our behalf. And the reason he gives is that the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have come to believe that I came from God. Accordingly, in our efforts to reconcile seemingly irreconcilable images of God conveyed through scripture, let us resist resorting to ascribing characteristics of Jesus that don’t also pertain to the Father. For, as Jesus reminds us, to see me is to see the Father since I and the Father are one.
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