The other day as I was praying, I sensed a question rising in my spirit: “Do you look like Jesus?”
I paused, almost startled. “God, what do you mean? Do I look like Jesus?”
The question pressed deeper: “Do your actions, your words, and the way you live your life reflect me?”
I couldn’t shake it. That question stayed with me all day. I knew in that moment that the Holy Spirit was gently prompting me—inviting me to open my heart, to be searched by the Word, and to let Him show me the answer.
“For the word of God is living and active… it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
Clothed in Christ’s Character: What It Means to Reflect Jesus
The first verse that popped into my mind was Genesis 1:27 – we should always begin at the beginning, right? God created man and woman in His image. Here, image is not referring to our outward appearance, but to what is inside of us. God gave us the ability to think, reason, and love. He also gave us the ability to choose.
When humanity chose sin over God, God’s image in us grew dimmer and dimmer until finally, God in us was hardly recognizable. Then, in God’s infinite wisdom, He sent Jesus to earth to remind us how to live and ultimately to offer us the gift of salvation.
“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15).
So, if God created us in His image and Christ is the visible image of the invisible God, shouldn’t we look like Jesus?
When we are born again, we clothe ourselves with Christ. The Amplified says we “take on His characteristics and values” (Galatians 3:27). But what are some of Jesus’ characteristics and values that we should clothe ourselves with?
Jesus Was A Servant
Jesus, the Son of God who had every right to be served, did not “come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). A servant submits himself to another, and is more concerned about the well-being of others than himself. As Christians, we are first to submit ourselves to God and then to each other. Jesus declares,
“If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all [in importance] and a servant of all” (Mark 9:35).
It’s Not About Me
Jesus is radical, isn’t He? To be first, I must be last and a servant of all?
In a culture obsessed with self-fulfillment, Jesus calls us to self-denial. Culture screams, “It’s all about ME, ME, ME: MY wants, MY desires, MY needs.”
It tells us that it’s good to put ourselves first; in fact, we should put ourselves first.
But JESUS shows us, through His actions, time and time again, that this is not true.
“It’s all about me” is a lie. It’s not all about me, it’s all about each other.
Jesus embodied the ultimate servant. When Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, he showed his love through actions. When we serve others, when we are more concerned about others’ needs, than we are our own, then we take on Jesus’ characteristics and values: we begin looking more and more like Him.
Jesus Was Compassionate
Jesus’ Compassion: More Than a Feeling
When Jesus saw those who were hurting, “He had compassion on them” (Matthew 9:36).
Dictionary.com defines compassion as a “feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.”
Notice that compassion is more than a feeling – it propels one to action. Jesus never turned anyone in need away. Neither should we. We are to look like Jesus. We are to see others as Jesus sees them.
Jesus said in Matthew 25 that when you feed the hungry, you feed Him; when you give a drink to the thirsty, you give Him a drink; when you invite a stranger into your home, you invite Him in; when you give the naked clothing, you clothe Him; when you care for the sick, you care for Him and when you visit those in prison, you visit Him.
He said:
“I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!”
Every day we run into those who are sick and hurting — but do we have compassion for them, or do we just turn away?
Jesus came to seek and to save what was lost.
Are we doing the same?
Do You Look Like Jesus?
My desire is to look like Jesus. I want my words, my actions, and how I live my life to reflect Him.
I no longer want the lie that “It’s all about me” to dim the reflection of Jesus in my life. I want to clothe myself in Christ and take on His characteristics and values. I want to be a servant to all and show compassion for those in need.
When I meet Jesus, I want Him to say to me, “When I was hungry, you fed me; when I was thirsty, you gave me water…”
And, the next time God asks me, “Do you look like Jesus?” I want to answer with a resounding YES!
Are you becoming more like Jesus?
Let the Gospel of John transform how you see Him — and how you reflect Him.
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Making Him Known August 13, 2025 4:20 pm