Series: Christmas 2023
Sermon: Jesus, the Image of God
Bible Passage: Genesis 1:26-30
Verse 26-27
I. In the sequence of creation activity, creation of man is the pinnacle/climax
1. Until the creation of man, God created everything with the command “let there be,” but for the creation of man, God deliberates “let us create”
2. The term “Adam” can have two referents:
a. An individual (cf. Luke 3:38; Rom 5:14)
b.“Mankind” (e.g., Rom 5:12–21; 1 Cor 15:22)
3. In verse 26, the term “Adam” refers to “humankind”/ “mankind”
4. The divine deliberation “let us make” points to the existence of “the intra plurality in God”
II. The word “to create” in verse 27 refers to creating something that did not exist before—i.e., creation ex nihilo
1. Verse 27 informs that humanity was created with sexual distinction
2. Male and female
III. Of all the things created, only “mankind” was created in the image of God—the imago dei
1. The expressions “in our image” and “after our likeness” refer to the same thing, “the image of God”
2. Unfortunately, the expression “image of God” is not explained except the description “after our likeness”
3. What is the “image of God”?
a. “The image of God” in man differentiates him from the rest of the creatures
b. Though God created everything, He appointed man to be over all of them as His representative
c. Therefore, “the image of God” seems to be a functional concept rather than an ontological one
d. In other words, mankind reflects God to the created world
e. The command “to rule” in verse 28 points to mankind functioning as God’s representatives/delegates over His creation
f. Therefore, “the image of God” points to man’s unique relationship with Him
g. Just as certain features reveal a person’s national and racial identity, “the image of God ” reveals man’s identity—the sensus divinitatus?
4. It is this image that adds value to man irrespective of his/her society defined background Verse 28-30
IV. The goal of the “image of God” is to represent God over His creation—this is the mission
1. To reign over God’s creation
2. To be stewards of God over His creation
3. Therefore, man’s purpose in this world is always connected to God’s purpose
4. When man pursues something which is outside of God’s purpose, the person can easily become worn-out or feel “meaningless”
V. God equipped humanity for the mission
1. God “blessed” mankind (verse 28), i.e., God enabled mankind to succeed in His mission
2. When a man/woman sets his/her heart to pursue God’s purpose, blessing of God (i.e., God’s enablement) is already present in them to succeed or to be fruitful
3. Therefore, the expressions “to bless” or “blessing” needs to be seen only in relation to God’s mission Psalm 8:4-8 is an exposition of Genesis 1:26-30
VI. The Psalmist is awestruck when he compared mankind with the rest of God’s creation
1. God “gives careful thoughts” about the mankind (verse 4)
2. God “attends” the humankind with care (verse 4)
3. God created mankind a little “lower” than the heavenly beings (verse 5)
4. God created mankind with “glory and honor” (verse 5)
5. God “appointed” mankind to be His representative (verse 6-8)
VII. The essence of Psalm 8 is that God created mankind with incredible value and worth
VIII. When man sinned, “the image of God” succumbed a significant damage and distortion
1. Man faltered in his God given mission in all levels
a. God’s image bearer pursued his own mission
b. Instead of being a ruler for God, he has become ruler for himself
2. Man’s relationship with God and God’s creation got affected
a. The LORD God expelled him from the orchard in Eden to cultivate the ground from which he had been taken (Gen 3:23)
b. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23)
IX. The resolution
1. Jesus is the “image of God”
a. Jesus is the image of the invisible God (Col 1:15)
b. Jesus is the image of God (2 Cor 4:4)
c. That is, Jesus has the relationship with the Father and perfectly relates with humanity (cf. Heb 2:5-18)
2. The damaged, distorted “image of God” in man is restored in and through Jesus
a. Those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son (Rom 8:29)
b. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, let us also bear the image of the man of heaven (1 Cor 15:49)
c. Just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive (1 Cor 15:22)
Take Away:
1. Find your purpose in Christ, who is “the image of God”
a. Through Jesus, you have regained God’s image
b. Fulfill your original mission—i.e., to be God’s vice-regent