"Lord, visit Thou our souls and teach us by Thy grace Each dim revealing of Thyself with loving awe to trace.

"Till we behold Thy face and know as we are known Thee, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, co-equal Three in One."

We see many pictures of Jesus—paintings, illustrations in a children's Bible, stained glass windows—and we have our favorites, perhaps the risen Christ, the Good Shepherd, or the baby Jesus in the manger. Pictures like these are the product of artists' imaginations. There are no portraits of the Savior done during His life on earth. Forbidden by Jewish law, such pictures were regarded as "carved images" and a temptation to idolatry (see Exodus 20:4). Some of the earliest known portrayals of Jesus were done more than 200 years after His ascension and show Him as a young shepherd or healing the sick.

Our portraits and statues of Jesus are not made for the purpose of idolatry, but reverently created in praise of the Savior we love. From pictures in a child's Bible story book to shining stained glass windows, such portrayals teach us about Jesus, about His mighty works, and about His death and resurrection. While not all Christians use such artwork, many believers treasure these images of our Lord, who is Himself "the image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15b).

Whatever opinions we may have concerning such portraits, we long to see Jesus. In the words of our hymn we pray, "Teach us by Thy grace each dim revealing of Thyself with loving awe to trace." With the sight and touch of faith, we see our Savior in the Word of God. We hear and read the Old Testament prophecies that reveal the promised Messiah as the Prince of Peace, Emmanuel, and the Son of David. With loving awe, we trace the Lord's image as He describes Himself—the Good Shepherd, the true Vine, and the Light of the world. We watch with the sight of faith as He is nailed to the cross to atone for the sins of the world. We wish we could trade places with the disciples to see and touch the scars in the hands and feet of the risen Lord. By faith we receive Jesus' true body and blood in His holy Supper. In the Scriptures we hear the voice of our Lord, the Savior who knows us so well. Through our own words and actions we want people to see Jesus at work in us. On the Last Day, Jesus will return bodily, physically, "and every eye will see Him" (Revelation 1:7b). On that day we will see our Lord face to face and, finally, we will "know as we are known."

WE PRAY: Jesus, I long to see You face to face. Until then, help me to be Your eyes and hands and heart in the world. Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. It is based on the hymn, "Within the Father's House," which is number 410 in the Lutheran Service Book.

Reflection Questions:

1. What's your favorite picture/image/sculpture of Jesus? Do you know who the artist is?

2. What does it mean to say that Jesus is "the image of the invisible God"?

3. What will our lives look like if we are being more like Jesus in what we say and do?

Today's Bible Readings: Exodus 7-8    Matthew 25:1-30

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