Housegroups 

Transformed into his image - introduction to the series

TransformingAs we looked together at the story of Jonah last term, one phrase stuck with me.
 
"I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love" Jonah 4:2
 
I found it echoing round my being and so it has become the starting point for the new term.
 
The phrase was first used in Exodus 34:6. Moses has chiselled out the new stone tablets and taken them up mount Sinai where he encounters The LORD. Exodus 34:5ff
 
“Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. ?6?And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, ?7?maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.””
 
 
The phrase is used on six other occasions in the Old Testament (Ne. 9:17; Pss. 86:15; 103:8; 145:8; Joel 2:13; Jon. 4:2) In the New Testament we see all this in Jesus who is “the image of the invisible God”.
 
As we contemplate his life together so we are transformed into his likeness. Paul, referring back the encounter that Moses had expresses it like this:
 
"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."
2 Cor 3:18
 
We will look at four passages that show the character of the Father in person of Jesus:
  • Gracious John 21:15-24 Jesus and Peter
  • Compassionate Mark 6:30-44 Jesus has compassion on the crowd
  • Slow to anger Luke 22 Jesus and Judas
  • Rich in Love John 15 Jesus is rich in love

 Download the full series notes in PDF format here.


Mark Searle, 01/09/2009