Jesus, the Transparent Man
Have you ever felt people could see right through you? Colin Renfrew reveals a Man who truly was transparent in His every action.
Transparent, like numerous other English words, exhibits a range of meanings. The Macquarie Dictionary lists no fewer than seven possible uses. Meanings include: 1. Open/frank/candid—in which individuals exhibit a transparent honesty. 2. Manifest/obvious— where an ideal, truth, reality is transparently clear to one’s understanding. 3. Easily seen through—when an individual, to avoid something, provides a transparent excuse.
However, the following definition when applied to the life of Jesus Christ provides interesting insights.
That unique property, when possessed, allows the transmitting of rays of light through its substance, so bodies or objects situated beyond or behind can be seen distinctly.
The Gospel of John records a dialogue between Jesus and His disciple Phillip that suggests Jesus possessed that unique ability to transmit the light of heaven to our planet. Jesus said, “‘If you had known me, you would have know my Father also; and from now on you know him and have seen him.’
Phillip said to Him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known me, Phillip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father?’” (John 14:7–9*).
seeing the transparent man
Jesus was claiming transparency. According to the definitions above, Jesus was telling Phillip He possessed the unique ability to transmit the light of God and the principles of His Father’s kingdom so they could be distinctly seen here on earth.
Jesus—the transparent man—can
be seen in the account of the woman
caught in the act of adultery in John
chapter 8. Guilty as charged! But unlike
the crowd looking for blood, the light
streaming through Jesus points to the
nature of God and His enduring principles
of love, acceptance and forgiveness.
The adulteress is saved from death and
set free.
Jesus, the transparent man can be seen in the healing of a man who was born blind in John chapter 9. Birthed into a world of darkness— hopelessness and despair was His. Yet the light streaming from heaven and radiating through Jesus illuminates the eternal principles of faith and hope. The blind man is saved from darkness and set free to live.
The transparent man, Jesus, is found
in the raising of Lazarus from the dead
in John chapter 11. Four days of foul-smelling death declare the end has come.
However, the light of heaven radiating
in Jesus reveals the unmistakable truth
that, in Jesus, death is not the end.
Jesus, the transparent man, is visible in His own crucifixion recorded in John chapter 19. Jesus was armless, innocent and sinless! As He hung between heaven and earth, the light of heaven poured forth through Him, emblazoning forever in the pages of history the passionate heart of the God and His enduring principles of self-sacrificing love.
seeing beyond the man
Jesus, the transparent man, allows us to see, through His life, faith, hope and love, the eternal principles of God.
Looking upon Jesus we see the enduring values of His Father in heaven—mercy, acceptance and forgiveness. All can be seen through Jesus, the transparent man. No translucent glimpse of glory here, Jesus allows us to gaze transparently upon the glory of God.
Jesus’ transparent life attracted attention.
The light of heaven shining through Him drew thousands to follow Him. As His popularity grew, Jesus’ transparency was placed squarely under the microscope for careful examination.
And those who scrutinised His life discovered God and the enduring principles of heaven.
This was one reason why so many
hated and despised Jesus. His transparent
life fuelled the revulsion and led to
His crucifixion. His innocent and virtuous
life exposed the shortcomings, selfishness
and sin in the lives of those He
came in contact with. John 3:20 states,“For everyone practising evil hates
the light and does not come into the
light, lest his deeds should be exposed.”
Those who cherished evil in their lives
hated Jesus because He cherished righteousness
in His life, which exposed
their wickedness.
Jesus examined
The events that fill our newspapers
and televisions today are similar
to events that were newsworthy when
Jesus walked the earth: crime and
injustice scream from the streets; on
every corner miracle cures for incurable
illnesses; gurus of every description,
from sporting superstars and financial
wizards, to entertainment icons and
religious messiahs. All make up the
social landscape that attracts loud banner
headlines in our newspapers and
nightly news broadcasts.
Jesus was newsworthy! He fought crime and upheld justice for all. He was the cure for the incurables. A hero?
And for many the ultimate hero, in that He embodied all that we aspire to be. Jesus, the transparent man, was newsworthy and lived His life under extreme scrutiny.
The microscope is used to examine the minutiae of life, to gaze into the smallest nooks and crannies of existence. It is utilised to explore the infinitesimal.
The microscope allows you to see what usually cannot be seen by the naked eye. It is an invaluable tool in searching for disease, microorganisms and unwanted bacterial intruders.
Jesus was placed under the microscope
and they searched Him for disease.
For many He was an unwanted intruder and they were looking for sin
in Him—the smallest trace of it.
In John 8:46, Jesus responded to
their scrutiny of His life by asking this
searching question, “Which of you convicts
me of sin?” In other words, “You’ve
watched Me, you’ve examined every
part of My life. Have you found any
sin?” Under the microscope, in the glaring
inspection and analysis of the keenest
eyes, Jesus was found without sin.
When Jesus’ life was placed under scrutiny and His transparent life was examined, they saw what usually could not be seen. They saw God! They saw righteousness and holiness. They saw justice and mercy. In the life of Jesus heaven was opened to the world’s gaze.
To gain some sense of the magnitude
of scrutiny, think of today’s paparazzi
whose photographs invade every
aspect of the private lives of the rich
and famous. They’re scrutinised to the
point of being unable to go shopping
or to the gym, unable to go for a walk
or a swim—to do anything without the
world watching.
This is what it was like for Jesus.
He was followed by multitudes. Jesus,
the transparent man, lived life under
scrutiny.
Incredible as it may seem, Jesus’
death has not diminished in anyway
the scrutiny His life is placed under.
Jesus’ life is still under investigation
today! It could be said that He faces
more scrutiny now than when He first
walked the earth.
Those who watch sport on TV will know about action replays. Every every catch, every tee shot and putt, every handball and every mark, every try and every tackle comes under the scrutiny of the armchair critic and professional media commentator.
Today, some 2000 years after Jesus’ death, every part of His life is pulled to pieces, rewound and replayed. Every word, every phrase, every sentence, every interaction, every deed continues to be examined in minute detail. Scholars dissect and place under the microscope every minuscule part of the life of Jesus. Whole books are written about a single phrase Jesus uttered. Entire libraries are filled with works dedicated to the examination of His life.
Jesus, still the focus
Why does Jesus still attract attention?
Why doesn’t He just fade away into history
as some vague figure from the past?
Why does Jesus still live under scrutiny
some 2000 years after His death? Could
it be the answer lies in Jesus’ own claim: “I am the resurrection and the life. He
who believes in me, even though he dies
he shall live” (John 11:25)?
Why does Jesus still live under
scrutiny?
Jesus rose from the dead. He is the
sinless Son of God who rose again from
death. Jesus is alive today. Jesus Christ
still attracts massive headlines and His
life continues to be placed squarely
under the microscope for intense investigation
because He offers life to all
even after death—just as He overcame
the grave.
Perhaps it’s time to blow the cobwebs
off your microscope and take another
look at Jesus Christ.
* Bible quotations are from the New King James Version.
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