The Savior with a Skin-face

Happy december 5th! What on earth happened to the last 4 days?! I had planned to write on here every day but fell off the wagon into the quagmire of Christmas frenetic busyness! Thank goodness we serve a God of grace and He stills loves me even when I get so preoccupied with decorating and preparing for His birthday celebration that I forget to celebrate the birthday Savior Himself! Forgive me Lord.

We've just finished studying Heb. 10 in my Bible study--what a wonderful chapter! You know, though, I've discovered any chapter you really delve into and study and think about becomes a wonderful chapter that can change your life. I've shared with some friends one of the things that really blessed me from this chapter, and I thought I would include it here since it relates to Christ's coming. It's funny, but God sneaks in His incarnation in all sorts of unexpected places! Every verse of His Word truly does whisper Jesus' name.

But this was from a little phrase in Heb. 10:13. Here's what I wrote: After Jesus offered His perfect sacrifice [Himself--for our sins] for all time and sat down at God’s right hand, v.13 tells us that Jesus is now “waiting from that time until His enemies should be made a footstool for His feet.” I love that on so many levels! Did you know that in the OT, David referred to the Ark of the Covenant as “the footstool of God?” He declared that “I wanted to build a resting place for the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, for the footstool of our Lord.” In ancient times, monarchs sitting on thrones always had footstools. When I got curious and starting researching “footstools” I found an article by a Rabbi that raised the rhetorical question: if David referred to God’s throne room and His footstool in the temple, where is His throne? The Rabbi concluded that there is no throne because God is invisible.

But when I read that I nearly jumped out of my seat! Yes, God is invisible, but Jesus isn’t! He has a body, I shouted, to my computer! Our Savior is omnipotent God but He also has a body--just like us! He has feet that walked and bled and rest on footstools. He has arms that hug and comfort. He has eyes that see everything and weep with compassion and light up with joy when He looks at you. He has a mouth that laughs and eats and speaks words of conviction and judgment but also of encouragement and blessing.

A young child woke late one night crying, frightened of the darkness. Her mother came in and hugged her and gently reminded her, “Sweetheart, there’s nothing to be afraid of--Jesus is right here with you every single second.” The little girl tearfully answered, “yes, Mommy, but I need somebody with a skin-face.”

Our Savior has a SKIN FACE and He fully understands and feels and sees and knows all that we are going through. Yet He is also Almighty Sovereign God and saves to the uttermost and there is absolutely nothing that He cannot do.

With His infinite power, He will one day place all His enemies under His feet. Think of all those kings and dictators; think of satan and all his minions. Every single one of them will be footstools under the pierced feet of our Savior. And did you know that your enemies are His enemies? Our enemies of sin and doubt and discouragement and death will all be defeated and subjected to Him. I’ve read the end of the Book, and HE WINS, and if He wins, we know we will win in the end, too!

Hope this makes sense if you aren't in our Hebrews Bible study! But aren't you thankful we have a Savior who is the infinite, omnipotent Lord and yet also has a skin face and body just like ours so He fully understands and sympathizes and knows exactly what we most need? Just another reason to praise the One who came. May we never tire of finding reasons to rejoice in Him. To the Savior with a skin-face, be all the glory.