Since the beginning of time, humanity has wrestled with questions about its origin and purpose. Who made us? Is there a God? And if so, what is God like? Is He a distant, indifferent being? Is He angry? Or is there something we’ve missed all along? Throughout history, people have projected their own fears and hopes onto the gods they created—whether it was Zeus, Amon-Ra, or Marduk. These gods were often seen as vengeful or in need of constant appeasement.
But Christianity reveals something radically different: God looks like Jesus. Not like the gods of old who demanded constant appeasement, but like Jesus, who revealed that God is infinitely good. When Jesus came into the world, He didn’t come just to teach us how to live—He came to show us who God truly is. He said, “There is only One who is good” (Matthew 19:17), speaking of His Father in heaven.
The apostle John confirms this in 1 John 1:5 when he writes, “God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.” This doesn’t mean God has no righteous anger or wrath—rather, it means that God’s wrath and anger is not like ours. The book of James reveals that human wrath does not work the righteousness of God. (James 1:20) The ways of God are higher than the ways of man. (Isaiah 55:9) Unlike human anger, which is often rooted in fear, wounded egos, or hurt emotions, God’s wrath is His love in action. It is His relentless commitment to justice and healing, aimed at restoring the brokenness in His creation, not out of vengeance or spite. God’s wrath is not driven by passion, nor is out of control. The wrath of God is a righteous, nonviolent response to the evil that harms His beloved creation.
In Jesus, we see that God’s heart is not divided. His love and justice are one and the same. Everything Jesus did—healing the sick, forgiving sinners, embracing the outcasts—reveals that God is, at His core, nonviolent, self-giving love. There is no darkness in God, no desire for destruction or revenge. Instead, God’s infinite goodness and mercy run deeper than we could ever imagine.
Instead of running away in fear, we’re drawn into our Father’s loving arms, trusting in His deep love and knowing His greatest desire is for reconciliation and peace. We begin to realize that it is we, not God, who often act out of mercilessness and vindictiveness. It is humanity, not God, that desires “an eye for an eye.” Jesus rejected “eye for an eye” vengeance, which means His Father does too. (Matthew 5:38-42) As we follow Jesus, we are called to reflect this goodness and love in our own lives—to extend peace, compassion, and grace to others.
When we reflect God’s true nature by doing good rather than evil, we let our light shine before others. As Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). By demonstrating the goodness of God to others, we not only glorify His true nature but also practice the Great Commission as we spread Christ’s message through our actions, drawing others toward the heart of God.
God doesn’t resemble Zeus or any vengeful deity, either present or past. God is not waiting to strike you down or demand payment for every wrong. Instead, God is revealed in Christ as a merciful Father who loves the entire world and has a master plan to make all things new. (Rev. 21:5) He is the savior of all men. (1 Tim 4:10) Therefore, no amount of evil will ever be able to thwart, let alone overcome, His goodness in the end.
No matter where you are as you read these words, know this: God has you. Everything good comes from Him. (James 1:17) And that is the best news we could ever hope for.
The only way forward for humanity, if we are to avoid the path of self-destruction, is to truly understand that God looks like Jesus.
