Who Are You, God?

Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.” But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed. (Matthew 27:11-14 ESV). There are so many different characters involved in the telling of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. One of those is a fascinating study. He is the governor of Palestine during the Roman occupation, Pontius Pilate. Without going into detail of his life either before or after the resurrection, it is important to note his questioning of Jesus in our reading today. Pilate asked a central question of Jesus. It was akin to what pharaoh asked of Moses when he confronted him about the demand to let the Jews go free. Pharaoh asked, “Who is God?” It is a question being repeated today as well. Listen again: But Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.” (Exodus 5:2 ESV). I’m quite sure that at the end of the ordeal of the plagues and the final judgment of God in the killing of the first-born of Egypt, he knew quite clearly who God was! However, before I’m too hard on either Pilate, or Pharaoh, I must admit that the question of "Who is God?" is not an easy question to answer. It is because we are trying to grasp the infinite with the finite. We are trying to grasp something far beyond our temporal, mortal capacity. Until the day we see Him face to face there are things about God we are never going to completely understand. For instance, I believe that God is holy, but I don't understand everything about His holiness. I also believe God is a triune being—He is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But I can’t begin to fully understand that concept. The Apostle Paul put it clearly when he said, For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. (1 Corinthians 13:12 ESV). So yes there is coming a day when it will all make sense. At the same time, though, with the help of the Holy Spirit, there are many things that we can and should know and grasp about God. After all, knowing what God is like is foundational to knowing God Himself. Knowing God and making Him known is the essence of being a Christian. I encourage you to begin asking the questions as you read your Bible. It is replete with answers!