Daily Lesson for Thursday 9th of April 2026
If you were looking to share with a non-Christian a description from the Bible about God’s character, where would you turn?
The best answer, of course, would be to Jesus. The Bible says that Jesus not only reflects God but reveals God. There are many Bible passages that explain this, but the one that does so most simply is John 14:9. Here, Jesus says, “ ‘He who has seen Me has seen the Father’ ” (NKJV). In order to know more about what God the Father is like, we should look to Jesus—His words, His actions, His manner, and His great love toward humanity as desplayed in His death and resurrection.
The love and care of the Father is most clearly expressed in His Son, Jesus. The beauty of the Bible is that God has given us four rich perspectives on the life of Jesus so that we can have a fuller picture of who He is. In Matthew (written by a Jew, for Jews), we see Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah who fulfilled what was promised. In Mark, we see Jesus living an active life of service and sacrifice. He was always thinking of others and always responsive to the will of His Father. In Luke, we can read about how Jesus felt, with His humanity and compassion, and we can read this account to have assurance that what we read is true (Luke 1:3-4). In John, we see the incarnate Son of God and are invited to believe that Jesus is who He says He is, so that our spiritual lives can be revived. Although all four Gospels explore the same ground, “they do not represent things in just the same style. Each writer has an experience of his own, and this diversity broadens and deepens the knowledge that is brought out to meet the necessities of varied minds.”—Ellen G. White, Manuscript 105, 1900. Which Gospel have you read most recently?
In Matthew 1:23, a specific name is given to Jesus. Why is this so significant in understanding God’s character? Read Matthew 28:20, focusing on the last part of the verse. Compare these two verses. What do you notice?
Image © Jeff Preston at Goodsalt.com
We’ve touched only the surface of this huge topic, the character of God. God is greater and more incredible than we can fathom, and we will forever be learning about Him into eternity.
God deserves our praise for who He is and what He has done and is doing in our lives. Take some time now to offer up a prayer of praise to God for who He is. Be specific about what the Bible tells you about God. (For example, “Thank You, God, for being _____, as You tell me in _____.”)
